The Journal of National Development (JND) and Contemporary Social Sciences (CSS) adhere to the highest ethical standards and follow the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure accountability, scholarly integrity, and the publication of high-quality articles. With a legacy of more than four decades, the journals seek to uphold the trust placed in them by the academic community by publishing research that serves the public interest and contributes to the advancement of social science knowledge, particularly in areas with policy relevance.
JND and CSS are committed to publishing only original and previously unpublished work in order to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record. The Corresponding Author must confirm that all co-authors have read and approved the submitted manuscript. All submissions are screened for plagiarism using appropriate plagiarism detection tools.
If plagiarism is detected, the journal will conduct a thorough investigation in accordance with COPE guidelines. Depending on the nature and severity of the misconduct, the manuscript may be returned for revision or rejected outright. Serious cases may result in further sanctions.
Authors must confirm that the manuscript submitted to JND/CSS is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. Manuscripts found to have been previously published or simultaneously submitted to another journal will result in suspension of the editorial process. Appropriate sanctions may be imposed, in line with COPE recommendations.
Authorship is limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the study; the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; and the drafting or critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
In multi-authored submissions, one author must be designated as the Corresponding Author, who assumes responsibility for the integrity of the manuscript, communication with the journal, and confirmation that all co-authors have approved the submission. The Corresponding Author need not necessarily be the principal investigator or project leader.
Maintaining public trust in the scientific process requires transparent disclosure of conflicts of interest at all stages of scholarly publishing. A conflict of interest exists when an author’s professional judgment concerning research may be influenced, or perceived to be influenced, by financial interests, personal relationships, institutional affiliations, or other competing interests.
All authors are required to disclose any such relationships or interests that could influence, or be perceived to influence, their work at the time of submission.
JND and CSS follow a double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers are kept confidential. Manuscripts are reviewed by independent experts based on academic merit, originality, methodological rigor, and relevance to the journal’s scope. Reviewers are expected to conduct evaluations objectively, maintain confidentiality, and disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
Editors are responsible for making publication decisions based solely on the scholarly merit of manuscripts, their relevance to the journal’s scope, and compliance with ethical standards. Editors ensure a fair and unbiased review process, maintain confidentiality of submissions, and address allegations of misconduct in accordance with COPE guidelines.
Reviewers assist editors in making editorial decisions and in improving the quality of submitted manuscripts. Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents, provide objective and constructive feedback, disclose any conflicts of interest, and decline review if they are unable to provide an impartial evaluation.
Authors are expected to present accurate data and provide sufficient detail to allow replication of research findings. Fabrication, falsification, data manipulation, or misrepresentation of research results constitutes research misconduct. Allegations of misconduct will be investigated following COPE procedures, and appropriate corrective action will be taken.
Research involving human participants must comply with ethical standards and applicable institutional or national guidelines. Where required, authors must indicate that ethical approval was obtained from an appropriate review board and that informed consent was secured from participants.
JND and CSS are committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. If significant errors or ethical concerns are identified after publication, the journal may issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern in accordance with COPE guidelines.
JND and CSS hold the exclusive right to publish, reproduce, distribute, and archive the article in printed, electronic, and other media formats. Any reuse of published material must comply with the journal’s copyright and licensing policies.