Journal of General Studies and Research (GENRES) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal adheres to the COPE Core Practices and expects all participants in the publication process—authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—to act in accordance with internationally accepted ethical standards to ensure the credibility and trustworthiness of scholarly communication.

1. Ethical Principles

GENRES is guided by the following fundamental principles:

Integrity: Ensuring accuracy, consistency, and honesty in research conduct, reporting, and editorial decision-making.

Originality: Publishing only original scholarly work free from plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate self-plagiarism.

Accountability: All parties are responsible for their roles, decisions, and contributions throughout the publication lifecycle.

Transparency: Clear disclosure of funding sources, conflicts of interest, author contributions, and the use of third-party tools (including AI-assisted tools).

Fairness and Impartiality: Editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, methodological soundness, and relevance to the journal’s scope, without discrimination or bias.

2. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

Making independent, fair, and unbiased editorial decisions, regardless of authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political views.

Ensuring that all submissions undergo a rigorous, objective, and timely peer-review process.

Maintaining confidentiality of manuscripts and reviewer identities.

Identifying and managing editorial conflicts of interest, and recusing themselves when necessary.

Taking appropriate action in cases of suspected misconduct, including initiating investigations, corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions, in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Ensuring transparency and consistency in editorial policies and decisions.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

Provide constructive, objective, and scholarly feedback within the agreed timeframe.

Maintain strict confidentiality of manuscripts and associated data.

Declare any conflicts of interest and decline review when impartiality cannot be ensured.

Report suspected ethical issues, including plagiarism, duplicate submission, data manipulation, or unethical research practices, to the editor.

Avoid using unpublished material for personal or professional advantage.

4. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must:

Submit work that is original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.

Accurately cite prior work and obtain permission for any copyrighted material.

Disclose all funding sources, institutional affiliations, and potential conflicts of interest.

Ensure that all listed authors:

Have made a significant scholarly contribution.

Have approved the final manuscript.

Agree to its submission and publication.

Participate responsibly in the peer-review and revision process.

Promptly inform the editor of significant errors or inaccuracies discovered after publication and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions when necessary.

5. Handling of Ethical Misconduct

GENRES takes allegations of misconduct seriously. Suspected ethical violations may include, but are not limited to:

Plagiarism or self-plagiarism.

Data fabrication or falsification.

Duplicate submission or publication.

Inappropriate authorship practices.

Undisclosed conflicts of interest.

All allegations are handled following COPE-recommended procedures, ensuring fairness, confidentiality, and the right of response for all parties involved.

6. Retraction, Correction, and Expression of Concern

GENRES follows the COPE Retraction Guidelines and COPE Core Practices in handling corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern, ensuring fairness, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record.

Retractions are issued when published findings are proven unreliable due to research misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification) or major errors that invalidate the results or conclusions.

Corrections (Errata or Corrigenda) are published when honest errors are identified that do not compromise the overall validity, reliability, or integrity of the work.

Expressions of Concern may be issued in accordance with COPE recommendations when serious concerns are raised, but an investigation is ongoing or inconclusive.

Retracted articles remain accessible to preserve the scholarly record and are clearly identified as “Retracted”, with a transparent retraction notice linked to the original publication, in line with COPE guidance.

In cases where ethical concerns, errors, or scientific misconduct are identified after publication, the journal follows established procedures consistent with best practices in scholarly publishing. Detailed operational procedures, including investigation processes and author responsibilities, are outlined in the Author Guidelines.

7. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions or submit ethical complaints by providing a reasoned and evidence-based explanation. Appeals are reviewed independently to ensure procedural fairness and transparency.

8. Relationship with Author Guidelines

This Publication Ethics statement defines the ethical principles and governance framework of the journal.

The Author Guidelines provide operational and technical details for manuscript preparation, submission, and compliance with these ethical standards.