IJAHSS adheres to the ethical guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), while supporting the principles of transparency and best practice in scholarly publishing.

Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to IJAHSS are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical conduct.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that:

Submitted work is entirely original.
All sources are appropriately cited and acknowledged.
The manuscript does not contain plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or unattributed content.
Any use of copyrighted materials has received appropriate permissions.

Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism, fabricated content, falsified information, or unethical research practices may be rejected immediately or retracted after publication.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal.

Manuscripts under review or previously published elsewhere will not be considered for publication, except where clearly disclosed and permitted under journal policy, such as preprints, conference abstracts, or theses.

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant scholarly contributions to:

Research conception and design.
Data collection, analysis, or interpretation.
Manuscript preparation or critical revision.
Final approval of the manuscript.

All listed authors must approve the submitted version and agree to its publication.

Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

Data Integrity and Research Accuracy

Authors are responsible for ensuring that:

Data presented are accurate, complete, and authentic.
Results are reported honestly without fabrication, falsification, or manipulation.
Research methods are described sufficiently to allow replication where applicable.
Supporting data are retained and made available when requested by editors.

Any significant errors discovered before or after publication must be reported promptly to the Editorial Office.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Authors must disclose all financial, institutional, personal, professional, or other relationships that could influence the interpretation of their research.

If no competing interests exist, authors should include the statement:

"The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest."

Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer review is a fundamental component of scholarly publishing. Reviewers are expected to provide fair, objective, confidential, and constructive evaluations.

Reviewers must:

Evaluate manuscripts solely on academic merit.
Maintain confidentiality throughout the review process.
Avoid personal criticism of authors.
Provide clear and evidence-based recommendations.
Disclose any conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment.
Decline reviews where impartial evaluation cannot be guaranteed.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained during peer review for personal or professional advantage.

Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring the integrity, fairness, and quality of the publication process.

Editors shall:

Evaluate submissions without discrimination based on nationality, gender, ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, institutional affiliation, or personal characteristics.
Make publication decisions based solely on scholarly merit and relevance.
Preserve reviewer confidentiality.
Address ethical concerns promptly and transparently.
Avoid conflicts of interest in editorial decision-making.
Promote ethical research and publication practices.

Editorial decisions are made independently and free from commercial influence.

Human and Animal Research Ethics

Research involving human participants or animals must comply with recognized ethical standards and applicable regulations.

Human Participants

Authors must:

Obtain approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee where applicable.
Confirm that informed consent was obtained from participants.
Protect participant privacy and confidentiality.
Conduct research in accordance with internationally accepted ethical principles.

Animal Studies

Authors conducting animal research must provide evidence that:

Appropriate ethical approval was obtained.
Animal welfare standards were followed.
Research complied with relevant institutional and national guidelines.

Research Misconduct

IJAHSS considers the following practices to constitute research misconduct:

Plagiarism.
Self-plagiarism.
Data fabrication.
Data falsification.
Citation manipulation.
Authorship manipulation.
Undisclosed conflicts of interest.
Duplicate publication.
Peer-review manipulation.
Image manipulation intended to misrepresent research findings.

Allegations of misconduct will be investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines and established publishing ethics procedures.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions or submit complaints regarding editorial processes.

All appeals and complaints will:

Be handled fairly and objectively.
Be reviewed by the Editorial Office and, where necessary, independent editorial representatives.
Be resolved according to established ethical procedures.

The journal will make every effort to ensure transparency and due process.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

IJAHSS is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.

Corrections

Minor errors that do not affect the scientific validity of a publication may be corrected through a formal correction notice.

Retractions

Articles may be retracted if:

Findings are unreliable due to misconduct or major error.
Plagiarism is identified.
Duplicate publication is discovered.
Ethical standards have been violated.

Expressions of Concern

Where serious concerns arise but investigations remain ongoing, the journal may publish an Expression of Concern to alert readers.

All corrective actions will follow COPE recommendations and remain permanently linked to the original publication.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative Tools

Authors may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to assist with language editing, formatting, or grammar improvement. However:

Authors remain fully responsible for all submitted content.
AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
Any substantial use of AI-assisted technologies should be disclosed within the manuscript.
Authors must verify the accuracy of all AI-generated content, references, and analyses.

Research Transparency and Reproducibility

IJAHSS encourages authors to support transparency and reproducibility by:

Providing clear methodologies.
Sharing datasets where possible.
Making research materials available when appropriate.
Following recognized reporting standards and discipline-specific guidelines.

Transparent reporting strengthens the reliability and impact of published research.

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

The International Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Studies is dedicated to promoting responsible research, ethical publishing practices, and academic integrity. Authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers share responsibility for maintaining the credibility of scholarly communication and ensuring that published research contributes positively to the advancement of knowledge.

By submitting a manuscript to IJAHSS, authors agree to comply with this Research and Publication Ethics Policy and with internationally accepted standards of scholarly conduct.