Publication Ethics

 

Computational Social Sciences Review (CSSR) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and publication ethics. The journal adheres to the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expects all authors, reviewers, and editors to uphold principles of honesty, transparency, and responsible scholarly conduct.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

  • Submit only original work that has not been published elsewhere.
  • Avoid plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, and duplicate publication.
  • Ensure that all data reported are accurate, valid, and ethically obtained.
  • Acknowledge all sources appropriately and cite related work.
  • Disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
  • List only individuals who have made significant scholarly contributions as authors.

2. Responsibilities of Reviewers

  • Provide fair, objective, and timely evaluations of manuscripts.
  • Treat manuscripts as confidential documents.
  • Decline review assignments if conflicts of interest exist.
  • Identify potential ethical issues, including plagiarism or data irregularities.
  • Offer constructive feedback to assist authors in improving their work.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

  • Make decisions based on scholarly merit, originality, and relevance.
  • Maintain confidentiality and avoid conflicts of interest.
  • Ensure that manuscripts receive fair and unbiased peer review.
  • Take action when ethical concerns arise, including issuing corrections or retractions.
  • Uphold the journal’s ethical standards and ensure transparent editorial processes.

4. Plagiarism and Misconduct

CSSR uses similarity-checking tools to screen all submissions. Plagiarism, text recycling, image manipulation, or data fabrication will result in rejection. Serious cases may lead to a ban on future submissions.

5. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence the research or its evaluation. CSSR manages conflicts of interest according to COPE’s best practices.

6. Corrections, Retractions, and Withdrawal

When ethical issues or factual inaccuracies are identified, the journal may issue:

  • Corrections (minor errors that do not alter conclusions)
  • Retractions (serious misconduct or unreliable findings)
  • Editorial expressions of concern (unclear or disputed issues)

7. Data Transparency and Reproducibility

CSSR strongly encourages open data, open code, and transparent methodology. Authors should provide access to datasets, analytical scripts, and replication materials when possible, unless restricted by ethical or legal limitations.

8. Ethical Research Involving Humans or Data

Studies involving human subjects, sensitive data, or social media data must comply with institutional ethics guidelines and relevant laws. Authors must indicate how consent, privacy, and confidentiality were maintained. For computational social science, authors should address data sourcing, anonymization, and potential societal impact.

CSSR remains committed to fostering a responsible, transparent, and ethical research environment in alignment with international standards.