Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Asia Social Science Practice (JASSP) strictly adheres to the Core Practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and taking all necessary measures against publication malpractice.

1. Authorship and Contributorship

JASSP adheres to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines. Authorship must be based on the following four criteria:

  • Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
  • Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
  • Final approval of the version to be published; AND
  • Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

AI Policy: AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) do not meet the criteria for authorship and must not be listed as authors. Their use must be disclosed in the Acknowledgments section.

2. Complaints and Appeals

The journal maintains a transparent procedure for handling complaints and appeals:

  • Appeals: Authors may appeal an editorial decision by submitting a formal letter to the Editor-in-Chief. The appeal must provide strong evidence or new data in response to the reviewers' and editor's comments.
  • Complaints: Complaints regarding the editorial process, ethics, or staff conduct will be investigated by the Editorial Board. If a complaint involves the Editor-in-Chief, it will be referred to the Publisher (SHIHARR) for independent review.

3. Allegations of Research Misconduct

Editorial Responsibility: Editors and publishers are responsible for ensuring the integrity of the scholarly literature in their journals and outlining their policies and procedures for handling such issues when they arise. These issues include plagiarism, citation manipulation, and data falsification/fabrication, among others.

Neither the journal’s policies nor the statements of its editors encourage such misconduct, or knowingly allow such misconduct to take place. In the event that the journal's editors or publisher are made aware of any allegation of research misconduct relating to a submitted or published article, the editor or publisher will follow COPE's guidance (or equivalent) in dealing with allegations.

Investigation Process: Upon receipt of an allegation, the journal will strictly follow the COPE Flowcharts. If misconduct is confirmed:

  • Pre-publication: The manuscript will be immediately rejected.
  • Post-publication: The article will be retracted or an Expression of Concern will be issued.
  • The author's institution and funding agencies may be notified.

4. Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest may be influenced by a secondary interest (e.g., financial gain). Strict disclosure is mandatory:

  • Authors: Must disclose all financial and non-financial interests in the manuscript.
  • Reviewers: Must recuse themselves if they have a conflict with the authors or the research topic.
  • Editors: Must not make decisions on papers where they have a potential conflict.

5. Data Sharing and Reproducibility

JASSP is committed to a more open research landscape. Authors are encouraged to share the data, code, and other artefacts supporting the results in the paper by archiving them in an appropriate public repository. A Data Availability Statement should be included in the manuscript, detailing where the data can be accessed.

6. Ethical Oversight

For research involving human subjects, authors must ensure the work was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

  • Institutional Approval: Approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee must be obtained and stated in the manuscript.
  • Informed Consent: Explicit informed consent must be obtained from all participants.
  • Vulnerable Populations: Strict ethical oversight applies to research involving vulnerable groups to prevent coercion or harm.

7. Intellectual Property

To protect the rights of authors and support Open Access:

8. Post-Publication Discussions

JASSP facilitates scholarly debate post-publication. We welcome:

  • Letters to the Editor: Readers may submit letters commenting on published articles. These are reviewed by the Editorial Board and, if accepted, published alongside a response from the original authors.
  • Direct Commenting: Where applicable, verified users may post comments on the article landing page.

9. Corrections and Retractions

The journal is responsible for preserving the integrity of the academic record. We handle errors according to COPE guidelines:

  • Correction (Erratum): Issued for errors that do not affect the scientific validity of the paper (e.g., formatting, minor data errors).
  • Retraction: Issued when the main findings are invalid, reliable data is missing, or in cases of proven misconduct (plagiarism, multiple submission).
  • Expression of Concern: Issued when an investigation into misconduct is ongoing or inclusive.