Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Social Commerce, with ISSN 2809-9303 (Online) and 2809-929X (Print), is a peer-reviewed journal published quarterly (March, June, September, and December), available in both print and electronic formats. This statement of publication ethics provides a minimum standard of responsible conduct for all individuals and entities involved in the publishing process.

The ethical framework applies to

  • Authors
  • Reviewers
  • The Editor-in-Chief
  • The Editorial Board
  • The publisher (Celebes Scholar pg)
  • All associated managers and editorial staff.

This policy is informed by the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and adheres to internationally accepted standards of integrity and transparency in scholarly publishing.

Duties of Editors

  • Fair Editorial Conduct
    The Journal of Social Commerce evaluates all submissions solely on the basis of scholarly merit, without discrimination based on race, gender, institutional affiliation, or political ideology.
  • Confidentiality
    Editorial staff and editors must keep all manuscript details strictly confidential, sharing information only with persons directly involved in the publishing workflow.
  • Conflicts of Interest
    Editors must avoid handling submissions in which they have competing interests and must never use unpublished material for personal gain.
  • Publication Decisions
    The assigned editor makes the final decision on manuscript acceptance or rejection, guided by reviewer evaluations and the journal's editorial standards.

Duties of Reviewers

  • Contribution to Editorial Quality
    Peer reviewers provide structured, impartial, and critical assessments to improve the manuscript’s clarity, academic contribution, and accuracy.
  • Timeliness and Decline Policy
    Reviewers who cannot complete a review within the requested timeframe must inform the editorial office and decline promptly.
  • Confidentiality
    Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents and not disclose any part to others.
  • Objectivity
    Reviews should be based solely on content quality and free from personal or ideological bias.
  • Identification of Sources
    Reviewers should report uncited work or suspected overlap with other publications.
  • Conflicts of Interest
    Reviewers must recuse themselves from reviewing if any potential conflict exists, whether financial, institutional, or collaborative in nature.

Duties of Authors

  • Originality and Plagiarism
    Submitted manuscripts must be original and properly cited. The Journal of Social Commerce uses Turnitin to check for plagiarism, with a maximum similarity threshold of 20%.
  • Accurate Reporting
    Authors must ensure the accuracy of data and integrity in analysis. Fraudulent claims or manipulated findings are unacceptable.
  • Redundant or Simultaneous Submission
    Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal is unethical and forbidden.
  • Source Attribution
    All references and supporting works must be clearly cited using the journal’s referencing format.
  • Authorial Responsibility
    Only individuals who made substantial contributions to the work should be listed as authors. All co-authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission.
  • Conflict Disclosure
    Authors must disclose all financial or non-financial conflicts that could influence their findings and disclose funding sources.
  • Post-Publication Corrections
    Authors are required to report significant errors in published works and cooperate with the editorial team to issue retractions or corrections as needed.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

Celebes Scholar pg, as the publisher of the Journal of Social Commerce, upholds the integrity of the editorial and review process by:

  • Providing technical and administrative support to editors and reviewers.
  • Investigating allegations of misconduct.
  • Issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary.

The publisher ensures that all operations adhere to COPE’s best practice guidelines and maintains the journal’s credibility and ethical publishing standards.

The Journal of Social Commerce is fully committed to maintaining a transparent, fair, and accountable academic publishing process. All stakeholders are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethical behavior, and this statement serves as a guiding framework for all actions and decisions taken during the publishing lifecycle.

For further reference, the journal aligns with the principles and flowcharts outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).