Publication & Ethics Statement
The International Journal of Cultural Analysis and Social Change (IJCASC) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. As an international, peer-reviewed journal, IJCASC seeks to ensure that all stages of scholarly publishing are conducted with transparency, fairness, accountability, and respect for authors, reviewers, editors, research participants, and the wider academic community.
This Publication & Ethics Statement establishes the ethical principles and responsibilities that guide authors, editors, reviewers, and the journal in the publication process.
1. Publication Principles
The International Journal of Cultural Analysis and Social Change publishes original scholarly works that contribute to the understanding of culture and social change. The journal welcomes interdisciplinary research from the social sciences, humanities, arts, and related applied fields.
All submitted manuscripts must represent original work and must not have been published previously or be under consideration for publication elsewhere. Manuscripts should make a meaningful academic contribution and present their research, arguments, methodology, and findings accurately and transparently.
The journal is committed to an editorial process that is independent, impartial, and based primarily on the academic quality, originality, relevance, methodological rigor, and ethical standards of submitted manuscripts.
2. Responsibilities of Authors
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts meet appropriate standards of academic integrity.
Authors should:
Submit original work that has not been published elsewhere.
Ensure that the manuscript is not simultaneously submitted to another journal.
Accurately report research methods, findings, interpretations, and sources.
Provide appropriate citations and acknowledge the contributions of other scholars.
Ensure that all individuals listed as authors have made substantial contributions to the research or manuscript.
Obtain appropriate permission for the use of copyrighted material where necessary.
Disclose any relevant conflicts of interest or potential competing interests.
Ensure that research involving human participants complies with applicable ethical standards and institutional requirements.
Protect the privacy, dignity, confidentiality, and rights of research participants.
Notify the journal promptly if a significant error is discovered in a published article and cooperate with the editorial team in correcting the record.
Fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, manipulation of citations, and other forms of academic misconduct are unacceptable.
3. Authorship and Contribution
Authorship should be based on substantial intellectual or scholarly contributions to the research and manuscript.
Individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or preparation of the manuscript should be appropriately recognized. Individuals who have not made a substantive contribution should not be listed as authors.
All authors are expected to approve the final version of the manuscript and accept responsibility for the integrity of their contribution to the work.
Changes to authorship after submission should only be made with the agreement of all affected authors and approval from the journal's editorial team.
4. Responsibilities of Editors
Editors of IJCASC are responsible for maintaining the quality and integrity of the journal's publication process.
Editors should:
Evaluate manuscripts fairly and objectively.
Make editorial decisions based on academic quality, relevance, originality, and methodological rigor.
Avoid discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, political views, or other irrelevant characteristics.
Maintain confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts.
Select appropriate and qualified reviewers.
Manage potential conflicts of interest.
Protect the independence and integrity of the peer-review process.
Take appropriate action when ethical concerns or allegations of misconduct arise.
Publish corrections, retractions, or other notices when necessary to maintain the accuracy of the scholarly record.
Editors should not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for personal research or other purposes without the authors' permission.
5. Responsibilities of Reviewers
Peer reviewers play an important role in maintaining the scholarly quality of the journal.
Reviewers should:
Review manuscripts objectively, fairly, and constructively.
Provide clear and evidence-based comments that can assist authors in improving their work.
Treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents.
Not use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal advantage.
Identify relevant published work that has not been appropriately cited where necessary.
Inform the editor of any suspected plagiarism, data fabrication, serious methodological problems, or other ethical concerns.
Decline the review if they have a conflict of interest or are unable to provide an impartial assessment.
Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe or notify the editor if additional time is required.
6. Peer Review and Editorial Independence
IJCASC applies a peer-review process designed to provide an independent academic assessment of submitted manuscripts. Reviewers are selected according to the subject matter and expertise required for each manuscript.
Editorial decisions should not be influenced by commercial interests, personal relationships, institutional affiliations, political considerations, or other inappropriate factors.
The journal is committed to protecting the confidentiality and integrity of the peer-review process.
7. Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct
IJCASC has a zero-tolerance approach toward plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct.
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
Copying text, ideas, data, images, or other intellectual materials without appropriate acknowledgment.
Presenting another person's work as one's own.
Self-plagiarism or substantial reuse of previously published material without appropriate disclosure.
Fabricating or falsifying research data or results.
Manipulating research findings or documentation.
Improper citation practices.
Submitting substantially the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously.
When allegations of misconduct arise, the journal may investigate the matter and request explanations, supporting documents, or clarification from the authors and relevant institutions.
Depending on the seriousness of the misconduct, possible actions may include rejection of the manuscript, correction of a published article, retraction, notification of relevant institutions, or other appropriate measures.
8. Research Ethics
Authors conducting research involving human participants are expected to comply with applicable ethical principles, institutional requirements, and relevant national or international regulations.
Where applicable, authors should indicate whether ethical approval or informed consent was obtained.
Research participants must be treated with respect and their privacy, confidentiality, autonomy, safety, and dignity must be protected.
Authors should avoid unnecessary disclosure of personally identifiable information and should ensure that research participants understand the nature and purpose of their participation where informed consent is required.
9. Conflicts of Interest
Authors, editors, and reviewers are expected to disclose any financial, professional, personal, institutional, or other relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or publication process.
A conflict of interest does not necessarily prevent publication or participation in peer review. However, transparency is essential so that appropriate measures can be taken to preserve the integrity and impartiality of the publication process.
10. Data and Research Transparency
Authors should provide sufficient methodological information to allow readers to understand and, where appropriate, evaluate the research.
Authors are encouraged to retain research data, documentation, and supporting materials in accordance with applicable ethical, legal, institutional, and disciplinary requirements.
Where data or supplementary materials are made available, authors should ensure that their use does not violate participant confidentiality, privacy, intellectual property rights, or other applicable restrictions.
11. Corrections and Retractions
IJCASC recognizes its responsibility to maintain an accurate and reliable scholarly record.
If an error is identified after publication, the journal may publish an appropriate correction, clarification, or other editorial notice.
In cases where a published article contains serious errors, unreliable findings, plagiarism, fabricated or falsified data, or other significant ethical violations, the journal may consider retraction.
Retractions and corrections will be handled transparently and in accordance with accepted principles of publication ethics.
12. Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence
Authors may use artificial intelligence and other digital tools to assist with research or manuscript preparation where such use is appropriate. However, authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical standards of their submitted work.
AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the content of a scholarly publication.
Authors should disclose significant use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies in accordance with the journal's applicable submission requirements, particularly when such tools have contributed substantially to the preparation, analysis, or presentation of the manuscript.
Authors remain responsible for verifying AI-generated information, citations, data, interpretations, and statements.
13. Copyright and Publication Rights
Authors are responsible for ensuring that the manuscript and all accompanying materials comply with applicable copyright and intellectual property requirements.
Authors should obtain permission to reproduce copyrighted material when permission is required and should provide appropriate acknowledgment.
The publication of an article does not relieve authors of responsibility for ensuring that their work respects the intellectual property rights of others.
14. Complaints and Ethical Concerns
The journal welcomes legitimate concerns regarding editorial decisions, peer review, authorship, plagiarism, research integrity, conflicts of interest, or other publication-ethics matters.
Complaints should be submitted through the journal's official communication channels and should include sufficient information to allow the editorial team to assess the matter fairly and objectively.
IJCASC will seek to handle complaints confidentially, impartially, and in a timely manner.
15. Commitment to Academic Integrity
The International Journal of Cultural Analysis and Social Change is committed to fostering a responsible and inclusive scholarly environment. The journal recognizes the importance of diverse cultural perspectives, interdisciplinary scholarship, and research that engages with communities and contemporary social challenges.
The journal therefore expects all participants in the publication process to act with honesty, transparency, respect, accountability, and professional integrity.
By maintaining these principles, IJCASC aims to contribute to a trustworthy, rigorous, inclusive, and ethically responsible body of knowledge concerning culture, society, and social change.
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