GuideLines & Policies

Publishing Ethics – International Journal of Sustainable Management (IJSM)

The International Journal of Sustainable Management (IJSM) upholds the highest standards of publishing ethics to maintain academic integrity, ensure the reliability of published content, and protect public interest in scientific findings. We are committed to promoting transparency, fairness, and ethical conduct in all aspects of the publication process. For complete guidelines, please refer to our detailed policies on publishing ethics and ethical standards.

Submission Declaration

By submitting a manuscript to IJSM, authors confirm that the work is original, has not been previously published in whole or in part (except in the form of an abstract, a conference presentation, or an academic thesis), and is not currently under review by any other journal. Authors also confirm that the submission has been approved by all co-authors and, where applicable, by the appropriate institutional authorities or ethics committees.

Preprints

IJSM permits the sharing of preprints at any time and on any platform, in accordance with major publishing standards such as Elsevier’s sharing policy. Posting a manuscript on a preprint server does not constitute prior publication and will not affect its eligibility for submission to IJSM. Authors should ensure that preprint versions are clearly marked and disclose any preprint sharing in the cover letter upon submission.

Use of Inclusive Language

Inclusive language is essential to ensure respectful, unbiased, and equitable communication. Authors are expected to avoid language that suggests superiority or inferiority based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability, or health status. Manuscripts should be free from stereotypes, discriminatory remarks, or cultural bias. When applicable, use gender-neutral language and plural forms (e.g., “participants,” “researchers”) rather than gender-specific pronouns. References to personal characteristics should only be included when scientifically or contextually relevant.

Author Contributions

To ensure transparency and accountability, IJSM encourages the submission of an author contribution statement using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) system. Each author's individual contributions should be clearly defined, such as:

  • Conceptualization
  • Data Curation
  • Formal Analysis
  • Funding Acquisition
  • Investigation
  • Methodology
  • Project Administration
  • Resources
  • Software
  • Supervision
  • Validation
  • Visualization
  • Writing – Original Draft
  • Writing – Review & Editing

These roles should be listed alongside author names in a dedicated section of the manuscript or accompanying document.

Changes to Authorship

Authors are advised to finalize the authorship list at the time of submission. Any request to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission but before acceptance must be formally communicated to the Editor-in-Chief. The corresponding author must provide:

  1. A detailed justification for the requested change.
  2. Written confirmation (email or letter) from all listed authors, including the one(s) being added or removed, consenting to the modification.

Changes to authorship are not permitted after acceptance unless under exceptional circumstances and with editorial approval. If such changes are approved after publication, they will be documented through a formal corrigendum.

This policy ensures that all research published in International Journal of Sustainable Management adheres to globally accepted ethical standards, promoting trust in the academic community and society at large.

Ethical Statement

International Journal of Sustainable Management (IJSM)

I hereby certify, on behalf of myself and all co-authors, that the manuscript submitted to the International Journal of Sustainable Management (IJSM) is original, authentic, and represents unpublished work.

Title of Manuscript: ____________________________
Author(s) Name(s): _____________________________

I/we affirm that this manuscript has not been published previously, in whole or in part, and is not currently under review or consideration by any other journal or publication. If such a situation is discovered, I/we understand that the manuscript will be withdrawn immediately and appropriate disciplinary action may be taken.

I/we confirm that the manuscript includes accurate data and sufficient methodological detail, with all references appropriately cited. If the manuscript is found to have been submitted elsewhere simultaneously, I/we accept full responsibility for any consequences, including potential legal implications related to dual submission or deceptive practices.

All listed authors confirm that they have actively participated in the research process and contributed substantially to the conception, design, data collection, analysis, and/or writing of the manuscript. We collectively and individually accept responsibility for the integrity of the content.

Additionally, I/we confirm the following:

  • The manuscript contains less than 20% similarity, and no individual source exceeds 5% in plagiarism detection results.
  • The work does not include fabricated or falsified data, and no manipulation of images or results has occurred.
  • The submission does not constitute duplicate or redundant publication, and is not the result of inappropriate segmentation ("salami slicing") of research findings.
  • The content is free from defamatory, offensive, libelous, fraudulent, coercive, pornographic, or illegal material, and I/we bear full responsibility for the content submitted.

I/we acknowledge that IJSM operates under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) and follows an open access publication policy. By submitting this manuscript, I/we agree to abide by this policy and transfer the first-time publishing rights to IJSM.

Corresponding Author’s Declaration

Name: __________________________
Signature: ______________________
Date: ____ / ____ / ______

 

Correction and Retraction Policy

The International Journal of Sustainable Management (IJSM) is committed to preserving the accuracy, integrity, and transparency of the scholarly record. To uphold these standards, the journal has established a clear policy on corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern. Corrections (errata or corrigenda) are issued when errors in a published article are identified that do not compromise the overall findings or conclusions but may affect clarity, accuracy, or completeness. These may include typographical mistakes, author name or affiliation errors, incorrect figure labels, or minor data issues. Upon notification by the author(s) or readers, the editorial board will assess the nature of the error and, if necessary, publish a correction notice linked to the original article. In some cases, the article may be replaced with a corrected version, accompanied by a clear record of changes made.

Retractions are issued in cases of serious misconduct or fundamental flaws in the research. Grounds for retraction include plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, unethical research practices, or major errors that invalidate the conclusions. When such issues are reported, the editorial team conducts an investigation, and authors are given a chance to respond. If the concerns are substantiated, a formal retraction notice is published, and the original article is marked as “Retracted” but remains accessible for transparency. In situations where concerns have been raised but further evidence is pending, IJSM may issue an expression of concern to alert readers while an investigation is ongoing.

Additionally, the journal handles authorship disputes and post-publication changes with great care. Any modification to the authorship list after publication requires written consent from all involved parties and the approval of the Editor-in-Chief, followed by an official correction notice. The editorial board reserves the right to reject or remove articles that contain defamatory, fraudulent, coercive, libelous, or illegal content. All decisions regarding corrections or retractions follow the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and relevant updates are made publicly available and properly indexed to ensure full transparency and academic responsibility.

Publication Charges

The International Journal of Sustainable Management (IJSM)  requires authors to pay an article-processing fee to have their work published. The charges that apply are as follows:

Local Pakistani Authors: PKR 35,000 per article, and taxes.

Authors (International): 250 USD per article, with any taxes added.