The Journal of Law and Social Change Review is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity in scholarly publishing. All parties involved in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—are expected to adhere to ethical principles that promote transparency, accountability, fairness, and academic excellence. The journal follows internationally recognized ethical guidelines, including the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to the Journal of Law and Social Change Review are expected to:

• Submit original work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal.
• Ensure that all data, analyses, and findings are accurate, authentic, and honestly presented.
• Properly acknowledge and cite the work of others.
• Avoid plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, and any other form of research misconduct.
• List as authors only those individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to the research.
• Disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the research or its interpretation.
• Obtain all necessary ethical approvals and informed consent where research involves human participants or sensitive data.
• Promptly notify the editorial office if a significant error is discovered after publication and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions when necessary.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, transparent, and impartial editorial process. Editors shall:

• Evaluate submitted manuscripts solely on their academic merit, originality, relevance, and methodological quality.
• Make editorial decisions without discrimination based on race, gender, nationality, religion, political belief, institutional affiliation, or other personal characteristics.
• Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts throughout the review process.
• Avoid conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where such conflicts exist.
• Take appropriate action when ethical concerns or allegations of misconduct arise.
• Ensure that published corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern are issued whenever required.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play a vital role in maintaining the quality of published research. Reviewers are expected to:

• Provide objective, constructive, and timely evaluations.
• Maintain the confidentiality of all manuscript information.
• Identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors.
• Inform the editor of any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or ethical concerns.
• Decline to review manuscripts where conflicts of interest may compromise impartiality.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher supports the editorial team in maintaining editorial independence and ethical publishing standards. The publisher shall:

• Safeguard the integrity of the academic record.
• Ensure that commercial interests do not influence editorial decisions.
• Support investigations into allegations of publication misconduct.
• Facilitate the publication of corrections, retractions, or other editorial notices when appropriate.

Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Law and Social Change Review maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism. All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before entering the peer-review process. Manuscripts containing evidence of plagiarism, duplicate publication, or unethical use of copyrighted material may be rejected immediately or retracted if discovered after publication.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could affect the objectivity of the publication process. When a conflict of interest exists, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure an impartial editorial decision.

Data Integrity and Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

• Plagiarism
• Data fabrication
• Data falsification
• Image manipulation intended to mislead
• Duplicate or redundant publication
• Citation manipulation
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest

Any allegation of misconduct will be investigated in accordance with established ethical procedures. Where misconduct is confirmed, the journal may reject the manuscript, publish a correction, retract the article, notify the authors' institutions, or take other appropriate actions.

Corrections and Retractions

The journal is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record. When significant errors or ethical issues are identified, the journal will publish corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern as appropriate. Such decisions will be made following a thorough investigation and in accordance with internationally accepted publishing standards.

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain responsibility for ensuring that all copyrighted materials used in their manuscripts have been properly authorized. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that they have obtained permission for any third-party material where required and agree to comply with the journal's copyright and licensing policies.

Ethical Oversight

The Journal of Law and Social Change Review is committed to ethical oversight throughout the publication process. Allegations of unethical conduct will be handled fairly, confidentially, and transparently. The journal continuously reviews and updates its ethical policies to align with internationally recognized standards and best practices in scholarly publishing.