Publication Ethics

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Publication Ethics

Social Work Reviews: An International Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing. The journal adheres strictly to internationally recognized ethical principles and best practices to ensure trust in scholarly communication and to safeguard the integrity of the academic record.

The journal closely follows the Core Practices and Guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Our editors, reviewers, authors, and publishing partners subscribe to the principles of academic freedom, editorial independence, fairness, and research integrity. By submitting a manuscript to Social Work Reviews, authors confirm that their work meets the highest ethical and professional standards and complies fully with the policies outlined below.

These publishing ethics policies apply to all submissions to Social Work Reviews. Authors are also required to review and comply with any additional journal-specific requirements prior to submission

1. Ethics Approval Statement

Social Work Reviews requires that all published articles adhere to accepted standards of moral and ethical responsibility in research. The journal complies with the principles of the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki (1975, revised 2013) and evaluates the ethical dimensions of all submissions involving human participants, animals, biological materials, or sensitive data—regardless of whether the work is described as research, evaluation, audit, case study, or debate.

For studies involving human participants, animals, case reports, or case series, authors must clearly state:

  • The name of the ethics committee, Institutional Review Board (IRB), or equivalent body that approved the study
  • The approval number or reference ID
  • The date of approval

If ethical approval was waived, authors must explicitly state the reason for the waiver and confirm compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant national or institutional regulations.

Authors must also declare that informed consent was obtained from participants. Written informed consent is required unless justified otherwise. If verbal consent was obtained, authors must explain why written consent was not feasible and confirm that documentation is available upon request.

Authors are encouraged to provide a detailed explanation of the ethical and moral considerations underlying their work. If this information cannot be fully included in the manuscript, it should be provided in the cover letter or as supplementary material. This information may be shared with peer reviewers and editorial committees, even if not published.

1.1 Research Involving Human Participants

For all research involving human participants, human data, tissues, or materials, authors must declare that the study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (revised 2013).

In line with Article 23 of the Declaration, approval must be obtained from a recognized ethics committee or IRB prior to commencing the research. At a minimum, the manuscript must include an Institutional Review Board Statement specifying:

  • Name of the ethics committee or IRB
  • Project or approval identification code
  • Date of approval

For non-interventional studies (e.g., surveys, interviews, social media research), participants must be fully informed about the study purpose, data usage, anonymity, and potential risks. Ethical approval is generally required. If approval was not required, authors must provide an exemption statement with justification and reference to applicable legislation.

Informed Consent and Privacy

Written informed consent for publication must be obtained from participants when personal data, case details, or images are included. Identifying information must be anonymized wherever possible. Patient initials, names, or identifiable features must not appear in images unless scientifically necessary and explicitly consented to.

Authors must submit a blank consent form template (without names or signatures). Signed forms should not be submitted unless requested by the journal.

Additional scrutiny may be applied to research involving vulnerable populations. The Editorial Office may request further documentation, including ethics approvals or consent materials. Studies categorizing participants by race, ethnicity, gender, disability, or health condition must clearly justify the relevance of such categorization.

1.2 Research Involving Cell Lines

Manuscripts reporting research involving cell lines must specify the origin of all cell lines used.

  • For established cell lines: authors must state the source and provide relevant references or supplier information.
  • For newly established or unpublished cell lines: authors must provide details of ethics committee or IRB approval and confirm that informed consent was obtained if the cell line is of human origin.

1.3 Research Involving Animals

Social Work Reviews requires that all research involving animals adheres to internationally accepted standards for animal welfare.

Authors must:

  • Confirm ethical approval for animal studies from an appropriate institutional or national ethics committee
  • Describe measures taken to minimize pain, suffering, and distress

Authors are encouraged to follow the ARRIVE guidelines and consult the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals (2020).

For studies involving client-owned animals, informed consent from owners is mandatory, and high standards of veterinary care must be maintained.

Authors are encouraged to comply with international frameworks including:

  • International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) policies
  • Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
  • Basel Declaration
  • International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS)

If ethical approval was not required, authors must clearly state the reason. The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to reject manuscripts that fail to meet ethical standards.

1.4 Research Involving Plants

The journal emphasizes responsible stewardship and compliance with governance frameworks for plant research.

Authors must:

  • Comply with national and local legislation for field studies, especially those involving genetically modified plants
  • Adhere to the Nagoya Protocol for genetic plant resources
  • Follow regulations concerning quarantine or invasive organisms and notify relevant authorities when required

For rare or non-model plants, voucher specimens should be deposited in an accessible herbarium or museum. Details such as collection location, date, and plant material used should be included. Waivers may be considered for endangered species with appropriate justification.

1.5 Dual Use Research of Concern

The journal follows COPE guidance on dual use research. Manuscripts reporting research with potential public health, safety, or security implications must clearly disclose associated risks in the cover letter.

Such research will be considered for peer review only if the potential societal benefits outweigh the risks and if authors comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

1.6 Sex and Gender in Research

Social Work Reviews encourages authors to follow the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) Guidelines.

Authors should:

  • Clearly distinguish between sex (biological) and gender (social and cultural)
  • Indicate relevant sex/gender considerations in titles and abstracts
  • Describe how sex and gender were addressed in study design and analysis
  • Provide disaggregated data where appropriate

If sex or gender analysis was not conducted, authors must explain the rationale.

1.7 Clinical Trials Registration

Registration

The journal follows the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations requiring prospective registration of clinical trials prior to participant enrollment.

Authors must register trials in a publicly accessible registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov, EU Clinical Trials Register, WHO ICTRP) and include the registration number in the Methods section.

Ethics approval alone does not substitute for trial registration. Manuscripts lacking registration may be declined. Registration may be waived only if a study protocol was published prior to enrollment.

CONSORT Statement

Randomized controlled trials must be reported in accordance with the CONSORT 2010 Statement. Authors must submit a completed CONSORT checklist and flow diagram as part of the submission.

1.8 Borders and Territories

Social Work Reviews maintains neutrality with respect to jurisdictional claims in published maps, institutional affiliations, and author addresses. Editorial decisions are guided by scholarly merit and ethical considerations.

1.9 Citations

The journal enforces strict ethical citation practices. Authors must:

  • Cite sources accurately and appropriately
  • Avoid excessive self-citation or citation manipulation
  • Cite original research wherever possible
  • Avoid citing non-scholarly or promotional materials

Improper citation practices may result in manuscript rejection or further action.

2. Types of Research Misconduct

Concerns about research misconduct are handled in accordance with COPE recommendations. Anonymous or whistleblower reports are treated with equal seriousness.

2.1 Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes direct copying, mosaic plagiarism, and self-plagiarism without proper attribution. Lack of transparency regarding source material constitutes misconduct.

2.2 Duplicate Publication

Duplicate publication involves substantial overlap with previously published work without clear citation or justification.

2.3 Data Fabrication and Falsification

Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data or images is considered serious misconduct and may lead to retraction and institutional notification.

3. Authorship

All individuals listed as authors must meet the journal’s criteria for authorship, and all individuals who meet these criteria must be included as authors. The specific contributions of each author must be clearly stated in the manuscript.

Social Work Reviews: An International Journal follows the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) authorship guidelines. To qualify as an author, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:

  1. Have made substantial contributions to the conception and design of the study, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; and
  2. Have been involved in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content; and
  3. Have given final approval of the version to be published; and
  4. Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content. Acquisition of funding, data collection, or general supervision of a research group alone does not usually justify authorship.

All authors are expected to take public responsibility for the content of the manuscript submitted to Social Work Reviews: An International Journal. Manuscripts must be submitted by an author and may not be submitted by a third party.

The corresponding author takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal throughout the submission, peer-review, and publication processes. The corresponding author is also responsible for ensuring that the submission complies with all journal requirements, including but not limited to authorship details, ethical approvals, clinical trial registration (where applicable), and conflict of interest declarations. The corresponding author should remain available after publication to respond to queries or critiques. Although the corresponding author has primary responsibility for correspondence, all authors will be contacted to confirm their awareness of, and approval for, the manuscript, its content, and its authorship.

4. Changes in Authorship

Social Work Reviews: An International Journal follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines regarding changes in authorship.

Any change to the author list after submission—including additions, removals, or changes in author order—requires the written agreement of all authors. Requests for authorship changes must be submitted by the corresponding author and must include:

  • A clear explanation for the proposed change(s);
  • A description of the contributions of any author(s) being added; and
  • Written confirmation from all authors (including those being added, removed, or reordered) consenting to the change(s).

All requests for authorship changes are subject to editorial approval. The journal may request confirmation of authorship contributions from an appropriate institutional authority.

Requests to change authorship after manuscript acceptance are generally not permitted. In exceptional circumstances, authors should contact the journal editorial office for guidance. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and require approval from the editorial team.

In the event of an authorship dispute, the journal will not act as an arbitrator. If the dispute cannot be resolved by the authors, the matter will be referred to the relevant institution(s) in accordance with COPE guidelines. The journal will follow institutional recommendations resulting from any investigation, except in rare cases.

Authorship changes after publication will be addressed through a formal correction, except under exceptional circumstances.

5. Acknowledgments

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in the Acknowledgments section. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission from all individuals named in this section prior to submission.

6. Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose any financial or non-financial, professional, or personal relationships that could be perceived as potential conflicts of interest. If no conflicts of interest exist, authors should explicitly state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

7. Ethical Guidelines for Editors

Editors of Social Work Reviews: An International Journal are expected to adhere to the following ethical principles:

  • Editors shall evaluate manuscripts solely on academic merit, without discrimination based on race, religion, nationality, gender, seniority, or institutional affiliation.
  • The peer-review process must remain confidential.
  • Editors must investigate credible allegations of misconduct in collaboration with the publisher and in accordance with COPE guidelines.
  • Editors may reject manuscripts without external peer review if they fall outside the journal’s scope or do not meet basic standards.
  • Editors should make reasonable efforts to ensure timely processing of submissions.
  • Editors must delegate review of their own submissions to another qualified editor.
  • If clear evidence emerges that published work contains significant errors, editors must facilitate the publication of appropriate corrections or retractions.
  • Editors must not use unpublished manuscript content for their own research without author permission.
  • Editors must maintain confidentiality and must not upload unpublished manuscript materials to non-confidential or public tools, including generative AI systems.

8. Post-Publication Issues

The journal supports post-publication scholarly discussion. Readers may submit letters to the editor regarding published articles. Errors or concerns may be addressed through errata, corrections, or retractions, depending on severity.

If concerns potentially affect the reliability of the research, the editor will initiate an investigation in accordance with COPE guidelines. Investigations will normally be completed within 60 days. Outcomes may include:

  • No action required
  • Correction, involving article updates and a published correction notice
  • Retraction, involving a retraction notice linked to the original article

All corrections and retractions will be clearly linked to the original publication.

8. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions or submit complaints regarding procedural issues or publication ethics. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Editorial Office with supporting justification. Matters will be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Appeals are initially reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or handling editor. If the complaint involves these individuals, authors should contact the journal office directly. Queries may be sent to Info@researchfloor.org.