Ethics of Peer Review

Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential and cannot use information from them for personal advantage. Reviews should be constructive, unbiased, and declare any conflicts of interest before accepting assignments.

Research Integrity

Research involving human participants must follow recognized ethical standards and obtain appropriate ethics committee approval. Animal research must meet internationally accepted guidelines. Authors must include ethics approval statements and, where relevant, informed consent. Clinical trials should be registered in a recognized registry.

Data Sharing & Transparency

Authors should provide methodological detail sufficient for replication. A data availability statement is required for all submissions. Where possible, datasets, code, and materials should be deposited in trusted repositories and cited in the manuscript. Supplementary materials that improve transparency are encouraged.

Open Access & Licensing

IJESA publishes articles under an open access model to ensure broad accessibility. Articles are licensed under a Creative Commons license (typically CC BY), enabling reuse with appropriate attribution. Any Article Processing Charges (APCs) are transparent and stated at submission.

Corrections & Retractions

Errors will be corrected via errata; serious issues may lead to retraction following COPE guidelines. Expressions of concern may be issued during investigations.

Conflicts of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any competing interests. Transparency about financial or non-financial conflicts helps preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Complaints & Appeals

IJESA provides a clear process for complaints and appeals. Authors may appeal editorial decisions in writing; appeals are reviewed by an independent editorial representative. Ethical complaints are investigated promptly and fairly per COPE guidance.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently of the publisher and external influences. Decisions are based solely on academic merit and fit with the journal’s scope.