Journal Policy

 

The Journal of Social Research Dynamics (JSRD) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic publishing in the social sciences. The journal follows globally recognized principles of ethical research and scholarly dissemination as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and other international frameworks relevant to the social sciences and humanities.

1. Manuscript Submission Policy

Authors submitting to JSRD must adhere to the following:

  • The work must be original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere.
  • All co-authors must have approved the submission and agree with the order of authorship.
  • Submissions must be made exclusively through the journal’s online submission system.
  • Authors must confirm compliance with the journal’s ethical and formatting standards and submit all required declarations.

2. Advisory Board

JSRD is guided by a qualified Advisory Board, which includes:

  • A balanced mix of national and international scholars (50% each), all with doctoral degrees.
  • Individuals selected for their research excellence, editorial experience, and disciplinary alignment.
  • Members who have formally agreed to serve and are eligible to be invited as reviewers when necessary.

3. Peer Review Process

JSRD utilizes a double-blind peer review system to ensure fairness, objectivity, and scholarly quality:

  • Submissions undergo an initial editorial screening to verify scope, quality, and compliance with submission guidelines.
  • Suitable manuscripts are sent to two independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant discipline.
  • A third reviewer may be consulted in the event of contradictory evaluations.
  • Reviewers are selected with strict attention to avoiding personal or institutional conflicts of interest.
  • The average review timeline is 8–12 weeks.

4. Reviewer Responsibilities

JSRD reviewers are expected to:

  • Provide impartial, well-reasoned, and constructive feedback.
  • Evaluate submissions based on their originality, methodology, relevance, and ethical standards.
  • Maintain confidentiality and refrain from using or sharing any part of the manuscript.
  • Disclose any real or perceived conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment.

Scholars interested in becoming reviewers may apply through the journal portal with an updated CV.

5. Publication Ethics and Misconduct Policy

JSRD maintains strict ethical standards in accordance with COPE guidelines and best practices. The journal prohibits:

  • Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism
  • Data falsification or fabrication
  • Improper authorship, such as gift or ghost authorship
  • Simultaneous submission to other publications
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

Allegations of misconduct are taken seriously, investigated, and may result in rejection, retraction, or notification to institutions.

6. Authorship Guidelines

JSRD recognizes authorship based on significant intellectual contributions. Authorship must include those involved in:

  • Study conception, design, or analysis
  • Drafting or revising the manuscript
  • Final approval of the version to be published
  • Responsibility for the integrity of the entire work

The Corresponding Author handles submissions and communications. JSRD prefers no more than three authors per article unless justified.

7. Plagiarism Screening

All submissions are checked with software like Turnitin. Manuscripts exceeding 19% similarity will be rejected. A signed originality declaration is required at submission.

8. Confidentiality Policy

JSRD ensures full confidentiality of manuscripts:

  • Access is limited to editors, reviewers, and corresponding authors.
  • Author and reviewer identities remain anonymous during peer review.
  • Reviewers may not share or use manuscript content.

9. Data Privacy and Protection

The journal protects author and reviewer data by:

  • Securing all communication and file storage
  • Restricting access to authorized editorial members
  • Using submission systems with privacy safeguards

10. Conflict of Interest Disclosure

All parties must disclose potential conflicts, including:

  • Financial
  • Institutional
  • Personal or ideological

Non-disclosure may lead to rejection, retraction, or formal investigation.

11. Open Access Policy

JSRD is fully open access. All articles are:

  • Free to access, download, and share
  • Licensed for non-commercial use with proper attribution
  • Published without article processing charges (APCs)

12. Indexing and Archiving

To increase visibility and citation, JSRD is pursuing inclusion in reputable academic indexes. All content is digitally archived for long-term access.