Modern Studies in Management and Organization

Modern Studies in Management and Organization

Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Journal of Modern Studies in Management & Organization (JMSMO) is committed to the highest standards of publication ethics and research integrity. The journal follows the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expects all individuals involved in the publication process, including authors, the Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board members, reviewers, and the publisher/managing director, to observe the principles of academic integrity, transparency, confidentiality, editorial independence, and professional responsibility.

JMSMO is committed to ethical research and publication practices throughout all stages of manuscript submission, initial assessment, peer review, editorial decision-making, publication, and post-publication corrections. The journal seeks to provide a fair, transparent, and scholarly environment for the publication of research in management, organizational studies, organizational behavior, human resource management, strategic management, marketing, and related fields.


1. Introduction

Research and publication ethics are fundamental principles of JMSMO. The journal believes that the integrity of the scholarly record can only be maintained when all participants in the publication process properly fulfill their ethical and professional responsibilities.

JMSMO follows the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and recognized international standards concerning research integrity and publication ethics.

This policy defines the responsibilities of authors, the Editor-in-Chief, the Editorial Board, reviewers, and the publisher/managing director, and also describes the procedures for handling suspected or confirmed research misconduct and unethical publication practices.


2. Research Ethics Approval

Research involving human participants, personal data, identifiable information, or human biological materials must be conducted in accordance with recognized principles of research ethics.

Where applicable, authors are required to provide information regarding research ethics approval in the manuscript. Where available, this information should include the name of the approving ethics committee, the ethics approval number or code, and other relevant information.

Research involving human participants must comply with recognized international ethical principles, including the Declaration of Helsinki and its subsequent amendments, or comparable ethical standards.

If a study did not require formal ethics approval or was granted an exemption from obtaining ethics approval, the authors must clearly explain the reason for such exemption or the basis for not requiring approval.

Where concerns arise regarding compliance with research ethics principles, JMSMO will investigate the matter in accordance with relevant COPE guidelines and procedures.

When research involves human participants, authors are required to report information concerning research ethics approval, informed consent, and other relevant ethical considerations in the appropriate section of the manuscript and in accordance with the journal's author guidelines.

What types of manuscripts generally do not require research ethics approval?

The following types of manuscripts generally do not require formal research ethics approval, provided that they do not contain personal or identifiable information about individuals:

  • Review articles;
  • Theoretical and conceptual studies;
  • Research based solely on information freely and publicly available;
  • Published biographies and similar publicly available information;
  • Editorials;
  • Letters to the Editor.

3. Participant Consent and Confidentiality

For manuscripts that include information, images, data, or other materials relating to identifiable individuals, authors are required to:

  • Anonymize participants' identifying and personal information wherever possible;
  • Protect the confidentiality of participants' personal information;
  • Obtain informed consent from participants where required;
  • Obtain explicit consent for the publication of personal data, images, audio files, videos, or other information that could result in the identification of individuals.

Whenever there is a reasonable possibility that an individual could be identified, authors must confirm that appropriate consent for publication of the information relating to that individual has been obtained.

Authors are responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions and consents for the research use and publication of personal information, images, audio or video files, or other materials relating to individuals.


4. Animal Studies

Although JMSMO primarily publishes research related to management and organizational studies, manuscripts that, where relevant, involve research using animals must comply with recognized international standards concerning animal welfare and applicable ethical regulations.

Such research must have a clear scientific justification and comply with appropriate ethical requirements concerning the housing, care, treatment, and use of animals.

When evaluating such manuscripts, the journal will take compliance with relevant ethical standards for animal research into consideration.


5. Authors' Responsibilities

Authors have full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and scientific integrity of their research and must observe ethical principles throughout the research, writing, submission, revision, and post-publication stages.

5.1 Originality and Prior Publication

Authors must ensure that the submitted manuscript:

  • Is the result of their original research;
  • Has not been previously published in any other scholarly journal;
  • Is not simultaneously submitted for consideration and publication to another journal;
  • Properly acknowledges and cites the works, ideas, data, and findings of other researchers.

Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to more than one journal or republication of content that has already been published constitutes a violation of publication ethics.

Previous publication of a work or a substantial part of it in another language may also constitute Duplicate Publication when it is undertaken without transparent disclosure and without obtaining the necessary permissions.

5.2 Data Integrity and Reporting of Results

Authors must report their research findings accurately, transparently, and without manipulation.

Authors must not:

  • Fabricate data or research results;
  • Falsify or manipulate research data or results;
  • Intentionally omit important information that could affect the interpretation of the findings;
  • Present results in a misleading manner.

The manuscript should provide, to a reasonable extent and in proportion to the nature of the research, sufficient methodological details and relevant sources to enable researchers to evaluate or reproduce the research.

5.3 Authorship

All individuals listed as authors must have made a meaningful scholarly contribution to the research, including contributions to the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation of results, or preparation of the manuscript.

Authors must:

  • Approve the final version of the manuscript;
  • Accept responsibility for the content of the manuscript;
  • Ensure that all individuals who qualify for authorship are appropriately identified as authors.

Adding individuals who have not made a meaningful scholarly contribution or excluding individuals who have made substantial contributions is inconsistent with responsible authorship practices.

5.4 Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that may affect the design of the research, analysis or interpretation of results, or publication of the manuscript.

Conflicts of interest may include:

  • Financial or organizational support;
  • Personal or professional relationships;
  • Institutional affiliations;
  • Other interests that could reasonably be considered capable of influencing the research.

Any relevant financial or organizational support must also be disclosed in the manuscript.

5.5 Respect for the Confidentiality of Peer Review

Authors must respect the journal's Double-Blind Peer Review process.

Authors must not:

  • Attempt to identify reviewers;
  • Contact reviewers directly regarding their manuscript;
  • Attempt through communications outside the journal's formal processes to influence reviewers or editorial decisions.

5.6 Proper Use of Sources and Prevention of Plagiarism

Authors must properly identify and cite all ideas, data, findings, methods, and texts derived from the work of others.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Using the ideas or text of others without appropriate citation;
  • Copying or closely reproducing another work without proper reference;
  • Presenting another researcher's findings as one's own;
  • Reproducing the structure or intellectual content of another work without appropriate attribution.

JMSMO will investigate suspected cases of plagiarism in accordance with publication ethics standards and relevant COPE guidelines.


6. Examples of Research Misconduct and Unethical Publication Practices

The following are among the forms of research misconduct or unethical publication practices:

6.1 Fabrication

Fabrication refers to creating, inventing, or reporting data, observations, results, or other research information that did not actually exist.

6.2 Falsification

Falsification includes manipulating, altering, deleting, or selectively presenting research data, methods, or results in a manner that may make the research findings inaccurate or misleading.

6.3 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of the ideas, words, structure, data, findings, or other intellectual contributions of others without appropriate acknowledgment and attribution.

6.4 Improper or Unethical Authorship Practices

These include attributing authorship to individuals who have not made a meaningful scholarly contribution, excluding individuals who qualify for authorship, or having research conducted by another person and presenting it under one's own name.

6.5 False or Misleading Institutional Affiliation

Authors must not inaccurately state their affiliation with a university, institution, research center, or organization, particularly where that organization has no legitimate role or relationship with the research.

6.6 Duplicate Submission

Duplicate submission refers to submitting the same manuscript, or a manuscript with substantially similar content, simultaneously to more than one journal, or submitting work that has already been published.

6.7 Overlapping or Duplicate Publication

Publishing a substantial portion of previously reported data, findings, or content with only minor changes and presenting it as a new article constitutes overlapping or duplicate publication.

6.8 Attempts to Influence Peer Review or Editorial Decision-Making

Any action intended to improperly influence reviewers, the Editor-in-Chief, the Editorial Board, or other individuals involved in the publication process constitutes unethical publication behavior.

Such actions include, but are not limited to:

  • Attempting to identify reviewers;
  • Directly contacting reviewers to influence their opinions;
  • Providing misleading or biased reviewer suggestions for the purpose of obtaining a favorable evaluation;
  • Applying pressure through personal, organizational, administrative, or professional relationships;
  • Using academic positions, institutional affiliations, or personal relationships to influence manuscript acceptance;
  • Offering or threatening to offer financial or non-financial benefits to reviewers, editors, Editorial Board members, or other individuals involved in the publication process.

JMSMO is committed to protecting the independence, impartiality, and confidentiality of the peer-review and editorial decision-making processes.


7. Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief of JMSMO has primary responsibility for scientific and editorial decisions concerning submitted manuscripts and must perform these responsibilities with independence, impartiality, transparency, and academic integrity.

7.1 Editorial Independence and Impartiality

The Editor-in-Chief should make decisions concerning manuscript acceptance, rejection, or revision requests solely on the basis of relevant scholarly criteria, including:

  • Scientific significance;
  • Originality;
  • Methodological quality;
  • Validity of findings;
  • Relevance to the journal's scope and objectives.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by personal, financial, organizational, political, or other irrelevant considerations.

7.2 Confidentiality

The Editor-in-Chief and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and related information.

Information concerning a manuscript should only be shared with individuals who need it for evaluation, peer review, or scholarly decision-making.

Submitted manuscripts and their contents must not be used for personal research or other purposes without appropriate authorization.

7.3 Selection of Reviewers

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for selecting qualified and independent reviewers with relevant expertise.

Reviewers should be selected on the basis of scholarly competence and must not have conflicts of interest that could compromise the impartiality of the peer-review process.

7.4 Conflict of Interest

The Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board members, and reviewers must not participate in decisions concerning manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest.

Conflicts of interest may include:

  • Close research collaboration;
  • Direct institutional relationships;
  • Personal or professional relationships;
  • Financial interests related to the manuscript.

7.5 Handling Ethical Concerns

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for appropriately addressing allegations or concerns relating to publication ethics and research integrity, including:

  • Plagiarism;
  • Fabrication or falsification of data;
  • Authorship disputes;
  • Duplicate publication;
  • Breaches of confidentiality;
  • Manipulation of the peer-review process.

Such matters will be investigated in accordance with relevant COPE guidelines.


8. Responsibilities of the Editorial Board

Members of the JMSMO Editorial Board play an important role in maintaining the journal's scientific quality and ethical integrity.

Editorial Board members are expected to:

  1. Support the scientific independence of the Editor-in-Chief and the journal's scientific decision-making process;
  2. Contribute to improving the scientific quality of the journal and promoting publication ethics;
  3. Assist, where appropriate, in identifying qualified and independent reviewers;
  4. Maintain the confidentiality of information concerning authors, reviewers, manuscripts, and editorial decisions;
  5. Refrain from participating in decisions concerning manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest;
  6. Cooperate in the investigation of potential research misconduct or unethical publication practices;
  7. Support the journal's policies concerning scientific transparency, open access, authors' rights, and the integrity of the peer-review process.

9. Responsibilities of the Publisher / Managing Director

The Publisher/Managing Director and License Holder of JMSMO, as responsible for the publication and administration of the journal, has a supportive and safeguarding role in maintaining the integrity of the publication process.

The Publisher/Managing Director is responsible for the following:

9.1 Supporting Editorial Independence

Ensuring the scientific independence of the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board and refraining from interfering in scientific evaluation and editorial decision-making.

9.2 Providing Appropriate Infrastructure

Providing the necessary infrastructure and administrative support for:

  • Proper management of manuscript submission and peer review;
  • Preservation of publication records;
  • Implementation of publication ethics policies;
  • Publication and open access to scholarly content.

9.3 Non-Interference in Scientific Decisions

The Publisher/Managing Director must not interfere with the scientific decisions of the Editor-in-Chief or Editorial Board concerning the acceptance, revision, or rejection of manuscripts.

Scientific evaluation and editorial decisions fall within the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief and appropriate editorial and peer-review processes.

9.4 Protection of Rights

The Publisher/Managing Director should protect the professional and intellectual rights of:

  • Authors;
  • The Editor-in-Chief;
  • Editorial Board members;
  • Reviewers;
  • Journal staff.

9.5 Supporting Open Access and Scholarly Dissemination

The Publisher/Managing Director supports the journal's open-access policy and efforts to expand access to and dissemination of published scholarly content.


10. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play an essential role in maintaining the scientific quality and integrity of published research.

10.1 Contributing to Scientific Quality

Reviewers should provide accurate, constructive, and scientifically grounded evaluations that contribute to improving the quality of the manuscript.

10.2 Expertise and Impartiality

Reviewers should accept only manuscripts that fall within their area of expertise.

A reviewer should inform the Editor-in-Chief and decline the review if there is:

  • A conflict of interest;
  • A personal or institutional relationship with the authors;
  • Insufficient expertise;
  • Insufficient time to complete the review.

10.3 Clear and Evidence-Based Evaluation

A review report should be:

  • Clear;
  • Objective;
  • Based on scholarly reasoning;
  • Constructive;
  • Respectful.

A review report must not contain discriminatory, personal, racial, religious, or other non-scientific judgments.

10.4 Confidentiality

Manuscripts submitted for peer review are confidential documents.

Reviewers must not:

  • Share the manuscript with others without authorization;
  • Use unpublished information, data, ideas, or interpretations for personal or professional benefit;
  • Disclose the content of the manuscript or the review report without authorization.

10.5 Reporting Attempts to Influence Peer Review

Reviewers must immediately inform the Editor-in-Chief if authors attempt to:

  • Establish direct communication;
  • Identify the reviewer;
  • Influence the peer-review process;
  • Apply pressure outside the journal's formal processes.

10.6 Timely Completion of Reviews

Reviewers should complete their evaluations within the timeframe specified by the journal and promptly inform the Editor-in-Chief if additional time is required.


11. Procedures for Addressing Unethical Research and Publication Conduct

JMSMO is committed to taking allegations, concerns, or reports concerning research misconduct and unethical publication practices seriously, fairly, and in accordance with relevant COPE guidelines.

The purpose of this process is to protect research integrity, the rights of authors, reviewers, and readers, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

A) General Principles

11.1 Initial Assessment

When a potential ethical concern is identified or reported:

  • The matter will initially be assessed by the Editor-in-Chief and, where necessary, members of the Editorial Board;
  • Relevant information and documentation may be collected;
  • The matter will be investigated impartially and without prejudgment.

11.2 Request for Explanation

If the concern requires further investigation, the corresponding author will be informed of the matter and given a reasonable opportunity to provide an explanation and relevant supporting documentation.

11.3 Editorial Investigation

If the response is insufficient or credible evidence of misconduct exists, the matter may be referred to the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board for further consideration.

The decision will take into account:

  • The nature and seriousness of the alleged violation;
  • Its potential impact on research integrity;
  • Whether the article has been published;
  • Relevant COPE guidelines;
  • Principles of fairness and proportionality.

11.4 Communication with the Author's Institution

In cases of serious suspected or confirmed misconduct, JMSMO may refer the matter to the university, research institution, organization with which the author is affiliated, or other relevant authorities for further investigation.


12. Actions Proportionate to the Type and Timing of the Violation

12.1 Attempts to Influence Peer Review Before Publication

If it is established that an author or another person associated with the manuscript has attempted to improperly influence peer review or editorial decision-making, JMSMO may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Immediate rejection of the manuscript;
  • Restriction of the offending author's ability to submit new manuscripts for an appropriate period;
  • Recording the violation in the journal's internal records;
  • Notification of the author's affiliated institution or organization in serious cases.

12.2 Formal Warning and Request for Correction

Where an ethical problem is correctable, the journal may:

  • Issue a formal warning;
  • Request correction of the relevant information, data, or report;
  • Request an explanation or, where appropriate, a formal apology from the authors.

12.3 Rejection or Prevention of Publication

In cases of serious misconduct, including:

  • Extensive plagiarism;
  • Fabrication of data;
  • Intentional falsification of data;
  • Serious violations of research ethics,

the journal may reject the manuscript or halt its publication process.


13. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

JMSMO is committed to correcting the scholarly record where necessary when errors or ethical concerns are identified after publication.

13.1 Corrections

When a post-publication error does not undermine the fundamental validity or integrity of the article, the journal may publish a formal correction.

Where appropriate, the correction will:

  • Be linked to the original article;
  • Clearly identify the corrected information;
  • Preserve transparency concerning the publication record.

13.2 Retraction

When serious scientific or ethical problems undermine the validity or integrity of a published article, JMSMO may retract the article.

Possible reasons for retraction include:

  • Fabrication or falsification of data;
  • Extensive plagiarism;
  • Major duplicate publication;
  • Fundamental errors that invalidate the findings;
  • Serious violations of research ethics.

Retraction procedures will be conducted in accordance with relevant COPE guidelines.

A retraction notice should:

  • Be clearly linked to the original article;
  • State the reason for the retraction;
  • Preserve the integrity of the scholarly record rather than unnecessarily removing the publication history.

13.3 Expression of Concern

Where there are serious concerns about the integrity of a published article, but the investigation has not yet been completed or a definitive conclusion cannot yet be reached, JMSMO may publish an Expression of Concern to inform readers.


14. Record Keeping and Transparency

JMSMO maintains appropriate records relating to the publication process and editorial decision-making, where necessary, including:

  • Manuscript submission records;
  • Peer-review reports;
  • Editorial decisions;
  • Correspondence relating to ethical matters.

Confidential information concerning authors and reviewers will be protected in accordance with the journal's confidentiality and peer-review policies.


15. Editorial Independence and Financial Considerations

JMSMO is committed to ensuring that scientific and editorial decisions are made independently of financial considerations.

No financial factor, including publication charges if introduced in the future, institutional support, or other economic considerations, should influence:

  • The selection of reviewers;
  • Decisions to accept or reject manuscripts;
  • The peer-review process;
  • The scientific content of published articles.

16. Artificial Intelligence and Publication Ethics

JMSMO has a separate policy governing the use of artificial intelligence in research and scholarly publishing.

Authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in the publication process are required to comply with the requirements set out in the journal's Artificial Intelligence Policy.

The use of artificial intelligence must not compromise:

  • The originality and integrity of research;
  • Confidentiality;
  • Intellectual property rights;
  • Authorship and accountability;
  • The integrity of the editorial and peer-review processes.

This Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement should be read together with the JMSMO “Peer-Review Policy,” “Complaints and Appeals Policy,” “Artificial Intelligence Policy,” and other relevant journal policies.