Publication Ethics

CGPA: The Journal of Civic Governance and Public Administration adheres to the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Further details on international guidelines and standards can be found on the COPE website.

Duties of Authors

1. Reporting Standards

Authors of original research should present an accurate account of the work conducted and provide an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be accurately represented in the paper, with sufficient detail and references to allow replication. Misleading or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

2. Data Access and Retention

Authors are requested to provide the raw data related to their paper for editorial review and should be willing to allow public access to such data (consistent with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases), if feasible. Authors should also retain such data for a reasonable period after publication.

3. Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. If authors have used the work or words of others, this must be appropriately cited or acknowledged.

4. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors should not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

5. Acknowledgment of Sources

Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in shaping the nature of the reported work.

6. Authorship of the Paper

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research. All individuals who have made substantial contributions should be listed as co-authors. Others who have contributed to certain aspects of the research project should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author must ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included, no inappropriate co-authors are listed, and that all co-authors have approved the final version for submission.

7. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of their work. All sources of financial support for the project should be clearly stated.

8. Fundamental Errors in Published Works

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, it is their obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate in retracting or correcting the paper.

9. Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects

If the research involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment with unusual hazards, the author must clearly identify these in the manuscript.

Duties of Editors

1. Fair Play

Editors evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

2. Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

3. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author.

4. Publication Decisions

The journal’s editorial board is responsible for deciding which articles should be published. The validation of the work and its significance for researchers and readers must guide such decisions. Editors may follow the journal's editorial policies and legal requirements concerning libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.

5. Review of Manuscripts

Editors must ensure that each manuscript is initially evaluated for originality and processed through a fair and objective peer-review process. They should select qualified reviewers and avoid conflicts of interest, explaining the peer-review process clearly to authors.

Duties of Reviewers

1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer review assists editors in making editorial decisions and helps authors improve their papers through constructive feedback.

2. Promptness

Reviewers who feel unqualified to evaluate a manuscript or unable to review it promptly should notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.

3. Standards of Objectivity

Reviews should be conducted objectively, with clear supporting arguments. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate.

4. Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential and should not be shown to or discussed with others, except as authorized by the editor.

5. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest with any of the authors, companies, or institutions involved.

6. Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. They should alert editors to any substantial similarity or overlap between the reviewed manuscript and other published work.