Ethical Principles and Publication Policy (Open Access)
PUBLICATION ETHICS
International Journal of Politics and Security aims to adhere to the guidelines and core practices set forth by several organizations, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (joint statement by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, WAME). These guidelines and recommendations are designed to promote transparency, integrity, and best practices in scholarly publishing.
By adhering to these standards, the journal aims to ensure that the research it publishes is of high quality and meets the ethical standards of the scientific community.
RESEARCH ETHICS
International Journal of Politics and Security adheres to national and international standards of research and publication ethics. All submitted and published studies must be conducted in full compliance with the established principles of research ethics. In this context, compliance with national and international ethical standards is mandatory for research involving human and animal participants. For studies involving human participants, informed consent must be obtained.
For studies requiring ethics committee approval, details of the approval must be included in the text (committee name, date, and reference number). Authors must adhere to the principles of scientific integrity when collecting, analysing, and reporting data. Plagiarism, data fabrication, data manipulation and other ethical violations will not be tolerated.
Ethics Committee Approval and Informed Consent
Articles published in International Journal of Politics and Security must clearly state whether ethical committee approval and/or legal/special permissions are required. If such permissions are needed, it should clearly state from which institution the consent was obtained, the date of approval, and the decision or reference number.
If a study is exempt from ethical approval, authors must submit a statement explaining the exemption. An article submitted without ethical approval will follow COPE's guidelines to evaluate ethical concerns. Articles without ethical approval may be rejected in cases where the issue is significant.
For studies involving human subjects, authors must confirm that written informed consent has been obtained from all participants, and the researchers should keep the consent form. For research involving children under the age of eighteen, permission should be obtained from the parents or guardians. In surveys or interviews, consent for the use of data must also be confirmed. Personal information should be anonymized unless explicit consent for identification is given.
Authors are responsible for maintaining the anonymity and confidentiality of participants, particularly in photographs. Signed release forms must be obtained for all images, approval for publication should be secured, and all conditions should be specified. This approval should be clearly stated in the Methods section.
PLAGIARISM AND ETHICAL MISCONDUCT
All submissions undergo multiple screenings during the peer review and/or production processes using similarity detection software. When citing previous works, ensure that all material is properly referenced. Copying text, tables, or illustrations from any source (journal articles, books, theses, electronic media, etc.) and presenting them as one's own is considered plagiarism, even if a reference is provided. Listing the source in the 'References' section does not absolve authors of responsibility for plagiarism.
Authors are strongly encouraged to avoid any form of plagiarism or ethical misconduct, as illustrated below:
- Citation Manipulation: Refers to inflating citation counts through self-citation, excessive citation of the same journal, or citation stacking, which distorts academic recognition.
- Self-Plagiarism (Text Recycling): Involves reusing sections or sentences from an author's prior work without proper citation, constituting a form of plagiarism.
- Salami Slicing: The unethical practice of publishing multiple articles using the same data set, hypotheses, and methods from a single study.
- Data Fabrication: The creation of false data not supported by actual research or experiments, considered a serious breach of research integrity.
- Data Manipulation/Falsification: Involves altering data, such as modifying images or removing outliers, to mislead or misrepresent findings.
In cases of suspected misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, citation manipulation, or data falsification), the Editorial Board will follow COPE guidelines to ensure fair, transparent, and consistent handling of allegations.
COPYRIGHT POLICY
Articles published in Journal of Politics and Security (IJPS) are Open Access and are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This allows third parties to share and adapt the content for non-commercial purposes, provided that appropriate attribution is made to the original work.
Journal of Politics and Security (IJPS) requires that each submission be accompanied by a Copyright Agreement Form.
When using previously published content, figures, tables, or any material in printed or electronic formats, authors are responsible for obtaining permission from the copyright holder. Legal, financial, and criminal liabilities related to this matter rest with the author(s).
Authors retain the copyright to the works published in Journal of Politics and Security (IJPS).
Open Access Policy
IJPS is an open access journal, which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access. https://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read/
Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
Authors submitting manuscripts to the journal must ensure that:
• The submitted work is original, has not been published previously, and is not under consideration elsewhere.
• All sources are properly cited in accordance with APA (7th edition) guidelines.
• Research data and findings are reported accurately, transparently, and honestly; fabrication, falsification, or data manipulation is strictly prohibited.
• Authorship reflects substantial scholarly contribution; honorary, guest, or ghost authorship is not permitted.
• Any conflict of interest, financial support, or institutional affiliation that may influence the research is clearly disclosed.
• Research involving human participants, sensitive data, or dual-use technologies complies with relevant ethical approvals and legal frameworks.
Ethical Responsibilities of Editors
Editors are responsible for:
• Ensuring a fair, impartial, and confidential editorial and peer review process.
• Evaluating manuscripts solely on academic merit, originality, relevance to the journal’s scope, and scholarly quality.
• Upholding the integrity of the double-blind peer review system.
• Taking appropriate action in cases of suspected misconduct, plagiarism, or ethical violations, in line with COPE guidelines.
• Maintaining editorial independence and preventing commercial, political, or personal interests from influencing decisions.
Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers are expected to:
• Conduct reviews in an objective, constructive, and timely manner.
• Treat manuscripts as confidential documents.
• Declare any conflict of interest that could compromise impartiality.
• Identify relevant literature that has not been cited and report any ethical concerns to the editors.
• Refrain from using information obtained through peer review for personal or professional advantage.
Peer Review Policy
All manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers are concealed. Each submission is reviewed by at least two independent experts in the relevant field.
Editorial decisions are based on reviewers’ evaluations and the editors’ assessment of the manuscript’s academic rigor, originality, and relevance.
Technology Ethics and Dual-Use Research
Given the journal’s focus on emerging technologies and security-related fields, particular attention is paid to the ethical, legal, and societal implications of research involving artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber capabilities, biotechnology, and space technologies.
Authors are encouraged to address potential dual-use risks, normative concerns, and governance challenges associated with technological innovation.
Plagiarism and Research Misconduct
The journal maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, and other forms of research misconduct. All submissions may be screened using plagiarism detection software.
In cases of confirmed misconduct, the journal reserves the right to reject the manuscript, retract published articles, and inform relevant institutions when necessary.
Corrections, Retractions, and Complaints
The journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. Errors, ethical concerns, or disputes are addressed through corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern, in accordance with COPE procedures.
Complaints and appeals are handled transparently, objectively, and in a timely manner.
Archiving Policy
Authors are permitted to self-archive their published work on institutional or personal websites, as well as in open-access repositories. When sharing their articles, they must appropriately cite the original publication and include the DOI number. Additionally, authors are encouraged to provide a link to the publisher’s official website, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the scientific record. The version published on the publisher’s website is considered the definitive version of record.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in published articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or the publisher. Authors bear full responsibility for the content of their work.