Publication Ethics

Gemeinschaft: Journal of Social and Community Engagement is an international peer-reviewed journal committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics and research integrity. This publication ethics statement outlines the ethical responsibilities and expected conduct of all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, editorial board members, reviewers, and the publisher. It also establishes principles and procedures for addressing allegations of research misconduct and other ethical concerns. The journal follows internationally recognized principles and best practices in scholarly publishing, including the guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

The publication of scholarly articles in a peer-reviewed journal contributes to the development, dissemination, and advancement of reliable academic knowledge. The integrity and quality of the published literature depend on responsible and ethical conduct by all participants in the publication process. Therefore, Gemeinschaft is committed to ensuring that authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher adhere to appropriate standards of professional and research ethics throughout the submission, review, publication, and post-publication processes.

The publisher and editorial team of Gemeinschaft: Journal of Social and Community Engagement take responsibility for maintaining the integrity of the journal's editorial and publishing processes. Editorial decisions are made independently on the basis of scholarly quality, originality, relevance, methodological rigor, and contribution to the field. Advertising, sponsorship, commercial interests, or other financial considerations must not influence editorial decisions. The journal also seeks to maintain appropriate communication and cooperation with authors, reviewers, institutions, publishers, and other scholarly journals when necessary to address ethical or publication-related matters.

Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to, fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, inappropriate manipulation or invention of citations, unethical research practices, and other forms of serious academic misconduct in conducting, reporting, reviewing, or publishing research. Gemeinschaft is committed to protecting the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of the scholarly record.

When an allegation of research misconduct is raised, the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board will assess the concern and, where appropriate, conduct an investigation in accordance with established ethical standards and relevant COPE guidelines. Authors may be requested to provide explanations, supporting documents, research data, or other evidence necessary to clarify the allegation. Where appropriate, independent experts may be consulted during the investigation.

If serious misconduct is confirmed before publication, the manuscript may be rejected. If misconduct is established after publication, the journal may issue an appropriate correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other editorial action depending on the nature and severity of the case. The journal may also communicate with the authors' affiliated institutions or other relevant organizations when necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Publication Decisions

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for making final decisions regarding the publication of submitted manuscripts. Such decisions are based primarily on the manuscript's scholarly quality, originality, methodological soundness, relevance to the journal's scope, contribution to knowledge, and potential significance to its readership. Editorial decisions may also take into consideration applicable ethical, legal, and intellectual property requirements, including issues related to plagiarism, copyright infringement, research ethics, and defamation.

Editors may consult members of the Editorial Board, reviewers, or other qualified experts when additional expertise is required. Editorial decisions must not be influenced by the author's nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, political views, or other personal characteristics unrelated to the scholarly quality of the manuscript.

Complaints and Appeals

Gemeinschaft provides a mechanism for authors, reviewers, readers, and other stakeholders to raise concerns or submit complaints regarding the journal's editorial and publishing processes. Complaints may concern editorial decisions, reviewer conduct, citation manipulation, conflicts of interest, peer-review procedures, publication ethics, or other matters affecting the integrity and fairness of the journal.

All complaints and appeals will be considered objectively and handled as fairly and transparently as possible. Where necessary, the journal will follow relevant COPE recommendations and may seek advice from independent experts or appropriate institutional authorities. The journal will make reasonable efforts to protect the confidentiality of individuals involved in complaints and appeals.

Fair Play and Non-Discrimination

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on the basis of their academic and intellectual merit. Editorial decisions and peer-review assignments must not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, political perspective, institutional affiliation, or other personal characteristics of the authors.

Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and related information. Information concerning a manuscript may only be disclosed to individuals directly involved in the editorial and peer-review process, including the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher, where appropriate.

Unpublished information, data, methods, arguments, or ideas contained in submitted manuscripts must not be used for personal research or other purposes by editors, reviewers, or editorial staff without the explicit written permission of the authors.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Editors, reviewers, and authors must disclose any financial, professional, personal, academic, or other relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the evaluation, interpretation, or publication of a manuscript. Individuals with a significant conflict of interest should withdraw from the relevant editorial or review process whenever appropriate.

Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer review plays an important role in maintaining the academic quality and integrity of the journal. Reviewers provide objective and constructive assessments that assist editors in making publication decisions and help authors improve the clarity, rigor, and quality of their manuscripts.

Competence and Promptness

Reviewers should only accept assignments for manuscripts that fall within their area of expertise. A reviewer who lacks the appropriate expertise or is unable to complete the review within the expected timeframe should promptly inform the editor and decline the invitation.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not disclose, share, copy, distribute, or discuss the manuscript or its contents with unauthorized individuals without permission from the editor.

Objectivity and Constructive Evaluation

Reviews should be conducted objectively, fairly, and professionally. Reviewers should provide clear, evidence-based, and constructive comments that assist authors in improving their work. Personal criticism, hostile language, or comments unrelated to the scholarly content of the manuscript are inappropriate.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published research that has not been appropriately cited by the authors when such omissions are evident. Reviewers should also inform the editor of any substantial similarity, duplication, or overlap between the manuscript under review and other published or known works.

Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that may affect their impartiality. They should decline to review manuscripts involving close personal, professional, academic, competitive, or collaborative relationships with the authors, institutions, or organizations associated with the submitted work.

Information, data, methods, or ideas obtained through peer review must remain confidential and must not be used for personal or professional advantage.

Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

Reporting Standards

Authors are responsible for presenting an accurate and complete account of their research. Manuscripts should provide sufficient methodological information to enable readers to understand, evaluate, and, where appropriate, reproduce the research. Research findings should be reported honestly, without fabrication, falsification, inappropriate manipulation, or intentional misrepresentation.

Data Availability, Retention, and Reproducibility

Authors should retain relevant research data and supporting materials for a reasonable period after publication. Where appropriate and ethically permissible, authors should be prepared to provide underlying data or additional information to editors or qualified researchers for purposes of verification and reproducibility. Any restrictions on data access arising from privacy, confidentiality, legal, or ethical considerations should be clearly explained.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts represent original work. Any ideas, statements, data, images, methods, or wording derived from other sources must be appropriately acknowledged and cited. Plagiarism in any form, including substantial copying without attribution, inappropriate paraphrasing, or presenting another person's work as one's own, is unacceptable.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors should not submit or publish substantially the same manuscript in more than one journal or primary publication. Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals is considered unethical publishing practice and is not permitted.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Authors must properly acknowledge all sources that have contributed to the development of their research. References should accurately reflect the literature that has informed the study, and citations should not be manipulated for the purpose of artificially increasing citation counts or influencing editorial metrics.

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the research. Individuals who have made significant contributions to specific aspects of the study but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be appropriately acknowledged.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all individuals who qualify for authorship are appropriately listed and that no individuals who do not meet authorship criteria are included. All listed authors should have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission for publication.

Funding and Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose all financial support, institutional assistance, or other forms of funding that contributed to the research. Authors should also declare any financial or non-financial interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research process, findings, interpretation, or publication.

Errors in Published Articles

If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they should promptly notify the journal's editorial office and cooperate in determining the appropriate action. Depending on the nature of the error, the journal may publish a correction, clarification, expression of concern, or retraction.

Ethical Oversight

Research involving human participants, animals, sensitive personal information, hazardous materials, or other potentially harmful procedures must comply with applicable ethical standards and legal requirements. Where required, authors must obtain approval from an appropriate research ethics committee or institutional review board before conducting the research and should provide evidence of such approval when requested by the journal.

Authors conducting research involving human participants should ensure that informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, and other relevant ethical protections have been appropriately addressed. Research involving confidential institutional, organizational, commercial, or business-related information must also ensure that sensitive information is adequately protected and that its use is ethically and legally justified.

Intellectual Property and Copyright Policy

The journal's policies concerning copyright, licensing, and intellectual property are available through the journal's Copyright Notice.

Peer-Review Process Policy

The procedures and principles governing manuscript evaluation and peer review are described in the journal's Peer-Review Process policy.

Post-Publication Discussions, Corrections, and Retractions

Gemeinschaft: Journal of Social and Community Engagement welcomes responsible scholarly discussion concerning articles that have been published in the journal. Readers who identify substantial errors, methodological concerns, ethical issues, or other matters that may affect the interpretation or reliability of a published article are encouraged to contact the editorial office with sufficient evidence and a clear explanation of the concern.

Following an appropriate editorial assessment, the journal may publish a correction, clarification, editorial note, expression of concern, or other appropriate post-publication notice. Where a substantive issue affects the reliability or integrity of a published article, the journal may consider retraction in accordance with recognized publication ethics standards.

Authors of published articles will be given an appropriate opportunity to respond to substantive comments or concerns raised by readers. Where editorially appropriate, such responses and scholarly discussions may be published as a Letter to the Editor, Author Response, or other post-publication communication. All post-publication actions are intended to maintain transparency, accountability, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

Through these policies, Gemeinschaft is committed to fostering a publication environment based on academic integrity, transparency, fairness, accountability, confidentiality, and respect for all participants in the scholarly communication process.