Ethical Guidelines and Responsibilities

Ethical Guidelines and Responsibilities

TheSustainImpact
Last Updated: 04/09/2025

Scope and Applicability

These guidelines apply to all editorial and publication activities under TheSustainImpact, including journals, conference proceedings, program books, special issues, and related publications. Event- or publication-specific policies may supplement these guidelines; where there is a conflict, those specific policies will apply. These guidelines function as our Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement (PEMS) and are aligned with COPE Core Practices.

Our Ethics Framework

TheSustainImpact aligns with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and uses COPE flowcharts to guide decision-making on ethics and integrity. We strive to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability across authorship, peer review, and editorial decisions.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting work to TheSustainImpact must:
  • Originality and Prior Publication
    • Submit only original work that is not under consideration elsewhere.
    • Clearly disclose any prior dissemination (e.g., preprints, theses, conference posters). Where event-specific rules differ, those rules apply.
  • Plagiarism and Text Recycling
    • Ensure submissions are free of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism beyond acceptable, well-cited reuse (e.g., methods).
    • All submissions are screened using recognized plagiarism detection software (e.g., iThenticate or Turnitin).
  • Data Integrity, Availability, and Reproducibility
    • Report methods and findings accurately without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation.
    • Where feasible, provide data, code, and materials or a clear statement of availability and access restrictions.
  • Authorship and Contributions
    • List as authors only those who made substantial scholarly contributions, approved the final version, and accept accountability for the work.
    • Provide a contribution statement when requested.
    • Authorship changes after submission require written consent from all authors and editorial approval.
  • Use of Generative AI and Assistive Tools
    • Generative AI or language tools cannot be listed as authors.
    • Any use of such tools (writing assistance, image generation, code suggestions) must be transparently disclosed, and authors remain fully responsible for accuracy, originality, permissions, and compliance with ethics and privacy.
  • Conflicts of Interest and Funding
    • Disclose all financial and non-financial competing interests that could be perceived to influence the work.
    • Provide a funding statement and describe the role of the funder, if any.
  • Human Participants, Animals, and Sensitive Data
    • Obtain prior approval from relevant ethics committees/IRBs where required.
    • Secure informed consent for human participation and consent to publish identifiable information where applicable.
    • For animal research, confirm compliance with recognized welfare standards.
    • Anonymize sensitive data and follow applicable data protection laws.
  • Image and Figure Integrity
    • Do not manipulate images in a way that misleads. Adjustments must be applied to the whole image and disclosed if material to interpretation.
  • Citation Practices
    • Cite sources accurately and sufficiently. Avoid citation manipulation, coercive/self-serving citation, or irrelevant padding.
  • Corrections and Post-Publication Responsibilities
  • Promptly notify the editor of significant errors and cooperate with corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when needed.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers support quality and integrity by:
  • Confidentiality
    • Treat submissions as confidential; do not share or use content for personal advantage.
    • Do not upload manuscripts or data to third-party tools or generative AI services without explicit editorial permission.
  • Objectivity and Constructive Feedback
    • Provide fair, evidence-based assessments and actionable comments. Avoid personal criticism.
  • Conflicts of Interest
    • Declare any conflicts (financial, institutional, collaborative, personal). Decline reviews where conflicts cannot be managed.
  • Acknowledging Sources
    • Flag relevant prior work not cited and any suspected overlap or plagiarism.
  • Timeliness
    • Accept reviews only when able to deliver on time; otherwise inform the editor promptly.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors ensure high standards by:
  • Editorial Independence and Fairness
    • Base decisions solely on scholarly merit, relevance, and integrity, independent of sponsors or external influence.
    • Apply a fair peer-review process (typically double-blind unless specified otherwise by the event or publication).
  • Managing Conflicts of Interest
    • Recuse themselves from handling submissions where conflicts exist (e.g., close collaborators, same institution, self-citation stakes).
  • Confidentiality and Data Protection
    • Safeguard submission materials and reviewer identities consistent with the declared review model and applicable laws.
  • Handling Concerns and Misconduct
    • Use COPE-informed procedures to address plagiarism, data fabrication/falsification, authorship disputes, image manipulation, duplicate publication, and reviewer/editorial misconduct.
  • Transparency of Policies
    • Publish clear policies on peer review, authorship, conflicts of interest, data availability, and appeals/complaints.

Peer Review Model and Related Policies

TheSustainImpact applies a fair and transparent review process to ensure the quality and integrity of all submissions.
  • Conferences, Forums, and Abstract Books: Submissions are generally evaluated through a Scientific or Editorial Committee Review. This model is lighter than traditional peer review but ensures that accepted work meets the event’s thematic scope, ethical standards, and academic quality expectations.
  • Journals and Extended Publications: For full-length manuscripts and extended outputs, a peer review process (commonly double-blind) may be applied. The specific model (double-blind, single-blind, or open peer review) will be clearly stated in the submission guidelines of each publication.
  • Flexibility: Review and evaluation procedures may differ depending on the type of event or publication. The applicable model will always be communicated in the call for submissions or author instructions.
  • Related Policies:
    • Preprints: Prior dissemination of a manuscript (e.g., on preprint servers, institutional repositories, or as a thesis) is permitted, provided it is fully disclosed at the time of submission.
    • Simultaneous Submissions: Submissions under review by TheSustainImpact should not be simultaneously submitted elsewhere.
    • Conference-to-Journal Expansion: If an extended journal article builds upon a conference or forum paper, authors must cite the earlier version and explain substantive advances.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions or raise complaints about process. Appeals must provide specific, evidence-based reasons and will be reviewed by a senior editor not involved in the original decision. The outcome of appeals is final for that submission.

Reader Complaints and Whistleblowing

Complaints and Concerns by Readers or Third Parties
Readers, reviewers, or other third parties may raise concerns about published content, suspected misconduct, or ethical breaches. Such complaints should be submitted to editorial@thesustainimpact.com and will be reviewed confidentially by the editorial team following COPE guidelines.

Misconduct Procedures and Possible Actions

On credible concerns, editors may request data, contact authors’ institutions, and follow COPE flowcharts. Actions may include warnings, manuscript rejection, published corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, and, in severe or repeated cases, submission bans for a defined period.

Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

  • Corrections: Issued for honest errors that materially affect the record.
  • Expressions of Concern: Issued when investigations are ongoing but unresolved.
  • Retractions: Issued for unreliable findings, publication misconduct, unethical research, or legal issues. Retraction notices explain reasons and link to the original record.

Event- and Publication-Specific Committees

Each conference, forum, or special issue may establish its own Scientific/Editorial Committee to apply these guidelines and add topic-specific rules. Those rules will be published with the call or event page.

Archiving and Preservation

Archiving and Digital Preservation
TheSustainImpact uses the PKP Preservation Network (PN) to digitally preserve published content. This ensures that all published works remain accessible even in the event of system failure. In addition, all issues are assigned stable URLs and maintained in our Publications Archive.

Contact for Ethics and Integrity

Questions about these guidelines, suspected misconduct, appeals, or corrections can be directed to: editorial@thesustainimpact.com

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