Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

 

  1. Overview

The Nigerian Journal of Social Psychology (NJSP) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, transparency, and integrity. The journal adheres to best practices recommended by Scopus, Elsevier, and the Committee on Publication Ethics. This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process: authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

 

  1. Ethical Oversight and Research Integrity

NJSP requires that all research involving human participants complies with recognized ethical standards, including:

Approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee

Evidence of informed consent

Protection of participant confidentiality and anonymity

Where applicable, authors must state compliance with international ethical standards such as the World Medical Association.

 

  1. Duties of Authors

3.1 Originality and Plagiarism

Manuscripts must be original and free from plagiarism. NJSP uses plagiarism detection tools to screen submissions. Any manuscript with significant similarity index will be rejected.

 

3.2 Data Access, Transparency, and Reproducibility

Authors should:

Maintain accurate records of data

Provide raw data where required

Ensure that results are reproducible

Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data constitutes serious ethical misconduct.

 

3.3 Multiple and Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit manuscripts describing essentially the same research to more than one journal simultaneously.

 

3.4 Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship must reflect substantial contributions to:

Study conception and design

Data acquisition or analysis

Manuscript drafting or revision

NJSP encourages transparency using contributorship statements where necessary.

 

3.5 Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence their work.

 

3.6 Use of AI and Generative Tools

Authors must:

Disclose the use of AI tools (e.g., for language editing or analysis)

Take full responsibility for the content

Not list AI tools as authors

 

3.7 Citation Manipulation

Authors must avoid excessive self-citation or citation stacking intended to artificially increase citation metrics.

 

3.8 Corrections and Retractions

Authors must promptly notify the editor if significant errors are discovered and cooperate in issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.

 

  1. Duties of Editors

4.1 Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently of the publisher and are not influenced by commercial or institutional interests.

 

4.2 Fair and Unbiased Evaluation

Manuscripts are evaluated based solely on academic merit, without discrimination.

 

4.3 Confidentiality

Editors must ensure confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities (in line with the journal’s peer review model).

 

4.4 Peer Review Integrity

Editors must:

Ensure a rigorous and unbiased peer review process

Avoid selecting reviewers with conflicts of interest

Address unethical reviewer behavior

 

4.5 Handling Misconduct

Editors will follow COPE flowcharts in handling:

Plagiarism

Data falsification

Ethical violations

Actions may include rejection, correction, or retraction.

 

  1. Duties of Reviewers

5.1 Confidentiality

All manuscripts must be treated as confidential documents.

 

5.2 Objectivity and Constructiveness

Reviews should be objective, constructive, and free from personal criticism.

 

5.3 Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must decline assignments where conflicts of interest exist.

 

5.4 Timeliness

Reviewers should complete reviews within the stipulated timeframe.

 

5.5 Ethical Vigilance

Reviewers should report suspected ethical issues such as plagiarism or duplication.

 

  1. Peer Review Policy

NJSP operates a double-blind peer review system, ensuring that:

Authors do not know the identity of reviewers

Reviewers do not know the identity of authors

Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent experts.

 

  1. Publication Malpractice and Sanctions

7.1 Forms of Malpractice

Plagiarism

Data fabrication or falsification

Duplicate publication

Improper authorship

Undisclosed conflicts of interest

Citation manipulation

 

7.2 Sanctions

Where malpractice is confirmed, NJSP may:

Reject or retract the manuscript

Publish corrections or notices of concern

Inform authors’ institutions or funding bodies

Ban authors from future submissions

 

  1. Retraction, Correction, and Expression of Concern

NJSP follows COPE guidelines for:

Retraction of flawed or unethical publications

Issuance of corrections (errata)

Publication of expressions of concern when necessary

All notices will be clearly linked to the original article.

 

  1. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright while granting NJSP the right of first publication. Licensing terms (e.g., Creative Commons) will be clearly stated.

 

  1. Archiving and Digital Preservation

NJSP ensures long-term digital preservation through recognized archiving systems and institutional repositories.

 

  1. Transparency and Best Practices

To meet Scopus indexing expectations, NJSP ensures:

Clear editorial board information

Transparent peer review process

Defined aims and scope

Regular publication schedule

Ethical compliance policies publicly available

 

  1. Disclaimer

The views expressed in published articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board or publisher.