Privacy Statement

a) Authorship Policy
Authorship credit should be based on a substantial scholarly contribution to the work. JHROS follows internationally accepted standards of publication ethics in defining authorship.
Criteria for Authorship
An individual qualifies for authorship only if all of the following conditions are met:
• Substantial contribution to the conception or design of the study; or acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data;
• Significant involvement in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content;
• Final approval of the version to be published; and
• Accountability for all aspects of the work, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of any part of the study.
-Individuals who do not meet all of these criteria should not be listed as authors.
Non-Authorship Contributions
The following contributions do not, by themselves, qualify for authorship:
● Provision of funding, resources, or institutional support
● General supervision or mentorship
● Technical assistance, language editing, or administrative support
Such contributions should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section, provided that written permission to be named has been obtained.
Author Responsibilities
● All listed authors must have reviewed and approved the final manuscript and agreed to its submission to JHROS.
● The corresponding author is responsible for:
● Ensuring that all eligible contributors are appropriately credited as authors and that no ineligible individuals are included;
● Confirming that all authors meet the authorship criteria and approve the final version;
● Managing all communication with the journal before and after publication;
● Responding to editorial queries and post-publication correspondence.
Changes to Authorship
Any addition, removal, or reordering of authors after submission requires:
● Written consent from all listed authors, including those being added or removed; and
● Approval by the Editorial Office of JHROS.
JHROS does not permit guest, honorary, or ghost authorship and reserves the right to take corrective action in cases of authorship disputes or ethical misconduct.

b) Data Sharing and Availability Policy
JHROS is committed to promoting research transparency, reproducibility, and responsible data stewardship. Authors are strongly encouraged to make the data, materials, and analytical artefacts underpinning their findings publicly available, where ethically and legally feasible.
For this, research data include, where applicable: Raw and processed datasets; Analytical code, models, and statistical scripts; Research instruments (e.g., questionnaires, interview guides); and Supplementary materials necessary to interpret or replicate the findings.
All manuscripts submitted to JHROS must include a Data Availability Statement indicating whether the data supporting the findings are available.
Where data are shared, the statement must specify:
● The type of data available;
● The name of the repository where the data are deposited;
● Access conditions; and
● A persistent identifier (e.g., DOI or accession number).
Authors are encouraged to deposit data in a recognised, publicly accessible repository appropriate to their discipline. Shared datasets must be formally cited in the reference list in accordance with accepted data citation standards.
Data underlying accepted manuscripts should be made available no later than the time of publication, unless valid restrictions apply. Authors are expected to retain original research data for a reasonable period (normally at least five years) after publication to enable verification or replication.
Where data cannot be shared due to ethical, legal, privacy, confidentiality, or commercial constraints, authors must clearly state the reason in the Data Availability Statement. In such cases, authors should indicate whether data may be made available upon reasonable request, subject to applicable restrictions.
For qualitative and sensitive data, authors should ensure: Appropriate anonymization; Protection of participant confidentiality; and Compliance with informed consent and ethical approval requirements.
The Editorial Board reserves the right to request access to underlying data, materials, or analytical procedures during peer review or post-publication to assess the validity and integrity of the research. Failure to provide data when reasonably requested may result in editorial action.
Authors are solely responsible for ensuring that: Shared data accurately reflect the analyses reported; Data sharing complies with applicable ethical approvals and legal obligations; and appropriate permissions and licenses are in place for data reuse, where applicable.

c) Archiving Policy
JHROS is committed to ensuring the long-term preservation, integrity, and accessibility of its published scholarly content. To safeguard the permanent scholarly record, the journal employs multiple trusted digital preservation systems, including the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN), LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe), and CLOCKSS (Controlled LOCKSS). Through PKP PN, all journal content published via Open Journal Systems (OJS), including articles, metadata, and supplementary materials, is preserved in a decentralised and sustainable archive, ensuring continued access even in the event of journal discontinuation. The Global LOCKSS Network further provides geographically distributed copies of published material to protect against data loss and technical failure, while CLOCKSS serves as a community-governed dark archive that preserves content and makes it openly available under defined trigger events, such as catastrophic system failure or cessation of publication. JHROS grants explicit permission for its content to be preserved by these archiving services, and all archived materials are maintained in their final published form to ensure authenticity, permanence, and protection against unauthorised alteration, in accordance with international best practices in digital preservation and scholarly publishing.

d) Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Expressions of Concern Policy
JHROS is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and transparency of the scholarly record. The journal follows internationally recognised publication ethics standards, including the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), when addressing post-publication issues.
Corrections
A correction (erratum or corrigendum) is issued when an error is identified in a published article that does not compromise the overall validity, reliability, or integrity of the research findings. Corrections may address errors in author details, data presentation, figures, tables, or text. Corrections are published promptly, clearly linked to the original article, and permanently indexed to ensure transparency.
Retractions
A retraction is issued when a published article is found to be fundamentally flawed or unreliable, whether due to major methodological errors, data fabrication or falsification, plagiarism and AI, unethical research practices, duplicate publication, or other serious breaches of publication ethics. Retractions are intended to correct the scholarly record rather than to punish authors. The retracted article remains accessible with a clear and prominent retraction notice explaining the reason for retraction and identifying who initiated the action.
Editorial Expressions of Concern
An editorial expression of concern may be issued when credible concerns are raised about the integrity of a published article, but the available evidence is inconclusive or an investigation is ongoing. This notice serves to alert readers to potential issues while ensuring due process. Expressions of concern are reviewed and updated or removed once the investigation is concluded.
Investigation and Decision-Making Process
All cases involving corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern are evaluated by the Editorial Board of JHROS and, where appropriate, in consultation with reviewers, institutional authorities, or ethics committees. Authors are allowed to respond to concerns raised. Decisions are made based on the evidence available and in accordance with ethical publishing standards.
All post-publication notices are: clearly labelled and freely accessible; permanently linked to the original article; and indexed and citable to ensure visibility and integrity of the scholarly record.
The decision to issue a correction, retraction, or expression of concern rests solely with the Editorial Board of JHROS and is not influenced by authors, institutions, or external parties.

e) Informed Consent and Ethics Approval Policy
JHROS requires that all research involving human or animal participants be conducted in accordance with recognised ethical standards. Studies involving human participants must obtain prior approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent ethics committee, and authors must include an explicit ethics approval statement in the manuscript. Authors are required to confirm that voluntary, informed consent was obtained from all human participants, with participants fully informed of the study’s purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, and their right to withdraw without penalty. For studies where ethical approval or informed consent was waived or deemed not applicable, a clear justification must be provided. Research involving surveys, interviews, or behavioural observations without sensitive data or interventions may be exempt from formal IRB approval but must still adhere to institutional ethical guidelines and protect participant privacy and confidentiality. For studies involving identifiable participants, authors must confirm that written consent for publication was obtained. Authors bear full responsibility for ensuring ethical compliance throughout the research process.

f) Advertisement Policy
JHROS accepts advertisements that are relevant to its academic readership and consistent with the journal’s mission and ethical standards. All advertisements must be accurate, professional, and non-misleading, and must not contain content that is deceptive, discriminatory, or otherwise inappropriate. Advertising content is clearly distinguished from editorial content, and the acceptance of advertisements does not imply endorsement by the journal, its editors, or its publisher. Editorial decisions are made independently of advertising considerations, and advertisers do not influence the peer-review process or editorial outcomes. All advertisements are subject to editorial review and approval, and JHROS reserves the right to reject or remove any advertisement at its sole discretion to protect the integrity, credibility, and scholarly independence of the journal.

g) Article Withdrawal Policy
JHROS is committed to maintaining the integrity, quality, and permanence of the scholarly record. Authors are expected to comply with the highest standards of publication ethics and ensure the accuracy and originality of their work before submission. All authors should finalise the list of authors, their order, and individual contributions before submitting a manuscript. Manuscripts must be submitted to only one journal at a time, and duplicate submissions are strictly prohibited. Authors must ensure that all data, facts, and materials presented are accurate, ethically obtained, and used with appropriate permissions.
Withdrawal of a manuscript before acceptance is permitted only under exceptional circumstances, such as unavoidable authorship disputes, serious errors, or ethical concerns. Withdrawal requests must be submitted in writing and signed by all listed authors. The Editorial Board evaluates all requests and reserves the right to approve or deny withdrawal based on ethical considerations and the stage of peer review. Manuscripts found to violate publication ethics, including plagiarism & AI usage, duplicate submission, data falsification, or unauthorised use of data, may be withdrawn by the journal at any stage.
Post-publication withdrawal is not permitted. Once published, any issues are addressed through corrections, retractions, removals, or replacements. Retractions are issued in cases of legal disputes, copyright violations, ethical breaches, or evidence that the findings are unreliable. Retracted articles remain online with a clear notice and link explaining the reason for retraction. Article removal may occur in response to legal limitations, ethical violations, or if continued publication poses significant health, safety, or scientific risks. Replacement of a published article is allowed only when the original is flawed and may pose serious risks; in such cases, the original article is retracted, and the replacement is clearly linked through an editorial notice.
Authors are expected to finalise manuscript accuracy, authorship, and ethical compliance before submission to minimise the need for withdrawal. The decision to approve or deny withdrawal rests solely with the Editorial Board of JHROS. Editorial independence is maintained at all times, and withdrawal requests do not influence the peer-review process or editorial decisions. Written requests for withdrawal should be sent via the official journal email address and must include justification and signatures from all authors. All actions under this policy are conducted to ensure transparency, accountability, and preservation of the scholarly record.

h) Article Processing Charge (APC) Policy
JHROS operates on a full open-access model and does not charge authors any fees for manuscript submission, peer review, editorial handling, typesetting, or publication. All costs associated with the publication process, including editorial management, language editing, formatting, and online hosting, are fully covered by the MSSRN. Authors are not required to pay any APC or page charges at any stage, ensuring that high-quality research remains freely accessible to the global scholarly community.
Key points regarding publication charges and related policies:
● Peer review and editorial handling: Fully supported by MSSRN; authors do not pay for manuscript assessment or reviewer coordination.
● Language editing and production: Manuscripts accepted for publication receive professional copyediting and formatting at no cost to the authors.
● Open Access: All published articles are freely available online, without any fees to the author or reader.
● Remuneration: No payments or honoraria are provided to authors or peer reviewers, reflecting the journal’s commitment to academic integrity and scholarly contribution.
● Print copies: One complimentary print copy of the journal is mailed to each corresponding author. Additional copies are available at cost upon request.
The journal is committed to supporting authors from developing countries and underrepresented regions, providing equitable opportunities for publication regardless of financial resources. JHROS guarantees that editorial decisions are independent of financial considerations, and no author can influence acceptance or prioritisation based on funding ability. All articles are published under an open-access license, allowing unrestricted use, distribution, and citation, while protecting author copyright.
Authors also retain copyright of their work, and JHROS does not impose any fees for online access or reuse under the terms of the license. In exceptional cases where external funding or institutional support is available, authors may be asked to acknowledge the funding source; however, this does not affect publication costs or acceptance. The journal does not offer paid fast-track or priority publication services. Transparency in publication costs is maintained at all times, and any changes to the APC policy will be communicated publicly through the journal website.

i) Open Access Policy
This journal is a fully open-access journal, providing immediate and unrestricted access to all published content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
Articles published in JHROS are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY). This license enables re-users to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for non-commercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator

j) Copyright Policy
Copyright in all articles published in the JHROS is retained by the author(s), JHROS, and MSSRN PRESS.
Author Rights
Authors retain the right to:
● Use their published work for academic, educational, and research purposes.

● Share the final published version on personal websites, institutional repositories, and academic networking platforms, with proper citation to JHROS.

● Reuse the content in future scholarly works (e.g., books, lectures, or research reports), provided the original publication in JHROS is acknowledged.
Journal and Publisher Rights
JHROS and MSSRN reserve the right to:
● Archive, index, and disseminate the published work globally.

● Ensure long-term preservation and accessibility of published content.

● Enforce ethical publishing standards and address copyright misuse, plagiarism, or unauthorised commercial exploitation.
Author Agreement
As part of the submission process, authors must formally agree to the journal’s copyright and licensing terms. Submission of a manuscript implies confirmation that:
● The work is original and has not been previously published.

● The author(s) hold the necessary rights to grant the license.

● The manuscript does not infringe upon third-party copyright or intellectual property rights.

k) Submission Policy
The JHROS considers manuscripts for publication on the clear understanding that the submission complies with the highest standards of academic integrity and publishing ethics.
By submitting a manuscript to JHROS, authors confirm that the manuscript is original, has not been published previously, and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Exceptions apply only to work previously disseminated in limited forms such as conference abstracts, academic theses, or working papers, provided that full disclosure is made at the time of submission. Manuscripts must not be submitted simultaneously to or under review by any other journal, publisher, or platform.
All listed authors have made substantial scholarly contributions to the work, have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript, and agree to its submission to JHROS. The corresponding author assumes responsibility for ensuring that all co-authors are appropriately acknowledged and informed. Where applicable, the submission has received all necessary institutional, organisational, or ethical approvals from relevant authorities, and the research complies with internationally accepted ethical standards.
JHROS maintains a low tolerance for plagiarism and AI. Plagiarism and AI are checked for every article before it is sent to reviewers. Submissions that do not meet the journal’s scope, quality standards, ethical requirements, or formatting guidelines may be rejected at the editorial screening stage without external peer review.

l. Editorial Independence Policy
Editorial independence is a fundamental principle of the JHROS. The journal does not permit interference from the publisher, management, sponsors, or any external parties in editorial decision-making.
All manuscripts published in JHROS undergo peer review and are assessed by independent academic editors and reviewers. Journal administrative staff are not involved in decisions regarding the acceptance, revision, or rejection of manuscripts.
Editorial decisions are made solely based on scholarly merit, including:
● The appropriateness and suitability of selected reviewers;
● The adequacy and quality of reviewer comments and authors’ responses;
● The overall academic quality, originality, and rigor of the manuscript.
In all aspects of its operations, JHROS is guided by its mission to promote the dissemination of high-quality, ethical, and accessible scholarly research.
Editors, editorial board members, and journal staff shall not be involved in the editorial processing or decision-making of manuscripts in which they are authors or have a conflict of interest. To maintain strict editorial independence, JHROS does not publish manuscripts authored by its editors, editorial board members, or journal staff and may guide such authors to suitable alternative publication venues.

m. Reviewer Suggestion Policy
As part of the manuscript submission process, authors may be requested to suggest up to three potential reviewers with appropriate subject-matter expertise relevant to the submitted work. The provision of reviewer suggestions is optional and intended solely to support the editorial process.
The final selection of reviewers rests entirely with the editors, and the journal is under no obligation to invite any of the suggested individuals.
To ensure impartial and unbiased peer review, suggested reviewers must:
● Possess relevant academic or professional expertise in the manuscript’s subject area;
● Be independent of the authors and their institutions;
● Not be current or recent collaborators of any of the authors;
● Not have co-authored publications with any of the authors within the previous three years;
● Have no known conflicts of interest with the authors or the research.
Authors are encouraged to provide accurate and verifiable professional contact information for any suggested reviewers. Authors may suggest qualified scholars whose work is cited in the manuscript, provided that no conflict of interest exists.
Members of the Editorial Board may be suggested as potential reviewers; however, their inclusion does not guarantee their selection or participation in the review process. You may suggest reviewers from among the authors that you frequently cite in your paper.
n) Manuscript Recommendation Policy
The JHROS offers a manuscript recommendation service to support authors whose submissions don’t fit for publication due to the journal's scope, focus, or strategic fit.
Where appropriate, and at the discretion of the editorial team, authors may be provided with recommendations for alternative journals that may better align with the subject matter, methodology, or contribution of their research. Such recommendations are offered solely as guidance and do not imply endorsement or guarantee of acceptance by any other journal.
Authors retain full autonomy and discretion in deciding whether to pursue the suggested alternatives. Participation in the manuscript recommendation service is voluntary and does not involve any fees or charges, nor does it affect the editorial evaluation of the submission or the author’s ability to submit future manuscripts to JHROS.

o) Plagiarism Policy
JHROS is committed to upholding the highest standards of scholarly integrity. All submissions must represent original research and comply with ethical academic practices. Plagiarism, data fabrication, and image manipulation are strictly prohibited.
Plagiarism is defined as the unattributed use of another person’s or one’s own previously published work, including text, ideas, data, figures, or images. This includes verbatim copying, improper paraphrasing, text recycling, redundant publication, and reuse of tables, figures, or illustrations without proper acknowledgment. Authors are responsible for ensuring that all sources are cited accurately, that prior work is clearly acknowledged, and that any permission required for copyrighted material has been obtained. When building upon previous research, authors must explicitly describe how the current work extends or differs from prior studies, including conference papers, workshop presentations, or institutional reports.
All manuscripts submitted to JHROS undergo plagiarism screening using industry-standard software, including iThenticate or equivalent, to ensure originality. Editors and reviewers are responsible for detecting potential ethical issues and reporting them to the Editor-in-Chief for investigation. Authors may be asked to provide original, unprocessed data or image files to verify the authenticity of reported results. Manipulation of images or data in a way that misrepresents findings is strictly prohibited.
In cases where plagiarism, fabrication, or image manipulation is identified, whether during peer review or post-publication, the journal reserves the right to take appropriate action. Actions may include requesting revisions, rejecting the manuscript, issuing corrections, or retracting the article. In serious cases, the authors’ institutions may be notified. JHROS investigates all allegations thoroughly, ensuring that decisions are fair, objective, and unbiased, while respecting the rights of all parties involved.

p) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
The Journal of Human Resources and Organizational Studies (JHROS) recognises the growing role of generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and other LLMs) in scholarly writing, data processing, and publication workflows. To maintain transparency, integrity, and ethical standards, all authors, reviewers, and editors must adhere to the standards outlined below:
1. AI Policy for Authors
Authors may utilise approved generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot) to improve the clarity, structure, and international readability of their manuscripts. The following conditions must be adhered to ensure scholarly integrity:
1.1 Permitted Uses
Authors may use AI tools to:
● Improve clarity, grammar, spelling, structure, and readability
● Summarise or organise background literature
● Structure literature reviews or methodology descriptions
● Enhance communication for an international audience
All such uses must be disclosed.
1.2 Prohibited Uses
AI tools must not:
● Generate core scientific content, fabricate data, manipulate results, or alter images, unless explicitly part of the documented research methodology
● Be listed as authors or co-authors under any circumstances
● Replace human scholarly judgment in analysis, interpretation, or conclusions
Undisclosed AI Use in generating substantive manuscript content (e.g., literature reviews, discussion sections, and so on) is prohibited.
AI-Induced Plagiarism must be avoided. Authors should use AI output responsibly and check for inadvertent copying.
1.3 Disclosure Requirement
All AI use must be declared in an AI Use Statement in the Acknowledgments section, including:
● Name and version of the AI tool used
● Purpose of AI use (e.g., grammar, clarity, data synthesis)
● Confirmation that all AI-generated content has been reviewed and validated by the authors
For transparency, manuscripts should include a statement such as:
"During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [tool name, version] for [purpose]. All output was reviewed and edited by the authors, who take full responsibility for the content of this publication."
“The authors used [AI Tool Name] for [purpose, e.g., grammar checking, summarising background]. The authors take full responsibility for the content and interpretation of the work.”
If no AI tools were used, authors may state:
“No generative AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.”
1.4 Author Responsibility
Authors remain fully responsible for:
● Accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content, data, and analyses.
● Human Oversight: Authors are solely responsible for all content, ensuring the accuracy, originality, and ethical integrity of AI-generated or AI-assisted outputs.
● Validity of citations, references, DOIs, and metadata.
● Ethical compliance with plagiarism, image manipulation, and intellectual property policies.
● Ensuring AI use does not compromise the integrity of the research.
1.5 Citation and Reference Verification
Authors must manually verify every reference to ensure:
● Correct author names, titles, years, volumes, issues, and pages
● Active and valid URLs, DOIs, or permanent repository links
● Consistency between in-text citations and reference list
· Authors must check references one by one before submission.
● Correct metadata for formatting for indexing and archiving

2. AI Policy for Reviewers
Reviewers for JHROS must adhere to the following:
2.1 Permitted Uses
Reviewers may use AI tools to:
● Organise notes
● Draft administrative emails or templates
● Improve clarity of written feedback
2.2 Prohibited Uses
● Reviewers must not upload manuscripts, figures, tables, or any confidential content with AI tools that retain or train on input data (e.g., public versions of ChatGPT).
● All evaluative comments and recommendations must be independently written and verified.
2.3 Reviewer Responsibility
Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the quality, integrity, and ethical standards of the journal. Their responsibilities include:
● Confidentiality and Impartiality: All manuscript content must be treated as strictly confidential. Reviews must be conducted objectively, without bias toward the authors or their affiliations.
● Ethical Use of AI: Reviewers may use generative AI tools to organise notes, clarify language, or draft preliminary thoughts. However, all evaluative comments must be based on the reviewer’s own careful reading and professional judgment. AI-generated content must never be submitted unless it has been thoroughly reviewed, rewritten, and validated by the reviewer.
● Verification of Feedback: Reviewers must ensure that all comments are accurate, relevant, and aligned with:
- the manuscript’s content and context,
- the journal’s aims and scope, and
- the core components of scholarly writing, including introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, discussion, conclusion, and implications.
● Reporting Misuse: Any suspected misuse of AI tools in manuscripts must be reported promptly to the Editor-in-Chief.
● Transparency Encouraged: Reviewers should notify the Editor if AI was used to support their assessment.
● Independent Assessment: Reviewers are expected to exercise independent judgment, ensuring that final reports are fully human-written, ethically grounded, and uphold the highest scholarly standards.
3. AI Policy for Editors
3.1 Permitted Uses
Editors may use AI tools to:
● Draft communications with authors or reviewers
● Organise editorial workflow
● Conduct initial language and format checks
3.2 Prohibited Uses
● Editors must not use AI to make publication decisions (acceptance, revision, or rejection) or evaluate scientific content
● Manuscripts or confidential materials under review must never be uploaded to AI systems
3.3 Editorial Responsibility
Editors must:
● Ensure fairness, transparency, and academic integrity in all editorial decisions
● Detect and report potential AI misuse by authors or reviewers to the Publisher
● Maintain editorial independence and compliance with COPE and international publishing standards
4. Summary of Required Author Actions Before Submission
1. Use AI responsibly, only for language, clarity, or readability
2. Verify all citations, references, DOIs, and URLs manually
3. Include a mandatory AI disclosure statement in the Acknowledgments section
4. Confirm that no AI system is listed as an author
5. Ensure images and data have not been AI-generated or altered without disclosure
6. Take full responsibility for all content, analyses, and data
5. General Principles
● All use of AI in the publication process must be transparent, ethical, and fully disclosed
● AI cannot replace human judgment in scholarly work, peer review, or editorial decisions
● Violations of this policy may result in manuscript rejection, correction, or retraction
6. Policy Review and Update
The JHROS AI Policy will be reviewed on an annual basis, or as needed, to ensure it remains aligned with the latest technological advances and evolving ethical standards.
References
COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics). (2023). Guidance on AI and ethics in publishing. https://publicationethics.org
ICMJE. (2023). Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. http://www.icmje.org
Nature Editorial. (2023). Tools such as ChatGPT threaten transparent science; here are our ground rules for their use. Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00191-1
UNESCO. (2021). Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381137

Q) JHROS Author, Institutional, and Geographic Diversity Policy
The JHROS is committed to promoting intellectual pluralism, equitable scholarly participation, and global representation. To prevent author monopolisation, institutional over-representation, and geographic concentration, JHROS adopts a structured diversity policy that governs author frequency, institutional balance, and country-level representation across issues and volumes. This policy strengthens editorial integrity, aligns with best practices expected by international indexing bodies, and ensures fair access for emerging and underrepresented scholars.
Author Publication Limits
To ensure equitable opportunities for contributors:
• Maximum per issue: 1 article per author
• Maximum per calendar year: 2 articles per author
• Rolling 3-year window: Maximum 2-3 articles per author
If an author publishes in both issues of the same calendar year, that author will not be eligible for publication in the following academic year. The next eligible publication year will be one full year later. This rule applies regardless of author order (first or co-author).
To avoid institutional dominance and ensure broader scholarly participation:
• No single institution should contribute more than 30–35% of articles in any issue.
• Editorial discretion shall be exercised when submissions from one institution exceed acceptable thresholds.
To promote international visibility and cross-cultural scholarship:
• Each issue should include at least 40% internationally affiliated authors.
• Multi-country collaborations are strongly encouraged and prioritised during editorial consideration.
• Special issues must demonstrate a clear geographic spread unless thematically justified.
Exceptions may be granted only with strong editorial justification for: Invited review papers; Special issue lead articles; multi-institution and multi-country collaborations, and editorially commissioned manuscripts. Hence, all exceptions must be documented internally and approved by the Editor-in-Chief or Editorial Board.