Maros Law and Social Studies is a peer-reviewed journal committed to upholding strict standards of publication ethics, adhering to the principles outlined in the COPE guidelines. Articles not complying with these standards will be removed from publication at any time, even post-publication. Suspected cases of plagiarism or duplicate publications will be reported to the appropriate authorities. The journal reserves the right to use plagiarism detection software for all submissions. Editors, authors, and reviewers are expected to adhere to the highest ethical standards and fulfill the following responsibilities:
Author’s Responsibilities
- Reporting Standards: Authors must present accurate accounts of the original research and discuss its significance objectively. Fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation of data is unethical and unacceptable. Manuscripts must provide sufficient detail for replication.
- Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure their work is original and not submitted to multiple journals simultaneously. Proper acknowledgment of others’ work is mandatory, and direct quotations must be cited appropriately.
- Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publications: Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently is unethical. Authors should avoid redundant publications and reference the primary literature where applicable.
- Acknowledgment of Sources: All data sources and influential publications must be acknowledged.
- Authorship: Authorship should reflect significant contributions to the research. All co-authors must approve the manuscript and its submission.
- Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or other conflicts of interest and funding sources.
- Fundamental Errors: If significant errors are found, authors must notify the journal to correct or retract the paper.
- Hazards: Any work involving hazardous materials, procedures, or equipment must be clearly identified.
Reviewer’s Responsibilities
- Confidentiality: Manuscripts must be treated as confidential. They should not be discussed with others without permission.
- Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should ensure that authors have cited all relevant sources and notify the journal of any ethical concerns or similarities to other works.
- Standards of Objectivity: Reviews should be objective and constructive, providing clear, supported feedback.
- Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must not use information from manuscripts for personal gain and should avoid reviewing manuscripts with potential conflicts of interest.
- Promptness: Reviewers should complete reviews promptly and notify the editor if delays occur.
Editor’s Responsibilities
- Fair Play: Manuscripts are evaluated based on intellectual content, irrespective of authors’ backgrounds.
- Confidentiality: Manuscripts are treated as confidential and only disclosed to relevant parties.
- Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Unpublished materials must not be used without the authors' consent.
- Publication Decisions: Editors are responsible for publication decisions, guided by the journal’s policies and legal requirements.
- Review Process: Editors must ensure a fair and unbiased peer review process, selecting appropriate reviewers with no conflicts of interest.
