Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics for Journal of the Study on Religion and History

 

Journal of the Study on Religion and History (ISSN: 2325-9914, hereafter referred to as "the Journal") aims to advance scholarly research on Christianity in China. The Journal adheres strictly to rigorous academic standards and international scholarly norms, actively maintains academic integrity, and follows the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing. Referring to guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and Elsevier's Publishing Ethics, the Journal hereby establishes this statement of publication ethics.

The Journal firmly opposes all forms of academic misconduct, including but not limited to plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, duplicate submission or multiple publication, ghostwriting, undisclosed conflicts of interest, honorary authorship, and AI-generated papers. Any manuscripts involving such unethical practices will be rejected. If misconduct is identified after publication, appropriate measures will be taken, including withdrawal, retraction, or public notification.

Authors who use AI tools solely for linguistic refinement must clearly disclose at the time of submission the name, purpose, and scope of the AI tool used. Failure to disclose the use of AI tools for revision or generation of manuscripts will be deemed a violation of publication ethics and will be dealt with accordingly.

1. Responsibilities of the Chief Editor and Editorial Team

1.1 The Chief Editor and editorial team shall evaluate submissions objectively and impartially, without discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, political stance, nationality, institutional affiliation, or any other factors, considering only the academic merits of the submission.

1.2 The Chief Editor and editorial team shall provide authors with fair opportunities to express their opinions, processing submissions through an open and transparent peer review procedure.

1.3 The Chief Editor and editorial team shall actively avoid any potential conflicts of interest, including financial interests, academic collaborations, or other relationships that may compromise impartial evaluation.

1.4 The Chief Editor shall select anonymous peer reviewers who possess appropriate expertise relevant to the submitted manuscript without conflicts of interest, ensuring the quality of the peer review process.

1.5 The Chief Editor and editorial team shall synthesize peer reviewers' comments to provide authors with specific and constructive suggestions for improvement, and make publication decisions based on the manuscript quality.

1.6 The Chief Editor and editorial team shall investigate and address all allegations of publication ethics violations, handling cases rigorously based on evidence, and publicly disclose decisions as necessary.

2. Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

2.1 Peer reviewers shall review manuscripts objectively, impartially, and promptly, providing specific and constructive feedback to enhance the academic quality of submissions.

2.2 Peer reviewers shall treat manuscripts as confidential documents, refraining from disclosing or disseminating manuscript contents during or after the review process, and shall destroy relevant review materials after completion of the review.

2.3 If peer reviewers identify substantial similarity between the manuscript under review and any previously published work, they shall immediately inform the Chief Editor or editorial team for further investigation.

2.4 Peer reviewers must disclose to the Chief Editor any conflicts of interest or collaborative relationships with the author(s), and recuse themselves from reviewing such manuscripts.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

3.1 Authors must ensure their submissions are original research that has not been previously published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere. Duplicate or simultaneous submission in Chinese, English, or any other languages is prohibited. Manuscripts derived from theses/dissertations or conference papers must be clearly disclosed at submission and comply with relevant guidelines.

3.2 Authors must accurately cite all sources used, strictly avoid plagiarism in any form (including self-plagiarism), and ensure all cited data and information are authentic, credible, and in compliance with academic standards.

3.3 Authorship shall be limited to individuals who have substantially contributed to the research's conception, design, execution, or interpretation. All qualified contributors must be listed as co-authors. Individuals who did not significantly participate in the study or manuscript preparation must not be listed as authors, but their contributions can be acknowledged in the acknowledgments section.

3.4 For research involving human subjects, authors must explicitly state that the research process complies with ethical standards and relevant laws, confirm that informed consent has been obtained from participants, and ensure the privacy and confidentiality of subjects are adequately protected.

3.5 Authors must proactively disclose any potential conflicts of interest (e.g., research funding sources, institutional affiliations, consultancy roles, or other interests) that may affect the objectivity or credibility of their research.

3.6 If authors discover significant errors or inaccuracies in their submitted manuscripts, they must promptly inform the Chief Editor or editorial team and cooperate in corrections or retractions.

4. Investigation and Handling of Ethical Violations

Upon notification from editors, reviewers, or any third party regarding ethical concerns or misconduct related to submitted or published manuscripts, the Journal will promptly initiate an investigation:

4.1 The Chief Editor will gather sufficient evidence discreetly, avoiding unnecessary involvement of unrelated parties, and, if necessary, convene an editorial or ethics committee meeting for further deliberation, inviting explanations from the involved parties.

4.2 Depending on the severity of the ethical violation, the Journal will take one or more of the following measures:

4.2.1 Formally reject or retract the manuscript and publicly announce the decision.

4.2.2 Notify the author’s affiliated institution or relevant authorities about the ethical violation.

4.2.3 Impose restrictions on future submissions from the author for a specified period or permanently, based on the seriousness of the misconduct.

4.3 For published manuscripts which are later confirmed to have violated academic ethics, the Journal will adopt procedures according to Elsevier and COPE guidelines, including Withdrawal, Retraction, Removal, or Replacement, and publicly announce the outcome on the Journal's official website and in subsequent issues.

All members of the Journal’s editorial team, peer reviewers, and authors must collectively adhere to this publication ethics statement to ensure a rigorous, fair, and ethical scholarly publishing environment.