Publication Ethics

Legal Research & Analysis is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and preventing any form of malpractice. This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process: authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher. Our policies are based on the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and promote honesty, originality, fairness, and accountability in scholarly legal research.

The journal expects all participants to adhere to principles of integrity, transparency, and respect. We take allegations of misconduct seriously and will investigate them thoroughly, applying appropriate corrections, retractions, or sanctions as needed.

Duties of Authors

·       Reporting Standards: Authors must present accurate, objective accounts of their research with sufficient detail and references to allow replication. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are unacceptable.

·       Originality and Plagiarism: Submissions must be entirely original. Authors are responsible for ensuring proper citation of others' work and avoiding plagiarism. Plagiarism in any form is unethical and unacceptable.

·       Multiple or Concurrent Submissions: The same manuscript must not be submitted to more than one journal simultaneously. Publishing redundant or substantially overlapping work in multiple venues is prohibited.

·       Authorship: Authorship should be limited to those who made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the work. All co-authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission. The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal and ensuring all co-authors are informed.

·       Acknowledgement of Sources: All influential publications and data sources must be properly cited.

·       Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional conflicts of interest that could influence the work. Funding sources must be acknowledged.

·       Fundamental Errors: If significant errors are discovered post-publication, authors must promptly notify the editor and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions.

·       Human Subjects Research: Where applicable, research involving human participants must include evidence of informed consent, ethical approval (e.g., from an institutional review board), and respect for privacy.

Duties of Editors

·       Publication Decisions: The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board decide which manuscripts to publish based on intellectual merit, originality, relevance to legal scholarship, and validity. Decisions are guided by journal policies and legal requirements (e.g., libel, copyright infringement, plagiarism).

·       Fair Play and Editorial Independence: Manuscripts are evaluated solely on academic content, without regard to authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnicity, citizenship, or political views.

·       Confidentiality: Editors must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential and not disclose information to unauthorized parties.

·       Conflicts of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have conflicts (e.g., personal relationships or competing interests). Unpublished material must not be used for personal research without author consent.

·       Ensuring Fair Peer Review: The double-blind peer review process must be unbiased, timely, and involve at least two independent external reviewers with relevant expertise.

Duties of Reviewers

·       Contribution to Decisions: Reviewers assist editors in improving manuscript quality and making informed publication decisions.

·       Promptness: Reviews should be completed within the agreed timeframe (typically 4 weeks). If unable to review promptly or at all, reviewers must notify the editor immediately.

·       Confidentiality: Manuscripts are privileged information. Reviewers must not discuss or use unpublished content for personal advantage without author consent.

·       Objectivity: Reviews must be constructive, objective, and supported by clear arguments. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate.

·       Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any potential biases and recuse themselves if conflicts exist (e.g., collaborative or competitive relationships).

·       Alerting to Misconduct: Reviewers should flag concerns about plagiarism, redundant publication, ethical issues, or data fabrication.

Handling Misconduct and Post-Publication Issues

·       Investigation: Allegations of unethical behavior (e.g., plagiarism, falsification, undisclosed conflicts) will be investigated fairly and confidentially following COPE guidelines.

·       Sanctions: Confirmed misconduct may result in rejection, retraction, erratum, notification of authors' institutions, or temporary/prohibited future submissions.

·       Corrections and Retractions: Significant post-publication errors will lead to published corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions as appropriate.

·       Privacy and Consent: Authors must protect participant privacy and obtain necessary consents for publication.

Legal Research & Analysis fosters a culture of ethical legal scholarship. By adhering to these standards, we ensure the integrity and credibility of published research. For detailed COPE guidelines, visit publicationethics.org.