Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics

This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process of this journal, including authors, the Editor-in-Chief, the Editorial Board, peer reviewers, and the publisher. This statement is based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

 

Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

The publication of articles in the peer-reviewed journal Digital Society Studies is an essential part of building a credible and respected body of knowledge. It reflects directly on the quality of the authors’ work and the institutions that support them. Peer-reviewed articles uphold and embody the scientific method. Therefore, it is important to establish clear ethical standards for all parties involved in the publication process: authors, journal editors, peer reviewers, the publisher, and affiliated organizations.

Publication Decisions

The Editor of Digital Society Studies is responsible for deciding which submitted articles should be published. The validity of the work and its significance to researchers and readers must always be the primary considerations in making such decisions. The editor may be guided by the journal’s editorial policies and constrained by applicable legal requirements regarding defamation, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The editor may consult with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.

Fair Play

Editors should evaluate manuscripts solely on the basis of their intellectual content, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

Confidentiality

The editor and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in the editor’s own research without the author’s explicit written consent.

Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and, through editorial communication with the author, may also help the author improve the manuscript.

Promptness

Any selected reviewer who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript, or knows that a timely review will not be possible, should notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.

Confidentiality

Any manuscript received for review must be treated as a confidential document. It must not be shown to or discussed with others unless authorized by the editor.

Standards of Objectivity

Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly and support them with valid arguments.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument has been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. Reviewers should also notify the editor of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the paper.

Duties of Authors

Reporting Standards

Authors of original research reports should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the manuscript. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to allow others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

Data Access and Retention

Authors may be asked to provide the raw data related to a manuscript for editorial review and should be prepared to provide public access to such data, where feasible, in accordance with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases. In any case, authors should be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable period after publication.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that they have written entirely original works. If the authors have used the work and/or words of others, these must be appropriately cited or quoted.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

In general, authors should not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have significantly influenced the nature of the reported work.

Authorship of the Paper

Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project should be acknowledged or listed as contributors.

The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included in the manuscript, that no inappropriate co-authors are included, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the manuscript and have agreed to its submission for publication.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.