Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement

Duplicate Submission

The International Journal of Management and Social Science (IJMSS) strictly prohibits duplicate or simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to more than one journal. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently is considered a serious breach of publication ethics.

Authors must confirm that their submitted manuscript is original and has not been previously published or is under consideration elsewhere. Any manuscript found to have been submitted simultaneously to IJMSS and another publication, without proper disclosure, will be immediately rejected and appropriate disciplinary actions may be taken, including notifying the author’s institution and banning future submissions.

In the event that duplicate publication is discovered after the article is published, IJMSS reserves the right to retract the article and publish a formal notice of misconduct.

We urge authors to be transparent and adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity. If there is any overlap with prior publications, it must be clearly disclosed and justified in the cover letter at the time of submission.

Plagiarism Policy

IJMSS maintains a strict policy against plagiarism and is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and originality. Plagiarism includes the use of another person’s ideas, words, data, or work without proper acknowledgment, including self-plagiarism.

Key Policies:

  • Originality Required: All submitted manuscripts must be the original work of the authors and must not be previously published or under consideration elsewhere.
  • Plagiarism Detection: All manuscripts submitted to IJMSS undergo plagiarism screening using reliable plagiarism detection software (such as Turnitin or iThenticate).
  • A similarity index of more than 15% (excluding references) may lead to outright rejection.
  • Manuscripts with minor similarity concerns may be returned to authors for revision prior to further evaluation.

Types of Plagiarism Considered Unethical:

  • Direct plagiarism (verbatim copying without citation)
  • Mosaic plagiarism (improper paraphrasing without acknowledgment)
  • Self-plagiarism (reuse of substantial parts of previously published work without disclosure)
  • Data fabrication or falsification

Consequences of Plagiarism:

  • Immediate rejection of the manuscript or retraction of the published article.
  • Notification to the corresponding author’s institution and/or funding agency.
  • Blacklisting of the author(s) from future submissions to the journal.

Author Responsibility:

It is the responsibility of the authors to ensure that their work is entirely original and properly cited. Authors are required to submit a signed Ethical Declaration and Copyright Form confirming the authenticity of their manuscript.

Data Fabrication

The International Journal of Management and Social Science (IJMSS) maintains a strict policy against data fabrication and falsification. Data fabrication refers to the creation, manipulation, or reporting of false research data or results.

Authors must ensure that all data presented in their submissions are accurate, original, and obtained through legitimate research methodologies. Submission of fabricated or manipulated data is a serious ethical violation and will not be tolerated.

If data fabrication is identified at any stage—during peer review, after publication, or through third-party reporting—the manuscript will be rejected or retracted. The author(s)’ affiliated institutions may be informed, and sanctions including submission bans may be imposed.

IJMSS reserves the right to verify research data and methodology as part of its editorial and post-publication integrity checks. Authors are encouraged to retain raw data and provide it upon request.

Conflicts of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editorial board members associated with the International Journal of Management and Social Science (IJMSS) must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the integrity, transparency, or objectivity of the publication process.

For Authors:

  • Authors must disclose any financial, professional, or personal relationships that may influence their research.
  • All funding sources, affiliations, consultancies, or financial interests must be declared at submission.
  • If no conflicts exist, authors should state: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."

For Reviewers:

  • Reviewers must decline review assignments where conflicts of interest exist.
  • Any competing interests, collaborations, or affiliations must be disclosed to the editorial office.

For Editors and Editorial Board Members:

Editors and editorial board members must avoid handling manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist. Editorial decisions must be based solely on scholarly merit, relevance, and contribution to management and social science research.

Ethical Research Standard

IJMSS upholds the highest standards of ethical research. Authors must ensure that all research involving human participants, organizations, or sensitive data complies with institutional, national, and international ethical guidelines, including informed consent where applicable.

Plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or unethical research practices are strictly prohibited. IJMSS reserves the right to reject or retract manuscripts that violate ethical or professional standards.