Publication Ethics

Authors submitting manuscript to Social Science Chronicle (SSC) are expected to strictly adhere to the following guidelines:

• Accurate Presentation: Authors are obliged to meticulously present their research findings with unwavering precision, offering an objective discourse on their research.
• Authorship: Authors are obliged to uphold scrupulous standards when attributing authorship, including only those individuals who have made substantial and meaningful contributions to the research, while excluding those who do not meet the requisite criteria for authorship.
• Conflict of Interest: Authors must diligently disclose all potential conflicts of interest that could possibly compromise the integrity and objectivity of their research work.
• Data and Methods: Authors are expected to provide adequate and comprehensive details regarding their data and methods, enabling other researchers to effectively replicate and build upon their work.
• Simultaneous Submissions: Authors are strongly discouraged from submitting their manuscripts to multiple journals simultaneously, as this practice is considered a breach of ethical standards.
• Originality: Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of their research results, guaranteeing that they have not been previously published.
• Copyright Permissions: Authors bear the onus of obtaining permission from copyright holder/s to publish any previously published content, including quotations, figures, text, or tables.
• Prompt Communication: Authors are expected to promptly communicate any errors or inaccuracies identified in their communicated or published work, and to actively cooperate in rectifying those issues.

• Accountability and Responsibility : The corresponding author serves as the primary point of contact and is expected to involve all other co-authors in decisions pertaining to the manuscript. Also, all the authors must jointly assume full accountability for their research work, including its accuracy and integrity.
• Substantial Contribution: It must be ensured that people who have made substantial contribution in research are not left from the list of authors, and those who have not made significant contribution are not listed as author/s in the manuscript.
• Usage of AI-Assisted Technologies: In instances where author/s have utilized artificial intelligence (AI) tools in preparation of their manuscript, they must explicitly declare about such usage in the methodology and acknowledgement sections. In such cases, the responsibility for originality, validity, and integrity of the content lies solely with the author(s). However, failure to disclose the utilization of AI assisted technologies, if detected during manuscript processing stage, will be promptly communicated to the peer-reviewers, and editorial decisions will be made accordingly.
• Altering Authorship: Authors are expected to exercise careful consideration when determining authorship prior to manuscript submission. Any modification to authorship, including additions, removals or rearrangements, subsequent to acceptance of manuscript, requires unanimous approval of all authors, including those proposed for removal. The journal reserves the right to request evidence substantiating authorship contributions prior to attending any request for alterations to authorship or sequencing of authors.
• Authorship Disputes: Social Science Chronicle (SSC) abides by the guidelines established by Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when it comes to resolving authorship disputes that may arise at any stage of manuscript processing. However, in situations where disputes cannot be amicably resolved by involved parties, the journal shall be free to seek involvement of an appropriate external body, as deemed suitable by the editorial board, to serve as the final adjudicator. The journal reserves the prerogative to amend authorship in accordance with the recommendations put forth by the adjudicating body.
• Policy on Author Name Change: Occasionally, authors may seek to change their name subsequent to manuscript publication. Social Science Chronicle acknowledges that name changes can be sensitive and private, often prompted by factors such as alignment with gender, identity, marriage, divorce, or religious conversion. For safeguarding the author’s identity in such instances, no correction notice shall be published, and none of the co-authors will not be informed. However, the journal will exercise due diligence to verify that the previously named individual and the individual with the revised name are one and the same.

• Plagiarism Policy: Social Science Chronicle (SSC) unequivocally opposes and denounces any act of plagiarism. The policy statement which underscores the gravity of this offense and emphasizes the journal’s commitment for upholding academic integrity is available here – [Link]
• Data Fabrication: Manuscripts submitted to Social Science Chronicle are required to present genuine and authentic data, free from any form of manipulation or fabrication. This entails refraining from selective exclusion of data to moderate conclusions, inventing or falsifying data, or cherry-picking tools and results for bolstering specific claims.
• Image Manipulation: It is imperative for authors to ensure that image file/s produced in the manuscript are not subjected to any form of manipulation or adjustment that could potentially result in mis-interpretation of information presented in the original image.

• Social Science Chronicle actively promotes adherence to Sex and Gender Equity in Research – SAGER guidelines among its authors, urging them to incorporate considerations of sex and gender, wherever applicable. Authors are expected to exercise meticulous care in usage of ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ to avoid confusion and ambiguity. Manuscript titles and abstracts should unambiguously delineate the sex (or sexes) to which the study pertains. Additionally, authors are also expected to provide a comprehensive account of how sex and gender were taken into account during the study’s design, and, whenever possible, furnish dis-aggregated data based on sex and/or gender. Authors are encouraged to consult the complete guidelines prior to submitting their work for consideration by Social Science Chronicle.
• Click here – [SAGER Guidelines]

• While dispute over borders and territories may hold relevance in description of any particular research, but Social Science Chronicle maintains a neutral stance with regard to submitted manuscripts bearing maps and jurisdictional claims. Nonetheless, should potential disputes or complaints arise, the editorial team will strive to facilitate a resolution that is acceptable to all involved parties.

• Author/s of manuscripts must bear the responsibility of identifying and declaring any personal circumstances or interests that may be perceived as exerting inappropriate influence over the presentation or interpretation of their research findings. These conflicts may manifest as financial interests (such as membership affiliations, employment arrangements, consultancy engagements, patent-licensing agreements, honoraria, etc.) or non-financial interests (such as personal or professional acquaintances, institutional or community affiliations, personal beliefs etc.). All such competing or conflicting interests must be transparently disclosed in the manuscript.

• Copyright and Licensing: Authors retain the copyright of their manuscript published by Social Science Chronicle. The manuscripts are licensed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share Alike 4.0 International License. This licensing framework strikes a delicate balance, permitting others to utilize and share the manuscript while preserving the original creator’s integrity and control. It ensures proper attribution, prohibits commercial usage, and forbids modification without the explicit permission of author/s.
• Pending Patent Issues: Due to adoption of continuous article publication (CAP) mode of publishing, manuscripts submitted to Social Science Chronicle are available online, as soon as they are ready. Due to this, the publication process encompassing stages of peer review, proof-reading, copy-editing etc. will not be postponed or delayed due to any pending patent applications or similar concerns. Accordingly, authors are advised to ensure resolution of any such issue before submitting their manuscript. Also, details of any pending patent application or registration, must find place in the ‘conflict of interest’ statement.

• The maintenance of editorial integrity in Social Science Chronicle’s review process is a shared responsibility among the editorial office, editor-in-chief, editorial board members, guest editors, and peer reviewers.
• If there are ethical concerns raised regarding a manuscript or if formal information regarding potential ethical issues is received, the Managing Editor of the journal will refer the matter to editorial board for investigation, requesting them to adhere to the established guidelines of COPE.
• Just like authors, editorial board members and reviewers are also required to disclose any potential conflict of interest or competing interests. Consequently, if such interests could arise from competitive or collaborative relationships, they must decline to review the manuscript. Such relationships may include – affiliation with the same institution, participation as research or project collaborators, personal friendships, familial ties, close acquaintance, mentor / mentee relationship, recent co-authorship, receipt of professional benefits, employer-employee status, receipt of funding or grants from institutions with an interest in the reported results, or receipt of financial offerings resulting from copyrights, patents, royalties, and similar sources. Additionally, any other conflict of interest, whether actual or potential, that may impact the peer review process and decision-making, must also be disclosed.
• Social Science Chronicle firmly rejects any form of discrimination based on race, colour, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, country of origin, physical ability or disability, or socio-economic status. Any reviewer or editorial board member who possess personal biases on any of these grounds, are obligated to disclose such biases beforehand.

• Social Science Chronicle adheres to double-anonymized peer review method in which the identities of both the authors and peer reviewers remain un-disclosed. All involved parties remain anonymous and unaware of each other’s identities.
• Reviewers are expected to maintain strict confidentiality regarding the materials provided by the journal and refrain from utilizing unpublished manuscripts or any part thereof for their own purposes.
• Furthermore, reviewers should take care not to disclose their identity to the authors, either in their comments or in the metadata of submitted reports.

• Readers who have concern or complaint about any published manuscript are encouraged to first contact the corresponding author directly in an attempt to resolve the issue.
• If author/s are unresponsive or if concerns remain unresolved, the managing editor may be contacted. The managing editor will coordinate with the complainant, author(s), and editorial board members to investigate, rectify, or resolve the concern.
• In cases involving ethical concerns, the final decision will be reached collectively by the editorial board members, considering the fundamental principles of publication ethics as outlined by COPE.
• For concerns related to factual accuracy, scholarly rigor or scientific validity, the editorial board may seek input from experts in the concerned field, typically comprising of faculty members from higher educational or research institutions.
• Legal concerns will be referred to legal counsel or law firm for appropriate handling.
• While anonymous complaints are generally not entertained, if they serve as a means of whistle-blowing to enhance the journal’s operational procedure, they will be duly investigated by the editorial board.
• Complaints lacking substantial facts and evidences are unlikely to be processed and will be considered only if additional information substantiating the concern is provided.
• It is important for complainants to understand that investigations require time to complete. In such circumstances, the journal is not obligated to provide regular updates until a final decision is reached. However, endeavours are made to resolve such cases within 100 days from the date of receiving the complaint.