Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The International Journal of Security Sciences (IJSS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, transparency, and responsible scholarly publishing. This statement defines the ethical responsibilities of authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

Author Responsibilities

• Originality: Authors must ensure that all submitted manuscripts are original works and that prior work is properly acknowledged.
• Plagiarism: Plagiarism in any form, including self-plagiarism and redundant publication, is unacceptable. Manuscripts may be screened during editorial assessment.
• Authorship: Authorship is limited to individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions. All authors must approve the final manuscript.
• Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest and clearly state all sources of funding.
• Data Integrity: Authors are responsible for the accuracy of data, evidence, analyses, and results. Fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or misrepresentation of research data constitutes unethical behavior.
• Ethical Approval: Research involving humans, animals, personal information, surveillance data, security investigations, or sensitive datasets must comply with applicable ethical and legal requirements.

Peer Review

International Journal of Security Sciences (IJSS) follows a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure scholarly quality, research integrity, and scientific validity.

Peer Review Policy

Duties of Editors

• Editorial Independence: Editors make decisions independently of the publisher and without influence from commercial, political, institutional, or financial considerations.
• Confidentiality: Editors must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and related communications.
• Fairness: Manuscripts are evaluated solely on academic merit, relevance, originality, and scientific quality.
• Conflicts of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist.

Duties of Reviewers

• Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents.
• Objectivity: Reviews should be objective, constructive, evidence-based, and focused on scholarly merit.
• Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must decline review invitations where actual or perceived conflicts of interest exist.
• Timeliness: Reviewers should complete reviews within the agreed review period or promptly notify the editors if delays arise.

Corrections and Retractions

• Corrections: Issued when errors are identified that do not invalidate the findings. Corrections and Retractions Policy
• Retractions: Articles involving serious ethical violations, plagiarism, fabricated data, manipulated evidence, or unreliable findings may be retracted. Retraction notices will be clearly identified and linked to the original article. Corrections and Retractions Policy

Misconduct Investigations

Allegations of publication misconduct, plagiarism, fabricated data, manipulated evidence, authorship disputes, ethical violations, or other research integrity concerns are investigated confidentially, fairly, and in accordance with established editorial procedures.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The journal maintains a dedicated policy governing the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automated systems in scholarly publishing.

Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Fees and Ethical Independence

Editorial decisions are completely independent of publication fees, sponsorship, advertising, or other financial considerations.

Article Processing Charges (APC)

Advertising and Commercial Influence

Advertising, sponsorship, commercial partnerships, or institutional relationships must not influence editorial decisions, peer review outcomes, or publication content.

Publisher Responsibilities

The publisher supports ethical publishing practices, safeguards editorial independence, promotes transparency, and provides the infrastructure necessary for responsible scholarly communication.

Reporting Ethical Concerns

Concerns regarding publication ethics, research misconduct, conflicts of interest, authorship disputes, or data integrity should be reported to the editorial office using the contact information provided on the journal website.

Compliance and Standards

International Journal of Security Sciences (IJSS) adheres to internationally recognized standards of publication ethics, research integrity, transparency, and best practices in scholarly publishing.