Public Policy Professionals Journal
Upholding Integrity, Transparency & Accountability
COPE Compliant • International Standards
The Public Policy Professionals Journal (PPPJ) upholds the highest standards of publication ethics, guided by the principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing. These guidelines are aligned with international best practices, including those of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to adhere to these standards.
1
Responsibilities of Authors
Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure that their submissions are original works and free from plagiarism. Proper attribution must be given to all sources, and the use of third-party content must have necessary permissions.
Multiple or Redundant Publication
Manuscripts should not be submitted to more than one journal at the same time, nor published in a substantially similar form elsewhere.
Authorship
Only individuals who have made significant contributions to the research and manuscript should be listed as authors, with all contributors appropriately acknowledged.
Data Integrity
Authors must present accurate data and be prepared to provide raw data upon request for verification. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data is strictly prohibited.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial interests that could influence their work.
2
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Confidentiality
All manuscripts received for review are to be treated as confidential documents and must not be shared or discussed with others.
Objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively, with clear reasoning, and without personal criticism of the author(s).
Conflict of Interest
Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts where they have competing interests or relationships with the authors or their institutions.
Timeliness
Reviewers should respond promptly and complete reviews within the agreed timelines.
3
Responsibilities of Editors
Fair Evaluation
Manuscripts will be evaluated solely on academic merit, without regard to race, gender, institutional affiliation, or political orientation of the authors.
Confidentiality
Editors will not disclose information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and the editorial team.
Conflict of Interest
Editors will recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have any competing interests.
Publication Decisions
Editors are responsible for making final decisions on the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts, based on the reviewers’ reports and the journal’s editorial policy.
4
Ethical Concerns and Misconduct
The PPPJ takes allegations of misconduct seriously. Suspected cases of plagiarism, falsification of data, authorship disputes, or ethical breaches will be investigated in line with COPE procedures.
Possible Actions May Include:
- Rejection of the manuscript
- Retraction of a published article
- Reporting to the author’s institution or funding body
- Banning the author(s) from future submissions
5
Research Ethics for Human and Animal Studies
For studies involving human participants or animals, authors must include a statement confirming:
Ethics Review Approval
Approval from a recognized ethics review committee.
Guidelines Compliance
Compliance with relevant national and international research ethics guidelines.
Informed Consent
Informed consent obtained from participants, with assurances of confidentiality and data protection.
