Ethics, Conflict of Interest & Consent Policy

Journal of SPHERES, published by Synergy Publication, is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, responsible research practices, and ethical scholarly publishing. The journal follows internationally recognized principles of publication ethics to ensure the quality, credibility, reliability, and sustainability of the scholarly record across interdisciplinary fields.

The journal's editorial and publication practices are guided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and other internationally accepted standards of responsible academic publishing. Research involving human participants, communities, educational settings, cultural materials, archival sources, psychological studies, or sensitive information must comply with applicable institutional, national, and international ethical requirements.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts represent original scholarly work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal. All submissions may be screened using plagiarism detection tools, including iThenticate provided through Crossref. Manuscripts containing plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated references, manipulated sources, or unacceptable textual overlap may be rejected at any stage of the editorial process.

Multiple or Concurrent Submission

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal. Duplicate, redundant, or substantially overlapping publications are considered unethical and are not permitted.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the conception, design, research process, analysis, interpretation, writing, or critical revision of the manuscript. All listed authors must approve the final manuscript and accept responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and accountability of the published work.

See the Author Guidelines for Authorship and Ethical Responsibilities

Research Integrity and Accuracy

Authors must present research findings, arguments, interpretations, theoretical discussions, historical evidence, cultural materials, datasets, and scholarly analyses honestly and accurately. Fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, manipulation of evidence, misrepresentation of sources, or distortion of research findings constitutes research misconduct.

Authors may be requested to provide supporting documentation, research materials, original sources, datasets, ethical approvals, or additional clarification during editorial evaluation.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, personal, or other relationships that could influence or appear to influence the interpretation, evaluation, or presentation of their research.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

If generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are used during manuscript preparation, authors must disclose their use appropriately within the manuscript. AI tools may support language improvement, formatting, organization, or research assistance but cannot be listed as authors or assume responsibility for scholarly arguments, interpretations, sources, conclusions, or ethical compliance.

Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, intellectual contribution, and ethical standards of their submitted manuscripts.

Data and Research Material Availability

Authors are encouraged to provide appropriate statements regarding the availability of supporting materials, datasets, educational resources, archival materials, research documents, or other relevant resources where applicable. Transparency should be promoted while respecting legal, ethical, cultural, privacy, and confidentiality requirements.

2. Ethical Considerations in Research

Research Involving Human Participants and Communities

Research involving human participants, interviews, surveys, educational interventions, psychological studies, fieldwork, communities, or social research must comply with recognized ethical standards and institutional requirements.

Where applicable, authors should provide:

  • Name of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), Ethics Committee, or relevant approving authority.
  • Ethics approval or reference number.
  • Confirmation that informed consent was obtained from participants.

Research involving vulnerable groups, marginalized communities, indigenous populations, students, children, or sensitive social contexts must demonstrate appropriate ethical safeguards.

Research Involving Historical, Cultural, and Archival Materials

Authors conducting research involving historical documents, archives, cultural records, linguistic materials, heritage resources, or community knowledge must ensure that all sources are used responsibly and in accordance with relevant legal, institutional, and cultural requirements.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of individuals, organizations, communities, research participants, and institutions. Personally identifiable information, interview records, photographs, educational records, psychological data, or other sensitive materials must not be published without appropriate permission or consent.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

Fair and Impartial Editorial Decisions

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on academic merit, originality, methodological quality, scholarly contribution, relevance to the journal's scope, and ethical compliance. Editorial decisions are made without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, institutional affiliation, religion, political views, geographical location, or personal characteristics.

Confidentiality

Editors must maintain confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts, reviewer reports, author communications, and all information related to the editorial process.

Conflict of Interest

Editors must disclose and avoid conflicts of interest that may influence editorial decisions. Editors with conflicts must withdraw from handling relevant manuscripts. The journal follows COPE guidance on competing interests.

Ethical Oversight

Editors are responsible for identifying and addressing potential cases of publication misconduct, including plagiarism, fabricated evidence, falsified information, citation manipulation, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, and unethical research practices.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Confidentiality

Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and must not share, discuss, or use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts without authorization from the editorial office.

Objectivity

Reviews must be objective, constructive, evidence-based, and focused on improving the scholarly quality of the manuscript. Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts according to originality, methodology, theoretical contribution, ethical standards, clarity, and interdisciplinary relevance.

Conflict of Interest

Reviewers should decline review invitations if personal, professional, institutional, academic, or other conflicts of interest may affect their impartiality.

Timeliness

Reviewers should complete evaluations within the agreed timeframe and notify the editorial office promptly if they are unable to provide a review.

5. Peer Review Process

The journal follows a double-blind peer review process in which the identities of authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout manuscript evaluation.

Each eligible manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent experts with relevant subject knowledge. Final publication decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief based on reviewer recommendations, editorial assessment, and compliance with the journal's academic and ethical standards.

Reviewers are expected to follow the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers. Additional information is available in the journal's Peer Review Policy.

6. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

The journal investigates all allegations of research or publication misconduct seriously, fairly, and confidentially. Issues including plagiarism, fabricated data, falsified evidence, duplicate publication, unethical research practices, citation manipulation, authorship disputes, or undisclosed conflicts of interest are handled according to COPE recommendations.

Where appropriate, the journal may contact authors' institutions, research organizations, funding bodies, or relevant authorities during investigations.

7. Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Updates

The journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record through transparent post-publication updates whenever necessary.

Depending on the nature of the issue, the journal may publish:

Such notices may be issued in cases involving serious methodological errors, plagiarism, fabricated information, ethical violations, duplicate publication, or other circumstances affecting the reliability of the published scholarly record.

8. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently of the publisher, sponsors, advertisers, or commercial interests. The Editor-in-Chief retains full authority over manuscript evaluation, peer review management, and publication decisions.

9. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a written explanation supported by relevant evidence. Complaints concerning editorial procedures, peer review, or publication ethics are handled fairly, confidentially, and according to the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

10. Publisher Responsibilities

The publisher supports the editorial team in maintaining ethical publishing standards, protecting editorial independence, preserving the integrity of the scholarly record, and ensuring transparent publication practices. Synergy Publication works collaboratively with editors to investigate and address allegations of misconduct while safeguarding the credibility, reliability, and ethical standards of the publishing process.