Publication Ethics

Journal of Arts, Meaning and Public Life (JAMPL) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics in order to protect the quality, credibility, originality, and integrity of the scholarly record. The journal expects all authors, editors, reviewers, and editorial support staff to act responsibly and ethically throughout the submission, review, and publication process.

Unacceptable Practices

The following practices are not permitted in JAMPL:

Fabrication and Falsification
Fabrication occurs when data, findings, sources, or other research materials are invented rather than genuinely obtained. Falsification occurs when evidence, quotations, records, images, methods, or findings are deliberately altered, manipulated, or misrepresented. Any manuscript found to contain fabricated or falsified material may be rejected, corrected, or retracted, as appropriate.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable. Authors must properly acknowledge the words, ideas, arguments, interpretations, data, and other contributions of others. Manuscripts containing copied material without appropriate attribution may be rejected immediately. If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the journal may issue a correction or retract the article.

Multiple Submissions
Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time. Simultaneous submission wastes editorial and reviewer resources and may attract sanctions if discovered.

Redundant Publication
Authors must not publish multiple substantially similar papers arising from the same study, dataset, or body of analysis without proper justification. Where closely related findings can reasonably be presented as one complete paper, authors are expected to do so. Redundant publication may lead to editorial action or sanctions.

Incorrect Authorship or Misrepresentation of Contribution
Only individuals who have made a significant scholarly contribution to the work and approved the final manuscript should be listed as authors. Gift authorship, guest authorship, or omission of deserving contributors is unacceptable. Manuscripts submitted by persons other than the actual authors will not be considered. Where authorship misconduct is established, the manuscript may be rejected and the relevant institution may be notified.

Citation Manipulation
Authors must not include references primarily for the purpose of artificially increasing citation counts of particular authors, journals, or organizations. Editors and reviewers must likewise not request unnecessary citations in order to benefit themselves, associates, or affiliated publications.

Responsibilities of Editors and Reviewers

Editors and reviewers must disclose any conflict of interest that may affect their judgment. They should decline involvement in a submission where they have a recent publication, an active submission, a personal or professional relationship with any author, or prior direct discussion of the manuscript that could compromise impartiality.

Sanctions

Where violations of publication ethics are confirmed, JAMPL may impose one or more of the following measures:

  • rejection of the manuscript and any related submissions by the author(s);
  • a temporary prohibition on new submissions for a defined period;
  • restriction from serving as an editor or reviewer;
  • publication of a correction, expression of concern, or retraction where appropriate;
  • any additional action considered necessary in cases of serious ethical misconduct.

Corrections and Retractions

Where errors are identified in published articles, the journal and publisher will examine the matter in consultation with the editors and, where necessary, the authors’ institution. Authors may be required to correct their work where appropriate. Publisher-introduced errors may be corrected through an erratum. Where there is evidence of serious misconduct or unreliable findings, the article may be retracted in line with accepted retraction standards, including the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

Ethics for Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants must be conducted with full respect for dignity, autonomy, privacy, and safety. Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained where required and that participants were adequately informed about the purpose of the study, relevant procedures, possible risks, and expected benefits. Personal data must be handled confidentially, and identifiable information must not be disclosed without explicit permission.

Where applicable, research involving human participants must receive prior approval from a recognized ethics review board or institutional review committee. Evidence of ethical approval may be requested during submission or review. Any adverse events or ethical concerns arising during the research must be reported and addressed appropriately.

Research Integrity in Humanities and Social Inquiry

For research in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, authors are expected to represent sources, evidence, translations, interviews, field materials, and interpretations accurately and responsibly. Misquotation, selective distortion of evidence, misleading translation, suppression of relevant context, or misrepresentation of archival, textual, visual, or oral materials is unacceptable.

Investigations

Suspected breaches of publication ethics, whether identified before or after publication, as well as concerns relating to research ethics, may be reported to the journal for investigation. All reported concerns will be considered seriously and handled in accordance with the journal’s ethical responsibilities and applicable editorial procedures.