Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement
Contents
Introduction and Commitment
Editorial Principles
Editorial Process
Responsibilities of Authors
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Responsibilities of Editors
Neutrality Regarding Jurisdictional Claims and Geopolitical Disputes
Ethical Oversight
Corrections to the Scholarly Record
Introduction and Commitment
The Caucasus Journal of Social Sciences (CJSS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, and transparency throughout the editorial and publication process. The journal expects authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher to uphold these principles and to act responsibly, ethically, and professionally at every stage of scholarly communication.
CJSS follows the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and supports the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing developed by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME. Editorial decisions are based solely on the scholarly merit, originality, methodological rigour, ethical compliance, and relevance of submitted work, without discrimination of any kind.
This Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement outlines the journal's ethical principles and procedures for preventing, investigating, and addressing publication misconduct. It should be read together with the journal's related policies, including those on peer review, authorship, conflicts of interest, research ethics, data sharing, artificial intelligence, copyright, and corrections.
Editorial Principles
CJSS is committed to ensuring that all editorial decisions are made independently, fairly, and solely on the basis of scholarly merit. Manuscripts are evaluated according to their originality, methodological rigour, ethical integrity, significance, and relevance to the journal's aims and scope, without regard to the authors' nationality, ethnicity, gender, institutional affiliation, political beliefs, religion, career stage, or any other personal characteristic.
The journal maintains editorial independence from the publisher, sponsors, and external organisations. Editors are expected to act impartially, maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, avoid conflicts of interest, and uphold the integrity of the scholarly record. Any editor with a competing interest in a submission will withdraw from the editorial process, and the manuscript will be assigned to another qualified editor.
Further information is available in the journal's Editorial Independence Policy, and Peer Review Policy.
Editorial Process
All manuscripts submitted to CJSS undergo an initial editorial assessment to determine their suitability for the journal's aims and scope, compliance with the Author Guidelines, ethical requirements, and minimum standards of scholarly quality. Submissions may also be screened for plagiarism and other forms of publication misconduct before being sent for peer review.
Manuscripts that pass the initial assessment are evaluated through a double-blind peer review process by at least two independent experts in the relevant field. CJSS does not use author-suggested reviewers. Reviewers are selected independently by the Editorial Office based on their subject expertise, research experience, and the absence of conflicts of interest, ensuring an objective and impartial evaluation.
Editorial decisions are based on reviewers' recommendations together with the editors' independent assessment of the manuscript's scholarly quality, originality, methodological rigour, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's scope. Possible decisions include acceptance, acceptance subject to minor revisions, invitation to undertake major revisions, or rejection.
The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the final publication decision and oversees the consistent and impartial application of the journal's editorial policies. A detailed description of the editorial workflow and peer review procedures is provided in the journal's Peer Review Policy.
Responsibilities of Authors
Authors submitting manuscripts to the Caucasus Journal of Social Sciences (CJSS) are expected to uphold the highest standards of research integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct throughout the submission, peer review, and publication process.
By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:
- the manuscript is their original work and has not been published previously, in whole or in part, except where appropriately disclosed and permitted;
- the manuscript is not under consideration for publication by another journal or publisher;
- all listed authors have made a substantial scholarly contribution to the research, meet the journal's authorship criteria, and have approved the final version of the manuscript and its submission;
- the research has been conducted and reported honestly, accurately, and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation of data;
- all sources of information, data, ideas, and previously published material have been appropriately acknowledged and cited;
- all applicable ethical requirements, including ethics approval and informed consent where required, have been fulfilled;
- all sources of funding, financial and non-financial competing interests, and any other relevant support have been fully disclosed;
- the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the preparation of the manuscript has been disclosed in accordance with the journal's Artificial Intelligence Policy;
- the manuscript complies with the journal's Copyright and Licensing Policy and any necessary permissions have been obtained for the use of third-party material.
Authors are expected to participate actively and professionally in the peer review process by responding to editorial and reviewer comments in a timely manner and submitting revisions when requested. An invitation to revise and resubmit a manuscript does not guarantee its acceptance for publication.
The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have approved the manuscript, that all required declarations have been submitted on behalf of the author group, and that all authors agree with the final version of the manuscript and its publication.
If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their submitted or published work, they must promptly notify the Editorial Office and cooperate fully in issuing a correction, corrigendum, or retraction where necessary to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.
Authors whose manuscripts require revision are expected to submit the revised version within the timeframe specified by the Editorial Office. Manuscripts not returned within the prescribed period may be considered withdrawn and may require resubmission as a new submission.
Detailed requirements relating to manuscript preparation, authorship, conflicts of interest, ethical oversight, data sharing, artificial intelligence, copyright, and licensing are provided in the journal's policy pages and Author Guidelines.
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers play a vital role in maintaining the quality, integrity, and credibility of the scholarly record. By accepting an invitation to review for the Caucasus Journal of Social Sciences (CJSS), reviewers agree to conduct their assessment objectively, fairly, confidentially, and in a timely manner.
Reviewers are expected to:
- accept review assignments only where they have the appropriate expertise and can complete the review within the requested timeframe;
- disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest and decline the review where such conflicts could compromise their impartiality;
- treat all manuscripts and related correspondence as confidential documents and not share, discuss, or use unpublished material for personal or professional advantage;
- provide objective, constructive, respectful, and evidence-based evaluations supported by clear reasoning;
- assess manuscripts on the basis of their originality, scholarly significance, methodological rigour, ethical compliance, clarity of presentation, and relevance to the journal's aims and scope;
- identify relevant published work that has not been cited where appropriate and alert the editors to any substantial similarity, plagiarism, duplicate publication, data irregularities, or other concerns regarding research or publication ethics;
- refrain from using offensive, discriminatory, or personal language in review reports and focus their comments on the scholarly content of the manuscript;
- evaluate revised manuscripts when requested by the Editorial Office to determine whether the authors have adequately addressed previous review comments.
Reviewers are not expected to provide comprehensive language editing or copyediting. Where significant issues relating to language, organisation, or presentation affect the scientific evaluation of the manuscript, reviewers should identify these concerns in their reports.
To protect the confidentiality and integrity of the peer-review process, reviewers must not upload unpublished manuscripts, review reports, editorial correspondence, or any confidential journal materials to generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems or other third-party services. AI tools must not be used to generate, revise, or substantially assist in preparing peer-review reports.
If a reviewer becomes aware of any ethical concern, undisclosed conflict of interest, or suspected misuse of AI or other forms of publication misconduct during the review process, they should promptly inform the Editorial Office.
Further guidance is available in the journal's Peer Review Policy, Artificial Intelligence Policy, and Conflict of Interest Policy.
Responsibilities of Editors
Editors of the Caucasus Journal of Social Sciences (CJSS) are responsible for safeguarding the quality, integrity, and credibility of the journal and the scholarly record. They are expected to exercise independent, fair, and impartial editorial judgement throughout the submission, peer review, and publication process.
Editors are expected to:
- make editorial decisions solely on the basis of a manuscript's scholarly merit, including its originality, methodological rigour, ethical integrity, significance, and relevance to the journal's aims and scope;
- treat all submitted manuscripts confidentially and preserve the anonymity of reviewers throughout the double-blind peer review process, unless a reviewer has explicitly agreed to disclose their identity;
- ensure that manuscripts are evaluated fairly and without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, religion, political beliefs, institutional affiliation, career stage, or any other characteristic unrelated to the quality of the research;
- select qualified, independent reviewers and avoid any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest throughout the editorial process;
- ensure that all published research complies with recognised ethical standards and the journal's publication policies;
- take appropriate action when research or publication misconduct is suspected, following the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), while ensuring that all allegations are investigated fairly, confidentially, and based on evidence;
- maintain the integrity of the scholarly record by issuing corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions whenever necessary.
Editors are free from commercial, financial, institutional, or political influence in their editorial decision-making. Neither the publisher, sponsoring institution, editorial board members, authors, funders, advertisers, nor any external party may interfere with or influence editorial decisions. All editorial decisions are made independently and solely on the basis of the manuscript's scholarly merit, ethical integrity, and relevance to the journal's aims and scope.
Editors who are authors or co-authors of a submitted manuscript, or who have any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest in relation to a submission, must not participate in its editorial assessment or decision-making. Such manuscripts will be assigned to another qualified editor to ensure an independent and impartial review process.
To protect the confidentiality and integrity of the editorial process, editors must not upload unpublished manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial correspondence, or other confidential journal materials to generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems or third-party services. AI tools must not be used to evaluate manuscripts, make editorial decisions, or generate editorial assessments.
Editors should promptly investigate any suspected research or publication misconduct, including the inappropriate use of AI, and take appropriate action in accordance with the journal's policies and COPE guidance.
Further information is available in the journal's Editorial Independence Policy, Peer Review Policy, Conflict of Interest Policy, and Artificial Intelligence Policy.
Neutrality Regarding Jurisdictional Claims and Geopolitical Disputes
CJSS is committed to maintaining editorial neutrality with respect to jurisdictional claims, territorial disputes, and political matters. The journal does not endorse or promote any political position, territorial claim, or governmental policy through the publication of scholarly content.
Authors should present research objectively and avoid politically inflammatory language, unsupported geopolitical assertions, or terminology that is not directly relevant to the scholarly objectives of the manuscript. Where geographical names, maps, institutional affiliations, or territorial designations are necessary, authors should use internationally recognised or officially adopted terminology appropriate to the context of the research.
The journal reserves the right to request revisions to terminology, maps, or institutional designations where clarification or greater neutrality is required. Where appropriate, the Editorial Office may include an editorial note to provide context or clarification.
Authors' Affiliations
Authors are responsible for providing accurate and complete institutional affiliations as recognised by their employing or affiliated institution. CJSS does not determine or alter the official names of institutions, except where necessary to ensure consistency, accuracy, or compliance with the journal's editorial style.
Editorial Neutrality
Editorial decisions are based solely on the scholarly merit, originality, methodological quality, ethical integrity, and relevance of a manuscript. Decisions are made independently and without regard to the nationality, ethnicity, citizenship, political beliefs, religion, institutional affiliation, gender, or other personal characteristics of the authors. Editorial decisions are not influenced by governments, funding bodies, sponsoring institutions, or any external organisation.
Ethical Oversight
CJSS expects all research involving human participants, personal data, or animals to comply with applicable institutional, national, and international ethical standards.
COPE Compliance
The Caucasus Journal of Social Sciences (CJSS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, and transparency throughout the editorial and publication process.
The journal adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and follows relevant COPE guidance in the prevention, investigation, and resolution of research and publication misconduct. These internationally recognised principles guide the responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher, and support fair, transparent, and ethical scholarly publishing.
CJSS investigates all credible allegations of research or publication misconduct in accordance with COPE guidance. This includes, but is not limited to:
- plagiarism and self-plagiarism;
- data fabrication or falsification;
- duplicate or redundant publication;
- inappropriate authorship or contributorship;
- undisclosed conflicts of interest;
- peer-review manipulation;
- unethical research involving human participants or animals;
- copyright infringement; and
- the inappropriate or undisclosed use of artificial intelligence (AI) in scholarly publishing.
Where misconduct is suspected, the journal follows established editorial procedures to ensure that concerns are investigated fairly, confidentially, and impartially. Depending on the outcome of an investigation, appropriate actions may include manuscript rejection, publication of a correction or retraction, notification of relevant institutions or funding bodies where appropriate, or other measures necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.
Detailed procedures governing publication ethics, editorial responsibilities, peer review, corrections, retractions, and the handling of misconduct are described in the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement and related editorial policies.
For further information about the Committee on Publication Ethics and its Core Practices, please visit the official COPE website.
Research Involving Human Participants
Research involving human participants—including interviews, surveys, questionnaires, observations, focus groups, or other forms of data collection—must have received approval from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB), where such approval is required by the author's institution or applicable legislation. Authors should identify the approving body and approval reference where applicable.
Where formal ethical review is not required, authors should confirm that the research was conducted in accordance with recognised ethical principles and applicable institutional or national requirements.
Informed Consent
Authors are responsible for obtaining informed consent from research participants whenever required by the nature of the study or applicable ethical standards. Participants should be informed of the purpose of the research, the intended use of the data collected, and any potential publication of identifiable information.
Personally identifiable information, photographs, audio recordings, or other materials that could reveal a participant's identity must not be published without the participant's explicit written consent, unless disclosure is required by law or justified by exceptional scholarly circumstances.
Where informed consent was required, authors should include an appropriate statement within the manuscript, such as:
- Informed consent was obtained from all participants involved in the study.
- Written informed consent for publication of identifiable information was obtained from the relevant participant(s).
Further guidance is available in the journal's Ethical Oversight Policy, Privacy Statement, and Author Guidelines.
Corrections to the Scholarly Record
The Caucasus Journal of Social Sciences (CJSS) is committed to preserving the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. When errors or concerns are identified after publication, the journal will take appropriate corrective action in accordance with the COPE Core Practices and the journal's editorial policies. Depending on the nature and severity of the issue, this may include the publication of an Erratum, Corrigendum, Expression of Concern, or Retraction.
1 Errata
An Erratum is issued to correct minor errors introduced during the editorial or production process that do not affect the scientific content, interpretation, or conclusions of the article. Examples include typographical errors, formatting mistakes, incorrect author affiliations, or other minor production-related inaccuracies.
Where appropriate, the online version of the article will be updated, and a formal correction notice will be published to document the changes while preserving the integrity of the scholarly record.
2 Corrigenda
A Corrigendum is issued when authors identify significant errors in a published article that may affect the accuracy, interpretation, or reproducibility of the research but do not invalidate the overall findings of the study. Examples include errors in data presentation, tables, figures, references, author information, or other substantive elements of the publication.
Corrigenda are published as separate, citable documents and are permanently linked to the original article.
3 Expressions of Concern
An Expression of Concern may be issued when substantial questions arise regarding the reliability, integrity, or ethical conduct of a published article, but the available evidence is inconclusive or an institutional investigation is ongoing.
An Expression of Concern serves to inform readers of potential issues while ensuring that appropriate investigations can be completed fairly and objectively. It does not constitute a finding of misconduct.
4 Retractions
A Retraction is issued when there is clear evidence that the findings of a published article are unreliable due to research or publication misconduct or an honest error that invalidates the results. Retractions may also be issued in cases of plagiarism, duplicate publication, unethical research, serious copyright infringement, peer-review manipulation, or other violations that compromise the integrity of the scholarly record.
Retraction notices will remain permanently linked to the original article and will clearly state the reason for the retraction. Whenever possible, the original article will remain accessible for the purpose of maintaining the scholarly record, while being clearly identified as retracted.
The decision to issue an Erratum, Corrigendum, Expression of Concern, or Retraction is made by the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the Editorial Board where appropriate, and in accordance with the journal's editorial policies and the COPE Retraction Guidelines.
