Ethics in Publishing

IJSSER Team works hard to ensure the content we publish is ethically sound. To help it achieve that goal, the IJSSER Team closely follows the advice laid out in the guidelines and flowcharts on the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) website. Authors must follow the ethical guidelines stated below. A few key points:

Submission Declaration

By submitting a manuscript to the IJSSER, authors confirm and agree to the following conditions:

• The submitted work is original and has not been published previously in any form, except as a preprint, conference abstract, academic thesis, or similar preliminary dissemination.
• The manuscript is not currently under review or consideration for publication in any other journal or publication outlet.
• All authors have approved the submission of the manuscript and agree with its content. In addition, the research has received any necessary institutional approvals from the organizations where the study was conducted.
• If the manuscript is accepted for publication, it will not be published elsewhere in the same or substantially similar form, in any language or medium, without prior written permission from the copyright holder.
• The journal reserves the right to evaluate submitted manuscripts using plagiarism detection and screening tools to ensure compliance with publication ethics and academic integrity standards.

Authorship

Authorship in the IJSSER is granted to individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to the study. Each listed author is expected to have been actively involved in at least the following aspects of the research process:

• Contributing to the conceptualization and design of the study, or participating in data collection, analysis, and interpretation,
• Taking part in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it with respect to its scholarly content,
• Providing final approval of the version to be submitted for publication
• One author should be designated as the corresponding author, who will serve as the primary point of contact with the journal throughout the submission, review, and publication process.
• All authors share collective responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the work. They are expected to ensure that any issues related to the study's reliability or ethical standards are properly addressed and resolved.

Changes to Authorship

The IJSSER expects authors to carefully determine the authorship list and the author order prior to submission. The submitted manuscript must include a complete and final list of all contributing authors. All authors should be clearly indicated in the manuscript, and their information must be accurately entered into the submission system at the time of submission. Requests for changes in authorship, including the addition, removal, or reordering of authors, are only considered before the manuscript is accepted and must receive approval from the journal editor.

Any request for authorship modification must be submitted by the corresponding author and should include a clear justification for the proposed change. In addition, written confirmation must be provided by all listed authors, as well as by any authors added or removed, indicating their agreement with the requested change. Requests that do not meet these requirements will not be evaluated.

No changes to authorship are permitted after the manuscript has been accepted for publication. This restriction applies to all types of modifications, including changes to the corresponding author. During the evaluation of an authorship change request, the peer review process may be temporarily suspended. Failure to follow the journal’s authorship change procedures or submitting unauthorized requests without editorial approval may result in the rejection of the manuscript or, if already published, the retraction of the article.

Declaration of Competing Interests

Authors submitting manuscripts to the IJSSER are required to disclose any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could potentially influence or bias their research. Transparency in declaring such relationships is essential to maintain the integrity and credibility of the publication process. Potential conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:

• Employment relationships
• Consultancy roles
• Ownership of shares or financial investments
• Receipt of honoraria or financial incentives
• Paid expert testimony
• Patent applications or intellectual property rights
• Research grants or other forms of funding
• Editorial roles or affiliations with the journal

All authors must complete the conflict of interest declaration during the submission process. Authors who hold a role within the journal (such as Editor or Advisory Board Member) must explicitly declare this relationship. In such cases, they should include the following statement under the relevant section of the declaration:

"Due to their role as [insert role], [author name] had no involvement in the review or editorial decision-making process for this manuscript. The responsibility for handling the manuscript was assigned to an independent editor."

This disclosure will be published as part of the article, either in a footnote or within the declaration section. If no competing interests exist, authors are required to clearly state:

"The authors declare that they have no competing interests."

The completed declaration document must be uploaded during the submission process as a Word document (.doc or .docx). 

Funding Sources

Authors submitting to the IJSSER must clearly disclose all sources of financial support for their research and manuscript preparation. Any funding from public, commercial, or nonprofit organizations must be transparently reported.

Authors should also specify, if applicable, the role of the funding bodies at each stage of the research process, including study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, manuscript preparation, and the decision to submit the work for publication. If the funding providers had no involvement in these processes, this should be explicitly stated in the manuscript.

Funding information should be presented in a standardized format to ensure clarity and compliance with funding requirements. For example:

Funding: This study was supported by [Name of Funding Agency] [grant number xxxx]; [Name of Organization] [grant number yyyy].

Detailed descriptions of funding programs, scholarships, or awards are not required. When financial support is provided through institutional or block funding, authors should identify the relevant institution or organization. If the study received no external financial support, authors are advised to include the following statement:

“This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.”

Declaration of Generative AI Use

Authors submitting manuscripts to the IJSSER are required to disclose any use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted technologies during the preparation of their work.

IJSSER acknowledges that AI-based tools, when used responsibly, can support researchers in tasks such as organizing content, improving language clarity, summarizing literature, and identifying potential research directions. However, such tools must be employed strictly as supportive instruments and must not replace the author’s own intellectual contribution, critical thinking, or scholarly judgment.

Authors bear full responsibility and accountability for the content of their manuscripts. This includes ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of any material generated or assisted by AI tools. All outputs produced with the assistance of AI must be carefully reviewed, verified, and revised by the authors to guarantee that the final manuscript reflects their original analysis, interpretations, and academic insights.

Furthermore, authors must ensure transparency in the use of AI tools. If any generative AI or AI-assisted technology has been utilized, this must be clearly stated in the manuscript at the time of submission. The declaration should be included as a separate section placed before the references.

Required Statement Format

• Section Title: Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Manuscript Preparation Process
• Statement Example: During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL/SERVICE] for the purpose of [SPECIFY PURPOSE]. Following this, the author(s) critically reviewed, revised, and edited the content and take full responsibility for the final version of the manuscript. The declaration requirement does not apply to the use of basic tools such as spelling or grammar checkers. If no AI tools have been used, authors are not required to include a statement.

IJSSER emphasizes that AI tools cannot be recognized as authors or co-authors under any circumstances, as authorship entails responsibilities that can only be fulfilled by human contributors. To protect academic integrity, confidentiality, and authors’ rights, the use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies by editors and reviewers during the peer review and evaluation process is not permitted. The journal may update this policy in line with future developments in ethical and compliant AI use.

Plagiarism Policy

Definition and Importance of Plagiarism: The IJSSER adheres to high standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. Plagiarism is defined as the presentation of another individual’s ideas, data, words, or findings as one’s own without proper acknowledgment. Such practices undermine the credibility of scholarly communication and are considered a serious violation of publication ethics.

Plagiarism Detection: All manuscripts submitted to IJSSER are subject to similarity screening using appropriate plagiarism detection software. Submissions may be checked at any stage of the editorial and review process to identify potential overlap with previously published or unpublished works. When textual similarity is detected, the editorial team carefully evaluates the extent and nature of the overlap to determine whether it constitutes plagiarism or acceptable use (e.g., properly cited material or methodological similarities).

Investigation Procedures: Any suspicion or allegation of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism or excessive text recycling, is investigated in accordance with internationally recognized ethical guidelines. The editorial office may request clarification from the author(s) and, when necessary, seek input from reviewers, editorial board members, or the authors’ affiliated institutions. Cases involving conceptual or idea-based plagiarism may require additional expert evaluation due to their complexity.

Editorial Actions: Based on the findings of the investigation and the authors’ response, the journal may take one or more of the following actions depending on the severity of the case:

• During review: The manuscript may be returned to the author(s) for revision, requiring proper citation, paraphrasing, or correction of overlapping sections.
• Before publication: Submissions with substantial and unjustified similarity may be rejected.
• After publication: If plagiarism is identified post-publication, the journal may issue a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction.
• Institutional notification: In serious cases, the authors’ affiliated institutions may be informed.

Guidelines to Avoid Plagiarism: Authors submitting to IJSSER are expected to follow best practices to ensure originality, including:

• Clearly indicating direct quotations using quotation marks.
• Providing accurate and complete citations for all referenced sources within the text and reference list.
• Ensuring proper acknowledgment of their own previously published work.
• Obtaining necessary permissions for the use of previously published tables, figures, or other copyrighted materials.

Preprints and Preprint Sharing

The IJSSER allows authors to share preprints of their manuscripts in accordance with widely accepted academic sharing practices. The dissemination of preprints, including posting on recognized preprint platforms, is not considered prior publication and does not prevent subsequent submission to the journal.

However, as IJSSER employs a double-blind peer review process, authors are strongly advised not to make their manuscripts publicly available as preprints during the review process. Publicly accessible preprints may compromise the anonymity of the review system. Therefore, authors should ensure that preprints are not shared or updated in a way that could reveal their identity until a final editorial decision has been reached.

Use of Inclusive Language

The IJSSER is committed to promoting inclusive, respectful, and unbiased academic communication. Authors are expected to use language that recognizes diversity, reflects sensitivity to individual differences, and supports equality in scholarly discourse. Manuscripts submitted to the journal should avoid any expressions that may suggest superiority or discrimination based on personal or social characteristics, including but not limited to age, gender, race, ethnicity, cultural background, sexual orientation, disability, or health status.

Authors are encouraged to use descriptors related to personal attributes only when they are directly relevant to the research context and supported by clear justification. The use of gender-neutral language is strongly recommended. For instance, plural forms (e.g., “students,” “participants,” “individuals”) should be preferred, and gender-specific pronouns such as “he,” “she,” or “he/she” should be avoided wherever possible.

In addition, authors should ensure that their writing does not rely on assumptions about readers’ beliefs, values, or cultural backgrounds. Academic texts should be free from bias, stereotypes, informal expressions, and implicit references to dominant cultural norms. These guidelines are intended to provide general direction for inclusive academic writing. Authors are encouraged to exercise critical awareness and responsibility in their use of language beyond these recommendations.

Reporting Sex- and Gender-Based Analyses

The IJSSER encourages authors to incorporate sex- and gender-based considerations into their research design, data analysis, and reporting where relevant. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the journal, attention to these dimensions is particularly important in studies involving human participants, social behavior, educational contexts, or related fields.

Authors are expected to clearly address whether sex and/or gender are relevant to their research. When applicable, these dimensions should be explicitly integrated into the study design and discussed in the methodology, analysis, and interpretation of findings. If such considerations are not included, authors should provide a justification and acknowledge this as a potential limitation affecting the generalizability of the results.

To ensure clarity, rigor, and reproducibility, authors must define how they conceptualize and use the terms sex and gender in their study. Clear definitions help avoid ambiguity and prevent the conflation of biological and socio-cultural constructs.

In general, sex refers to biological attributes such as chromosomal composition, hormonal profiles, and anatomical characteristics. While sex is often categorized as male or female based on characteristics assigned at birth, the journal recognizes the existence of intersex variations and differences in sex development. Gender, on the other hand, refers to socially and culturally constructed roles, identities, and behaviors associated with individuals. These may vary across societies, historical periods, and cultural contexts, and they influence social interactions, individual experiences, and power relations.

Authors are encouraged to follow established best practices, such as the principles outlined in the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines, when incorporating sex and gender into their research processes. These guidelines provide a systematic framework for integrating sex and gender considerations into study design, data analysis, and reporting.

IJSSER acknowledges that perspectives on sex and gender may differ across disciplines and cultural contexts. The journal does not prescribe specific viewpoints; however, when relevant to the research, authors are required to clearly explain how these concepts are defined and applied in their work.

Jurisdictional Claims

The IJSSER adopts a neutral stance regarding territorial representations and jurisdictional claims in all published materials. Authors are free to determine how they describe geographic regions and institutional affiliations; however, the journal takes no position on disputes related to territorial boundaries or sovereignty. This neutrality applies to all forms of content, including maps, figures, and author affiliations.

• Maps: Maps included in manuscripts should be clear, accurate, and limited to the specific study area. Authors are expected to ensure that the geographical scope presented in maps corresponds directly to the research context and does not extend beyond what is necessary. Study locations should be identifiable through widely used mapping tools. To avoid misinterpretation, authors should include a statement indicating that boundaries shown in maps are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any official recognition of territorial limits. During the review and editorial process, the journal reserves the right to request revisions to maps that do not comply with these guidelines.
• Institutional Affiliations: Authors must provide accurate and verifiable institutional information. The institution's full official name or its commonly recognized standard abbreviation should be used to ensure transparency and research integrity. Clear and consistent affiliation details are essential for proper identification and indexing of scholarly contributions.

Delayed Publication

If authors require a postponement of their article’s publication for any reason, they are advised to contact the editorial office of IJSSER as early as possible. While the journal will make reasonable efforts to accommodate such requests, provided they are submitted in a timely manner, it cannot guarantee that publication will be delayed until the requested date. Authors should also be aware that once the agreed postponement period has elapsed, the article may be scheduled for publication at any time thereafter, depending on the journal’s editorial workflow and publication timeline.

Copyright

All accepted authors are sent an email with a link to a license form. This should be checked for accuracy, for example, whether contact and affiliation details are up to date, and your name is spelled correctly, and then returned to IJSSER electronically. IJSSER allows authors to retain the copyright and full publishing rights without restrictions.

Unethical Notification

The IJSSER encourages individuals to report any suspected cases of ethical misconduct related to submitted manuscripts, published articles, editorial processes, or any other journal-related activities. If any behavior or situation is identified that does not comply with accepted ethical standards, it should be reported via email to ijsser.contact@gmail.com All notifications will be treated with due confidentiality and carefully reviewed in accordance with the journal’s ethical policies.