PUBLICATION ETHICS

The editorial policy and ethical standards of the International Journal of Civil Service Reform and Practice are based on the Core Practices and Principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, fairness, and accountability throughout the publication process. All participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and members of the editorial board, are expected to adhere to these ethical principles.

Publication Misconduct

The Journal does not tolerate any form of publication misconduct. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Plagiarism and self-plagiarism;
• Duplicate or redundant publication;
• Data fabrication or falsification;
• Manipulation of images, figures, or research results;
• Inappropriate authorship or omission of legitimate contributors;
• Citation manipulation;
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest;
• Breaches of research ethics involving human participants.

All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before entering the peer-review process. If publication misconduct is suspected at any stage before or after publication, the Journal follows the COPE Core Practices and COPE Flowcharts when investigating allegations and determining appropriate actions.

Responsibilities of Authors

The submitted manuscript must:

• not have been published previously or be under consideration by another journal at the time of submission;
• present the results of original research;
• accurately describe the research methods and findings;
• contain sufficient detail to allow verification of the reported results;
• properly acknowledge the work of others through accurate citation;
• include only sources that have been directly used in the research;
• comply with applicable ethical standards and legal requirements.

All listed authors must have made a substantial contribution to the research, approve the final version of the manuscript, and agree to its submission and publication. Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged with their permission. Gift, guest, honorary, and ghost authorship are prohibited. Changes to authorship after submission require a written explanation and the agreement of all affected authors.

Research Ethics

Authors conducting research involving human participants, surveys, interviews, or personal data must ensure that:

• the research complies with applicable ethical standards;
• informed consent has been obtained where required;
• approval from an institutional ethics committee has been obtained when applicable;
• participants' privacy and confidentiality are protected.

Data Availability

Authors should retain the original research data for an appropriate period. All manuscripts reporting empirical research must include a Data Availability Statement. Authors are encouraged to deposit supporting data in recognized repositories whenever legally, ethically, and technically feasible.

Artificial Intelligence

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the preparation, review, or editorial handling of manuscripts is governed by the Journal's Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence, which forms an integral part of the Journal's publication ethics.

Copyright and Author Declarations

By submitting a manuscript, the author(s) confirm that:

• the work does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party;
• the manuscript complies with publication ethics;
• all necessary permissions have been obtained for copyrighted material.

Upon acceptance, the author(s) retain copyright and grant the Journal a non-exclusive right of first publication and the right to publish, reproduce, distribute, archive, index, and disseminate the article in print and electronic formats under the Journal’s open access license.

The accepted article will be published as Open Access on the Journal's website.

The author(s) consent to the processing and storage of personal data necessary for editorial and publishing purposes in accordance with the applicable legislation on personal data protection.

The author(s) bear responsibility for any unauthorized use of third-party intellectual property in accordance with applicable copyright law.

The author(s) agree that the manuscript may be checked using plagiarism detection software and other tools designed to identify potential breaches of publication ethics.

The editorial office reserves the right to perform scientific, linguistic, and technical editing without altering the scientific content of the manuscript. Authors are expected to address all required revisions before publication.

The editorial board reserves the right to reject manuscripts that fail to meet the Journal's scientific, ethical, or formatting requirements.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, or personal relationships that could influence the interpretation of the research. If no conflicts exist, authors should explicitly declare that no conflict of interest exists.

Funding Disclosure

Authors must disclose all sources of financial and material support for the research and preparation of the manuscript. The role of the funder in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or the decision to submit should be stated where applicable. If no external funding was received, this should be declared.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

The Journal operates a double-blind peer-review process in which neither authors nor reviewers know each other's identities. Each manuscript is normally evaluated by at least two independent reviewers.

Rights of Reviewers

Reviewers may:

• request an abstract before accepting a review assignment;
• decline the invitation after reviewing the abstract or the anonymized manuscript;
• refuse to review manuscripts outside their area of expertise.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

• evaluate manuscripts objectively, fairly, and constructively;
• maintain strict confidentiality throughout the review process;
• provide clear, evidence-based recommendations;
• identify relevant published work not cited by the authors;
• report any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data manipulation, or other ethical concerns;
• avoid using unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal advantage;
• disclose any conflicts of interest and decline review where such conflicts exist;
• comply with the Journal's Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence.

Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for safeguarding the integrity and quality of the Journal.

The Editor-in-Chief shall:

• make publication decisions solely on the basis of the manuscript's scientific merit, originality, and relevance;
• ensure a fair, unbiased, and confidential peer-review process;
• appoint qualified reviewers and editors;
• manage conflicts of interest involving authors, reviewers, and editors;
• investigate allegations of publication misconduct in accordance with COPE guidance;
• issue corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or other editorial notices when necessary;
• protect the confidentiality of manuscripts and the identities of reviewers;
• oversee the strategic development and quality of the Journal.

Responsibilities of the Editorial Team

Members of the Editorial Team are expected to:

• participate actively in editorial decision-making;
• evaluate manuscripts impartially regardless of the authors' gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, institutional affiliation, political views, or other personal characteristics;
• preserve the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts;
• avoid conflicts of interest and disclose any that arise;
• refrain from using unpublished materials for personal research or publication;
• support the Editor-in-Chief in maintaining high scientific and ethical standards.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

The Publisher supports editorial independence, provides the infrastructure necessary for ethical and transparent publishing, and does not interfere with individual editorial decisions. The Publisher cooperates with the Editorial Team in addressing legal, ethical, technical, and preservation matters.

Corrections, Retractions and Expressions of Concern

Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions are issued in accordance with the Journal’s Corrections and Retractions Policy and relevant COPE guidance.

Appeals and Complaints

Appeals and complaints are handled under the Journal’s Appeals and Complaints Policy and relevant COPE guidance.

Final Provisions

Any ethical issues not specifically addressed in this policy shall be handled in accordance with the COPE Core Practices, COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers, and the relevant COPE Flowcharts. The Journal reserves the right to update this policy in line with developments in international publication ethics and scholarly publishing standards.