This statement of publication ethics and malpractice underlines the ethical behavior of authors, editors, and reviewers involved in the review and publication process of manuscripts submitted to Connections: The Quarterly Journal.
Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
At the time of the submission of a manuscript to Connections: The Quarterly Journal, authors must take into consideration the following ethical standards:
- Authors guarantee that their manuscript is original, does not infringe the copyright of anyone, and it has neither been previously published nor is currently under consideration for publication elsewhere.
- Manuscripts must be free from any form of plagiarism, which is considered to be highly unethical and unprofessional and is likely to bring the author and the publisher into disrepute. Kindly note that if suspicion is raised about the originality of the manuscript (unattributed to source), the Editorial Board may check the manuscript for plagiarism. Manuscripts will be rejected by the Editorial Board if they contain any form of plagiarism – intentional and/or unintentional plagiarism. Self-plagiarism is also unacceptable.
- Manuscripts must display all credits due; acknowledgement of the work (ideas, concepts, words, among others) of third parties must be properly displayed (For more details regarding how to cite/quote, please refer to the the Chicago Manual of Style, http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html).
- Should the need arise; authors must be ready to provide both the PfP Consortium Editorial Board and the Reviewers with the raw data and procedures used in their manuscript. Inaccurate or fraudulent data or procedures violate the ethical standards of Connections: The Quarterly Journal and disqualifies the manuscript for consideration for publication.
The corresponding author has the responsibility to make sure that all parties who contributed to the submitted manuscript are properly displayed inside the manuscript either as co-authors or as contributors. Also, it is the duty of the corresponding author to ensure that all co-authors are aware of the final version of the manuscript and that there was a full consensus of all the authors with regard to its submission to Connections: The Quarterly Journal.
Policy on Use of AI Tools for Authors
- Connections adheres to leading US university presses and the Committee on Publishing Ethics (COPE) position on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools by authors. Connections does not allow AI tools such as ChatGPT or large language models (LLMs) to be listed as authors of our publications. The emerging consensus of scholarly organizations is that AI tools do not meet the requirements for authorship since they cannot assume ethical and legal responsibility for their work.
- Connections authors must represent to the journal and to readers that their work is original as well as responsible and scholarly in its use of material created by others. Authors who use AI tools to produce text or images/graphics, or to collect data, must inform their editors of this use and be transparent about it in their manuscripts so that readers understand the role of these tools in the development of the work. Authors are fully responsible for the content of their manuscripts, including any portions produced by AI tools, and are liable for any ethical breaches that may result from the use of such content.
Ethical Responsibilities of the PfP Consortium Editorial Board
At the time of the evaluation of a manuscript submitted for publication in Connections: The Quarterly Journal, the Editorial Board must take into consideration the following ethical standards:
- Manuscripts will always be evaluated only based on their intellectual merit and contribution to the aims and scope of Connections: The Quarterly Journal, as the Editorial Board adheres to standards of fairness, integrity, and objectivity.
- The Editorial Board ensures the confidentiality of the manuscript and related materials submitted by the authors to Connections: The Quarterly Journal. The manuscript and related materials will only be disclosed to the corresponding author, reviewers, and the publisher.
- The Editorial Board ensures that unpublished materials revealed in a submitted manuscript will not be used by the members of the Editorial Board who had access to the manuscript during the review/publication process for any other purpose other than the Editorial process without the consent of the author(s).
Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers
At the time of the review of a manuscript considered for publication in Connections: The Quarterly Journal, reviewers must take into consideration the following ethical standards:
- Reviewers commit themselves to assist the Editorial Board in the editorial decisions regarding the suitability of a manuscript for publication in Connections: The Quarterly Journal.
- Manuscripts will always be evaluated only based on their intellectual merit and contribution to the aims and scope of Connections: The Quarterly Journal, as the reviewers should adhere to standards of fairness, integrity, and objectivity. Kindly note that personal criticism is unacceptable.
- Reviewers who feel that their review comments might be biased and/or unqualified regarding a particular manuscript submitted for publication to Connections: The Quarterly Journal should notify the Editorial Board immediately and excuse themselves from the review process.
- Reviewers should be clear in their review comments and provide proper explanations and arguments for their decisions. If suspicion is raised about the originality of the manuscript (unattributed to source), reviewers are expected to notify the Editorial Board immediately, with the appropriate justification.
- During the review process, reviewers will keep in mind at all times that the manuscript and related materials are confidential.
Reviewers warrant that they will not use the manuscripts and related materials submitted for publication in Connections: The Quarterly Journal for any other purpose other than the peer review process, without the Editorial Board´s and/or author´s permission.
Policy on Use of AI Tools for Reviewers
- Entering any part of the manuscript or abstract or the text of your review into a chatbot, language model, or similar tool is a violation of our confidentiality agreement and a violation of an author’s intellectual property rights.
