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Publication Ethics Statement

A. Publication Ethics

1. Commitment to Publication Ethics

International Journal of Research in Physical Education, Sport, and Health (IJRPESH) is committed to maintaining high standards of integrity, transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct throughout the editorial and publication process. Authors, reviewers, editors, Editorial Board members, and the publisher are expected to uphold internationally recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing.

IJRPESH follows the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and, for research involving human participants, the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to:

  • submit original work that has not been published previously and is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal;
  • present research methods, data, analyses, and findings accurately without fabrication, falsification, inappropriate manipulation, or selective reporting;
  • appropriately acknowledge and cite the work, ideas, data, and materials of others;
  • comply with IJRPESH authorship and contributorship requirements;
  • disclose all sources of funding and relevant conflicts of interest;
  • obtain appropriate ethical approval and informed consent for research involving human participants where required;
  • maintain appropriate research records and provide supporting information when reasonably requested during an ethical investigation; and
  • promptly notify the Editorial Office if a significant error or ethical concern is identified before or after publication.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

  • provide objective, constructive, evidence-based, and timely evaluations;
  • maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and all information obtained through peer review;
  • declare relevant conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment;
  • decline review assignments when they cannot provide an impartial or appropriately qualified assessment;
  • not use unpublished information, ideas, or data obtained through peer review for personal or professional advantage; and
  • inform the Editor of suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication or falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, citation manipulation, or other ethical concerns.

4. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

  • making editorial decisions based on scholarly merit, relevance, methodological quality, originality, and compliance with journal policies;
  • ensuring a fair, impartial, and confidential editorial and peer-review process;
  • appropriately managing actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest;
  • protecting the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities in accordance with the journal's peer-review model;
  • investigating credible ethical concerns fairly and consistently;
  • following relevant COPE guidance when dealing with suspected publication misconduct; and
  • taking appropriate post-publication action, including corrections, Expressions of Concern, or retractions, when necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

5. Publication Misconduct

IJRPESH does not tolerate publication misconduct. Misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • duplicate, redundant, or inappropriate overlapping publication;
  • data fabrication or falsification;
  • inappropriate manipulation of images, figures, or other research materials;
  • citation manipulation;
  • inappropriate authorship practices, including guest, gift, or ghost authorship;
  • peer-review manipulation;
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest;
  • misrepresentation of ethical approval or informed consent; and
  • other practices that compromise the integrity of the research or publication process.

Suspected misconduct will be assessed on the available evidence and investigated in accordance with relevant COPE guidance. The journal will not make a finding of misconduct solely on the basis of an automated similarity score or other automated screening result.

6. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, editors, and Editorial Board members must disclose financial, institutional, personal, professional, academic, or other relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, peer-review process, or editorial decision. Editors and reviewers with conflicts that could compromise impartiality should recuse themselves from the relevant manuscript.

7. Reporting Ethical Concerns

IJRPESH welcomes good-faith reports of suspected research or publication misconduct from authors, reviewers, readers, institutions, and other stakeholders. Reports should be submitted in writing to the Editorial Office or Editor-in-Chief and should provide sufficient information and supporting evidence to allow an initial assessment. Reports will be handled confidentially to the extent reasonably possible and investigated according to the procedures described below.

B. Plagiarism Policy

1. Definition and Scope

Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's words, ideas, data, methods, images, results, or other intellectual contributions as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment. Plagiarism is incompatible with the standards of academic integrity required by IJRPESH.

Plagiarism may include:

  • copying text or substantial phrases from another source without appropriate quotation and citation;
  • closely paraphrasing another person's work without adequate attribution;
  • using figures, tables, images, data, research instruments, or results without appropriate acknowledgment or permission where required;
  • presenting another person's ideas, theories, interpretations, or findings as original work; and
  • inappropriate reuse of substantial portions of an author's own previously disseminated or published material without appropriate citation, transparency, or justification.

2. Similarity Screening

All manuscripts submitted to IJRPESH are subject to similarity screening before peer review. IJRPESH uses Turnitin to assist the Editorial Office in identifying potentially problematic textual overlap.

Manuscripts with an overall similarity index above 20% will normally receive additional editorial scrutiny. A similarity percentage is a screening indicator and does not, by itself, establish that plagiarism has occurred.

3. Evaluation of Similarity Reports

Similarity reports are evaluated by the Editorial Office. Editors consider the location, extent, source, and nature of the overlap rather than relying solely on the overall percentage. References, properly attributed quotations, common terminology, and standard methodological expressions may be treated differently from unattributed copying of original intellectual content.

Where technically available and appropriate, references/bibliographies and properly formatted direct quotations may be excluded from similarity calculations.

4. Actions Before Publication

When potentially inappropriate overlap is identified before publication, the Editorial Office may request clarification or revision, require appropriate citation or attribution, reject the manuscript when serious plagiarism is established, or take other proportionate action depending on the nature and severity of the concern. Authors will ordinarily be given an opportunity to respond to substantive allegations before a final ethical determination is made.

5. Actions After Publication

If suspected plagiarism is identified after publication, IJRPESH will investigate the concern in accordance with its Allegations of Misconduct policy and relevant COPE guidance. Depending on the findings and severity, appropriate actions may include a correction, retraction, or other editorial notice. Institutions or other relevant bodies may be contacted when appropriate.

C. Ethical Clearance

1. Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants submitted to IJRPESH must comply with internationally recognized ethical principles and applicable national and institutional requirements. Where applicable, research should be conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki.

2. Ethical Approval

Research requiring ethical review must receive approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB), Research Ethics Committee (REC), or equivalent body before the research begins. Authors should state the name of the approving committee, approval or reference number where applicable, and approval date in the manuscript.

If formal ethical approval was not required under applicable institutional or national regulations, authors should clearly state the basis for the exemption or waiver. The journal may request supporting documentation where necessary.

3. Informed Consent

Participants must voluntarily provide informed consent before participation when required by the nature of the research and applicable ethical regulations. Authors should describe the informed-consent process in the manuscript.

4. Research Involving Minors or Participants Unable to Consent

For participants who are minors or otherwise unable to provide legally valid consent, permission must be obtained from a parent, legal guardian, or other legally authorized representative as required by applicable ethical standards. Assent from the participant should also be obtained where appropriate.

5. Privacy and Confidentiality

Authors must protect participants' privacy and confidentiality. Personally identifiable information, including names, photographs, videos, or other identifying characteristics, should not be published unless scientifically necessary and appropriate consent for publication has been obtained.

Participant information must not be fabricated, altered, or misleadingly manipulated for the purpose of creating apparent anonymity. When complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed, appropriate consent for publication must be obtained.

6. Ethical Approval Statement

Manuscripts reporting research involving human participants should include an Ethical Approval Statement containing, where applicable:

  • the name of the approving ethics committee;
  • the approval or reference number and approval date;
  • confirmation of informed consent;
  • information regarding parental/guardian consent and participant assent where relevant; and
  • confirmation of compliance with applicable ethical, institutional, and national requirements.

Failure to demonstrate appropriate ethical oversight may result in requests for clarification or documentation, rejection of the manuscript, or other editorial action where serious ethical concerns remain unresolved.

D. Allegations of Misconduct

1. Reporting Allegations

Allegations of research or publication misconduct should be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief or Editorial Office. Reports should include sufficient specific information and, where possible, supporting evidence such as manuscript or article details, relevant correspondence, documents, data, or other materials.

Anonymous allegations may be considered when they contain sufficiently specific and verifiable evidence. IJRPESH evaluates concerns on their substance and supporting evidence rather than solely on the identity or status of the person raising them.

2. Initial Assessment

The Editor-in-Chief or a designated editor will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether the allegation is sufficiently specific, credible, relevant to the journal, and supported by evidence warranting further investigation. Concerns that clearly fall outside the journal's remit may be referred to an appropriate institution or body where appropriate.

3. Investigation

Where further investigation is warranted, IJRPESH may:

  • request clarification and supporting documentation from the author(s) or other relevant parties;
  • examine manuscripts, published articles, raw data, statistical analyses, images, peer-review records, editorial correspondence, or other relevant materials;
  • consult independent experts or appropriate Editorial Board members;
  • seek guidance from relevant COPE resources; and
  • contact institutions, ethics committees, funding organizations, or other responsible bodies where appropriate.

Individuals against whom substantive concerns are raised will normally be given a reasonable opportunity to respond. Investigations will be conducted as confidentially, impartially, and promptly as circumstances permit.

4. Institutional Involvement

IJRPESH recognizes that journals are responsible for the integrity of the published record but are not always the appropriate bodies to determine whether research misconduct occurred. When allegations involve matters requiring access to institutional records, research facilities, employment information, or formal investigative authority, the journal may refer the matter to the relevant institution or other responsible organization.

Where necessary, IJRPESH may take interim editorial action, including publication of an Expression of Concern, while an institutional or other investigation is ongoing.

5. Outcomes and Editorial Actions

Depending on the findings, IJRPESH may take one or more appropriate actions, including:

  • closing the case when concerns are not substantiated;
  • requesting clarification or correction before publication;
  • rejecting a submitted manuscript;
  • publishing a correction;
  • publishing an Expression of Concern;
  • retracting a published article when retraction criteria are met;
  • notifying relevant institutions, ethics committees, funding organizations, or other responsible bodies; and
  • taking other proportionate editorial measures consistent with recognized publication ethics guidance.

6. Appeals Related to Misconduct Decisions

Authors or other directly affected parties may submit a written appeal concerning an editorial decision arising from a misconduct investigation. The appeal should identify the grounds for reconsideration and provide relevant new evidence or demonstrate a material procedural or factual error. Where appropriate, the appeal may be reviewed by an editor or independent advisor who was not substantially involved in the original decision.

7. Record Keeping

IJRPESH will maintain appropriate confidential records of allegations, investigations, correspondence, evidence, and outcomes in accordance with applicable journal procedures and legal requirements.

E. Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections

1. Post-Publication Discussion

IJRPESH recognizes that scholarly evaluation continues after publication and encourages constructive, evidence-based discussion of published work. Readers may submit concerns, comments, or scholarly responses regarding published articles to the Editorial Office.

Where appropriate, IJRPESH may consider formal Letters to the Editor, commentaries, responses, or other mechanisms for post-publication discussion. Authors of the original article may be invited to respond to substantive scholarly criticism.

2. Corrections

A correction may be published when an article contains a significant error or omission that affects its accuracy, interpretation, or understanding but does not invalidate the article's central findings. Corrections may address errors originating from the authors or errors introduced during editorial or production processes.

Correction notices will clearly identify the affected article, describe the error and correction, and be linked to the original article wherever technically possible. The article record will indicate that a correction has been issued.

3. Retractions

Retraction may be considered when there is clear evidence that:

  • the findings are unreliable because of major error, fabrication, or falsification;
  • the article contains serious plagiarism;
  • the findings have previously been published elsewhere without appropriate disclosure, permission, or justification;
  • the article reports seriously unethical research;
  • required ethical approval or informed consent was absent or materially misrepresented; or
  • another serious integrity concern substantially undermines confidence in the article.

Retraction notices will be clearly identified, explain the reason for retraction, identify who is retracting the article where appropriate, and distinguish honest error from misconduct where this can be established. Retracted articles will normally remain accessible as part of the scholarly record but will be clearly marked as retracted.

4. Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be published when substantial concerns exist regarding the integrity or reliability of an article but the available evidence is inconclusive, an investigation is ongoing, or a definitive outcome is likely to be delayed.

The notice will identify the article and explain the nature of the concern as far as reasonably possible. It may subsequently be updated or replaced by a correction, retraction, or other notice when further information becomes available.

5. Addenda

An addendum may be considered when important supplementary information is necessary to improve the interpretation or understanding of an article but does not constitute correction of an error. Requests for addenda are subject to editorial assessment and, where appropriate, additional peer review.

6. Article Removal

Removal of published content will be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as when continued availability would violate legal rights, seriously compromise privacy, be defamatory, or create a substantial and immediate risk. Where an article is removed, an appropriate notice explaining the reason will normally remain available to preserve transparency, subject to legal restrictions.

7. Linking and Indexing of Notices

IJRPESH will take reasonable steps to ensure that corrections, retractions, Expressions of Concern, and other post-publication notices are clearly linked to the affected article and communicated to relevant indexing, abstracting, and metadata services where applicable.

The purpose of all post-publication actions is to maintain the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record rather than to punish authors.

F. Ethical Standards and Resources

IJRPESH's publication ethics policies are informed by internationally recognized principles and guidance. The following resources provide additional information for authors, reviewers, editors, and readers:

These policies are periodically reviewed and may be updated to reflect developments in publication ethics, scholarly publishing standards, and applicable international guidance.