Publication Ethics

Ephemeris Serena Populus et Doctrina (ESPD) is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, accountability, and ethical responsibility in scholarly publishing. The journal adheres to the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expects authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher to comply with these ethical standards throughout all stages of manuscript submission, peer review, editorial decision-making, and publication.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are original, authentic, and scientifically sound contributions to scholarship in the fields of social sciences, humanities, and education. Manuscripts may include empirical research, conceptual papers, theoretical analyses, systematic literature reviews, case studies, comparative studies, action research, and interdisciplinary research, provided they are conducted and reported with honesty, transparency, and academic integrity. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, citation manipulation, redundant publication, and other forms of academic misconduct are strictly prohibited.

Authors are responsible for accurately presenting research methods, analyses, findings, interpretations, and conclusions while providing appropriate citations for all referenced sources. Any potential conflicts of interest, whether financial, institutional, professional, or personal, must be disclosed. Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research, and manuscripts must not be simultaneously submitted to or published in another journal.

2. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for evaluating manuscripts fairly, independently, objectively, and promptly based solely on their scholarly merit, originality, methodological rigor, academic significance, and relevance to the journal’s aims and scope. Editorial decisions shall not be influenced by the authors' nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, ethnicity, political views, religion, or other personal characteristics.

Editors must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and ensure that manuscript information is disclosed only to individuals directly involved in the editorial and peer-review process. Editors are also responsible for managing conflicts of interest, addressing ethical concerns, ensuring compliance with publication ethics, and making publication decisions that uphold the highest standards of academic integrity.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, confidential, and timely evaluations that assist editors in making publication decisions and help authors improve the quality of their manuscripts. Peer review should focus on originality, methodological soundness, analytical depth, scholarly relevance, clarity of presentation, ethical compliance, and the overall contribution of the manuscript to the advancement of social sciences, humanities, and education.

Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and must not use unpublished materials for personal or professional advantage. They should promptly inform the editors of any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, ethical misconduct, significant similarity with previously published works, or undisclosed conflicts of interest. Reviewers who believe they are unqualified or unable to provide an impartial assessment should decline the review invitation.

4. Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher, together with the Editorial Board, is responsible for maintaining ethical publishing practices consistent with COPE guidelines and internationally accepted standards of scholarly publishing. The publisher supports editorial independence, safeguards the integrity of the peer-review process, and ensures that editorial decisions remain free from commercial, political, institutional, or external influence.

The publisher is also responsible for addressing allegations of research or publication misconduct through fair, transparent, and evidence-based procedures. When necessary, appropriate corrective actions including corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or article withdrawal will be implemented to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record. Through these commitments, Ephemeris Serena Populus et Doctrina (ESPD) promotes responsible scholarship, academic excellence, ethical research practices, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the advancement of knowledge that contributes to education, society, culture, and sustainable human development.