SCIENCE & SOCIETY INSIGHTS

Introduction

The Science & Society Insights (SASI) is quarterly Journal published (January-March; April-June; July-September; October-December). Science & Society Insights is a multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal that publishes research across the biological, agricultural, medical, basic, and social sciences. The journal aims to foster collaboration between disciplines and highlight research with strong societal relevance and global impact. We welcome original research articles, reviews, communications, case studies, and perspectives that address challenges in health, environment, food security, sustainability, technology, and social development. By integrating diverse fields, Science & Society Insights serves as a platform where scientific discovery and social progress converge. Preference is given to the original articles that develop new concepts or experimental approaches and are not merely repositories of scientific data.

1. PUBLISHING ETHICS

The formal part of the scholarly communication system, the publication of an article in a peer-reviewed learned journal, serves many purposes outside of simple communication. It is a building block in developing a rational and respected knowledge network. It is prima facie evidence for the quality and impact of the research work of its authors and, by extension, the institutions that support them. It supports and is itself an example of the scientific method. For all these reasons and more, it is important to lay down standards of expected ethical behavior by all parties involved in publishing: the author, the journal editor, the peer reviewer, and the publisher. This includes all parties treating each other with respect and dignity and without discrimination, harassment, bullying, or retaliation.

These guidelines are designed specifically for primary research journals but may also be relevant for review and other professional publications. Individual journals often have more elaborate or distinct ethical procedures, generally reflected in their Guide for Authors. Many journals also accept and are, in many cases founding participants concerning discipline-specific standards or standard-setting bodies, such as the International Council of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT). The ethical requirements for publishers, editors, reviewers, and authors include but are not limited to the following:

1. Duties of Editors

• Ensure fair, unbiased, and timely review of all manuscripts.
• Make publication decisions based solely on scientific merit, originality, and relevance, without discrimination based on race, gender, nationality, or political beliefs.
• Maintain confidentiality of all submissions.
• Prevent conflicts of interest by recusing themselves from handling papers where a personal or professional relationship may bias judgment.
• Take appropriate action (correction, retraction, expression of concern) in cases of proven misconduct.

2. Duties of Authors

• Submit only original work, free from plagiarism, falsification, or redundant publication.
• Properly cite all sources and give credit to prior work.
• Ensure that all listed authors have made a significant contribution and approve the final version.
• Disclose all conflicts of interest and funding sources.
• For research involving humans or animals, provide evidence of ethical approval and consent in accordance with international standards (e.g., Declaration of Helsinki, ARRIVE guidelines).
• Make data available upon request and provide Data Availability Statements.

3. Duties of Reviewers

• Provide objective, constructive, and timely peer review.
• Evaluate manuscripts based on content, without bias.
• Maintain confidentiality of all materials received.
• Declare conflicts of interest and decline reviews where a conflict exists.
• Report suspected plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or ethical concerns to the editors.

4. Duties of the Publisher

• Support the journal in upholding strict ethical standards.
• Ensure long-term preservation and accessibility of published content (via LOCKSS/CLOCKSS or equivalent).
• Work with editors to handle cases of misconduct, corrections, or retractions transparently.

5. Misconduct and Malpractice Handling

• Suspected cases of plagiarism, data manipulation, duplicate submission, or authorship fraud will be investigated following COPE guidelines.
• If misconduct is confirmed, the journal may:
• Reject or retract the manuscript.
• Publish a retraction or correction notice.
• Notify the authors’ institution or funder.

6. Statement of Integrity

Science & Society Insights is dedicated to fostering trust, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing. All parties involved in the publication process are expected to adhere to the highest ethical standards to ensure the integrity of the scientific and social record.

📝 Corrections & Retractions Policy

Science & Society Insights is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. When errors or ethical concerns arise in published articles, the journal follows the COPE guidelines to issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.

1. Corrections (Errata)

• Issued when a minor error (e.g., typographical mistake, author affiliation, figure labeling) is identified that does not alter the overall findings or conclusions of the article.
• The correction notice will be linked to the original article and clearly describe the change.

2. Retractions

• Issued when a major error or ethical breach invalidates the findings or when there is evidence of:
• Plagiarism or duplicate publication.
• Fabrication or falsification of data.
• Unethical research practices involving humans, animals, or the environment.
• Retracted articles will remain accessible but clearly marked as “Retracted” with the reason provided.

3. Expressions of Concern

• Issued when there is inconclusive evidence of misconduct or when an investigation is ongoing.
• The notice will explain the reason for concern and will remain until the issue is resolved.

4. Responsibility

• Authors, reviewers, or readers may report errors or misconduct to the editorial office.
• The Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board will investigate all concerns promptly, fairly, and confidentially.
• The journal reserves the right to contact authors’ institutions or funders if misconduct is suspected.

5. Commitment to Integrity

By publishing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern transparently, Science & Society Insights ensures that its published content remains reliable, trustworthy, and credible for the global research community.

📜 Copyright & Licensing Policy 1. Copyright

• Authors publishing in Science & Society Insights retain full copyright of their work.
• By submitting a manuscript, authors grant the journal the right of first publication and the right to distribute the article under the terms of the license stated below.

2. Open Access License

• All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
• Under this license, anyone may:
• Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
• Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
• Users must provide appropriate credit, a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.

3. Author Rights

• Deposit accepted manuscripts in institutional or subject repositories (Green OA).
• Share articles via personal or institutional websites, academic networks, or preprint servers.
• Reuse figures, tables, or text in future works with proper citation of the original publication.

4. Third-Party Material

Authors must secure permission to reuse figures, tables, or data from copyrighted works owned by others and must provide proper attribution in the manuscript.

5. Article Processing Charges (APCs)

• Science & Society Insights operates on an open-access model.
• Accepted articles may be subject to Article Processing Charges (APCs), details of which are published transparently on the journal’s website.
• Waivers or discounts are available for authors from low- and middle-income countries or in cases of financial hardship.

6. Digital Preservation & Archiving

• All published content is archived in LOCKSS/CLOCKSS and other preservation systems to ensure permanent accessibility.

7. Compliance with Indexing Standards

This policy complies with the requirements of DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science, and COPE, ensuring that articles published in Science & Society Insights remain freely accessible, reusable, and permanently available.

⚖️ Disclaimer & Privacy Policy 1. Disclaimer

• The views, findings, and opinions expressed in articles published in Science & Society Insights are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors, editorial board, or publisher.
• The journal and publisher accept no responsibility or liability for errors, omissions, or the accuracy of content published.
• Authors are solely responsible for ensuring the integrity, originality, and ethical compliance of their submissions.
• Any product evaluations, medical procedures, agricultural practices, or policy recommendations discussed in published articles are the responsibility of the authors and do not constitute endorsements by the journal.

2. Privacy Policy Data Collection

• Personal information (e.g., names, emails, affiliations) provided during manuscript submission, peer review, or registration will be used exclusively for journal purposes.
• This includes communication, peer-review coordination, and publication processes.

Data Protection

• Personal data will not be shared with third parties without explicit consent, except when legally required.
• The journal follows GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and other international privacy standards.

Cookies & Website Use

• The journal website may use cookies to improve user experience and collect anonymous analytics.
• Users may disable cookies in their browser, though some website functions may be affected.

3. Data Retention & Security

• Author and reviewer data are stored securely in the journal’s editorial system.
• Data is retained only as long as necessary for editorial, indexing, and archiving purposes.

4. User Rights

• Users may request access, correction, or deletion of their personal data in line with GDPR.
• For data-related requests, users should contact the editorial office directly.

5. External Links

• The journal website may contain links to external sites. Science & Society Insights is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external websites.

🚫 Plagiarism & Research Misconduct Policy

Science & Society Insights maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and all forms of research misconduct. All manuscripts are screened for originality and ethical compliance prior to peer review.

1. Plagiarism

• All submissions are checked using reliable detection software (e.g., Turnitin, iThenticate).
• Plagiarism includes:
• Copying text, figures, or data from other sources without proper citation.
• Inadequate paraphrasing that misrepresents the original source.
• Using unpublished work of others without permission.
• Manuscripts with significant similarity (>15% overlap, excluding references and methods) may be rejected.

2. Self-Plagiarism & Redundant Publication

• Authors must not republish substantially similar content from their own prior work.
• Re-use of data, figures, or text must be clearly cited and justified.
• Duplicate submission to multiple journals is prohibited.

3. Fabrication & Falsification

• Fabrication: making up data or results.
• Falsification: manipulating research processes, images, or data to misrepresent findings.
• Both are considered serious misconduct and lead to immediate rejection or retraction.

4. Authorship Misconduct

• Authorship must be based on substantial intellectual contribution.
• Guest, honorary, or ghost authorship is not permitted.
• All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission.

5. Handling Misconduct

• Suspected cases of plagiarism or misconduct will be investigated by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board in accordance with COPE flowcharts.
• Depending on severity, actions may include:
• Requesting corrections.
• Rejection of the manuscript.
• Retraction of published articles.
• Notification of authors’ institutions or funders.

6. Corrections & Retractions

• Corrections (Errata): For minor errors not affecting conclusions.
• Retractions: For confirmed misconduct or major errors that invalidate findings.
• Expressions of Concern: Issued when investigations are ongoing.

7. Author Responsibilities

• The manuscript is original and unpublished.
• The work is not under review elsewhere.
• All data and methods are accurate, transparent, and reproducible.

📊 Data Sharing & Availability Policy 1. Commitment to Transparency

Science & Society Insights supports open science practices and encourages authors to make research data, code, and materials publicly available wherever possible. Data sharing improves reproducibility, transparency, and global impact.

2. Data Availability Statement

All submitted manuscripts must include a Data Availability Statement (DAS) in a separate section at the end of the article. This should clearly describe where and how the data supporting the study can be accessed.

Examples:

• The datasets generated during this study are available in [repository name] at [DOI/link].
• Data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
• No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

3. Recommended Repositories

Authors are encouraged to deposit datasets, code, and materials in recognized repositories, such as:

• Life Sciences / Medicine: GenBank, EMBL-EBI, Dryad, Figshare, Zenodo
• Agriculture / Environment: ICPSR, Ag Data Commons, GBIF
• Social Sciences: Harvard Dataverse, ICPSR, OpenICPSR

4. Ethical & Legal Considerations

• Data involving human subjects must comply with privacy and consent regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
• Sensitive or confidential data may be shared in anonymized or restricted formats.
• Authors must ensure they have the legal right to share all datasets.

5. Code & Software Availability

For computational work, authors should provide source code, scripts, or algorithms in open repositories (e.g., GitHub, GitLab, Zenodo) with appropriate documentation.

6. Responsibility of Authors

By submitting to Science & Society Insights, authors confirm that:

• All data underlying the findings are accurate and accessible.
• Data are available in repositories or provided upon reasonable request, unless restricted by law or ethics.
• The Data Availability Statement is complete and accurate.