Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Sustainable Smart Systems in Education & Environment (JSSSEE) is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and to applying transparent and responsible editorial practices. The journal's publication ethics policies are guided by the core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Research Integrity and Misconduct

Authors must present their work accurately and honestly. Fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, citation manipulation, deliberate misrepresentation of data, and other forms of research or publication misconduct are not acceptable. Allegations of misconduct may be investigated before or after publication. Where necessary, JSSSEE may contact the authors' institutions or other relevant bodies.

2. Originality and Redundant Publication

Submitted manuscripts must be original and must not be under consideration by another journal at the same time. Authors must disclose any substantial overlap with previously published or submitted work. Plagiarism, duplicate publication, and inappropriate text recycling may result in rejection or post-publication action.

3. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the work and who accept responsibility for the published article. All listed authors must approve the submitted and final versions of the manuscript. Changes in authorship after submission must be justified and approved by all affected authors.

4. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose financial, personal, professional, institutional, or other interests that could reasonably be perceived to influence their work or decisions. Relevant conflicts of interest must be declared and managed appropriately.

5. Ethical Oversight

Research involving human participants, identifiable personal information, or animals must comply with applicable ethical and legal requirements. Where required, authors must provide information regarding ethics approval and informed consent. Confidential and sensitive information must be handled appropriately.

6. Data and Reproducibility

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the data reported in their articles. Where appropriate, authors should provide sufficient information to allow the work to be understood, verified, or reproduced and should make supporting data available when ethically and legally possible.

7. Peer Review Ethics

JSSSEE uses a double-blind peer review process. Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential, provide objective and constructive assessments, disclose relevant conflicts of interest, and must not use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal advantage. Editorial decisions are based on the scholarly quality, relevance, and integrity of the submission.

8. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by commercial, institutional, personal, or other inappropriate considerations. Editors must withdraw from the handling of submissions where a relevant conflict of interest exists.

9. Corrections, Retractions, and the Scholarly Record

JSSSEE is committed to maintaining an accurate scholarly record. When errors or concerns are identified after publication, the journal may issue a correction, clarification, expression of concern, or retraction as appropriate. Retractions and corrections will remain clearly linked to the original article and will explain the reason for the action.

10. Complaints and Appeals

Authors, reviewers, readers, and other parties may raise concerns or appeal editorial decisions by contacting the journal. Complaints and appeals will be considered fairly and, where possible, by an editor who was not directly involved in the matter under review.

11. Intellectual Property and Copyright

Authors retain copyright in their published articles. JSSSEE receives a non-exclusive license to publish the work as the original publisher. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Further details are provided in the JSSSEE Copyright and Licensing Policy.

12. Responsibilities for Addressing Misconduct

JSSSEE takes credible concerns regarding publication ethics seriously, whether raised before or after publication. The journal may request explanations, supporting documentation, or original data and may cooperate with relevant institutions when an institutional investigation is required. Editorial action will be based on the available evidence and the need to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.