Anti-Abuse Policy

Journal of Public Policy and Local Government (JPPLG)is committed to maintaining the integrity, transparency, and credibility of scholarly publishing. The journal adopts a zero-tolerance approach toward any form of abuse, manipulation, or unethical practices that may compromise the editorial process, peer review, publication quality, or the scientific record.

This policy applies to all participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and the publisher. Suspected violations will be investigated fairly and confidentially in accordance with internationally recognized publication ethics standards, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices.

A.   Scope of the Policy

 This Anti-Abuse Policy is intended to prevent and address any intentional misuse of the journal's editorial and publishing system, including unethical conduct before, during, or after publication.

 

B.   Prohibited Practices

The journal strictly prohibits any form of publication abuse, including but not limited to the following:

1. Plagiarism

Submitting manuscripts containing copied text, ideas, images, tables, or data without appropriate acknowledgment, including self-plagiarism and duplicate publication.

2. Data Fabrication and Falsification

Creating, altering, manipulating, or selectively reporting research data, figures, images, or experimental results in a manner that misrepresents the actual findings.

3. Duplicate and Simultaneous Submission

Submitting the same or substantially similar manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously or publishing the same research in more than one journal without proper disclosure.

4. Paper Mill Submissions

Submitting manuscripts produced by commercial organizations or third parties that sell authorship, fabricated research, or ghostwritten manuscripts.

The journal reserves the right to reject any manuscript suspected of originating from paper mills.

5. Authorship Abuse

The journal does not accept:

1. Guest authorship
2. Gift authorship
3. Honorary authorship
4. Ghost authorship
5. Purchased authorship

All listed authors must have made substantial scholarly contributions to the research.

6. Peer Review Manipulation

Any attempt to manipulate the peer-review process is strictly prohibited.

Examples include:

1. providing fake reviewer identities;
2. using fabricated reviewer email addresses;
3. impersonating reviewers;
4. influencing reviewers through improper communication;
5. interfering with editorial decisions.
6. Citation Manipulation

The journal prohibits practices intended to artificially increase citation counts, including:

1. excessive self-citation;
2. coercive citation;
3. citation cartels;
4. irrelevant citation requests.

Editorial decisions shall never be influenced by citation metrics.

8. Identity Fraud

Authors, reviewers, and editors must provide accurate information regarding:

1. identity;
2. institutional affiliation;
3. ORCID (if provided);
4. email address;
5. funding information.

False identities or impersonation constitute serious publication misconduct.

9. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Misuse

Artificial intelligence tools may assist authors in language editing or manuscript preparation; however:

1. AI systems cannot be listed as authors.
2. Authors remain fully responsible for the content of their manuscripts.
3. AI-generated data, images, references, or analyses must be carefully verified before submission.
4. The use of AI to fabricate research findings, citations, peer reviews, or reviewer identities is strictly prohibited.
5. Significant use of generative AI should be transparently disclosed within the manuscript.
6. Abuse of Editorial Communication

The journal will not tolerate:

1. harassment;
2. intimidation;
3. abusive language;
4. threats;
5. coercion;
6. discrimination;
7. attempts to pressure editors or reviewers.

Professional communication is expected throughout the editorial process.

11. System Abuse

Unauthorized activities involving the journal's submission system are prohibited, including:

1. unauthorized account access;
2. hacking attempts;
3. automated spam submissions;
4. malicious software distribution;
5. interference with journal operations.

Such activities may be reported to the relevant institutions or authorities.

12. Conflict of Interest Concealment

Failure to disclose financial, institutional, professional, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence the research or publication process constitutes unethical conduct.

C.   Detection and Investigation

The journal may use various methods to identify publication abuse, including:

1. plagiarism detection software;
2. editorial screening;
3. peer-review evaluation;
4. image integrity assessment;
5. reference analysis;
6. post-publication reports;
7. whistleblower reports;
8. artificial intelligence detection tools where appropriate.

All allegations will be evaluated objectively, confidentially, and fairly.

 

D.   Investigation Procedure

When suspected abuse is identified, the journal may:

1. conduct an initial editorial assessment;
2. request clarification from the authors or reviewers;
3. obtain supporting documentation;
4. consult independent experts when necessary;
5. follow internationally accepted publication ethics procedures.

The journal will ensure that all parties are given an opportunity to respond before any final decision is made.

E.     Corrective Actions

Depending on the severity of the violation, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

1. request manuscript revision;
2. reject the manuscript;
3. suspend the review process;
4. publish a correction;
5. issue an Expression of Concern;
6. retract the published article;
7. prohibit future submissions for a specified period;
8. notify the authors' institution, funding agency, or other relevant organizations where appropriate.

F.    Confidentiality

All investigations regarding suspected publication abuse shall be conducted confidentially.

Information relating to ongoing investigations will only be shared with individuals directly involved in the investigation or where disclosure is legally or ethically required.

G.   Appeals

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision arising from this policy may submit a written appeal supported by appropriate evidence.

Appeals will be reviewed independently by the Editor-in-Chief or an appointed ethics committee. The decision after the appeal review shall be final.

H.   Commitment to Research Integrity

The journal continuously promotes responsible research practices through:

1. editorial oversight;
2. reviewer training;
3. transparent peer review procedures;
4. ethical guidance for authors;
5. adherence to internationally accepted publication ethics standards.

Maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record is the shared responsibility of authors, reviewers, editors, publishers, and the wider academic community.