Publication Ethics

 The International Relations and International Law Journal adheres to the principles of academic integrity and international standards of publication ethics, including the approaches of COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics). These ethical standards apply to all participants in the publishing process: authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher.

 Key Principles

The editorial office is guided by the following principles:

  • objectivity and impartiality of editorial decisions;
  • transparency of manuscript handling procedures and responses to ethical concerns;
  • confidentiality of materials and correspondence at all stages;
  • zero tolerance for plagiarism, data fabrication/falsification, and other violations of publication ethics (publication misconduct);
  • primacy of scholarly quality over commercial or other external influences.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Parties

 Authors shall:

  • submit original work and ensure proper citation of sources;
  • avoid duplicate publication, substantial undisclosed text recycling (self-plagiarism), and citation manipulation;
  • provide accurate information on authorship and affiliations, and, where applicable, funding sources;
  • disclose conflicts of interest (financial and non-financial);
  • cooperate with the editorial office during checks, requests for data/materials, and, where necessary, post-publication correction procedures.

 Reviewers shall:

  • conduct peer review objectively, with substantiated comments, and within the agreed timeframe;
  • maintain confidentiality of the manuscript and not use information obtained through peer review for personal benefit;
  • alert the editorial office to suspected violations (plagiarism, duplication, questionable data, etc.);
  • declare conflicts of interest and decline review where circumstances may compromise impartiality.

 Editors and the Editorial Board shall:

  • ensure independence of editorial decisions and equal treatment of authors without discrimination;
  • prevent commercial interests from influencing publication decisions;
  • maintain confidentiality and protect personal data of participants;
  • take appropriate actions when ethical concerns arise, in line with international publication ethics standards.

Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest refers to circumstances in which financial, professional, or personal relationships may influence (or be perceived as influencing) the objectivity of an author, reviewer, or editor.

  • Authors disclose potential conflicts of interest upon submission.
  • Reviewers and editors declare conflicts of interest before working with a manuscript and recuse themselves where a conflict exists.

Unethical Practices and Violations (Publication Misconduct)

Violations of publication ethics include, but are not limited to:

  • plagiarism and improper borrowing (including use of figures/tables/data without appropriate attribution);
  • data fabrication/falsification and distortion of research findings;
  • duplicate publication and substantial undisclosed text recycling (self-plagiarism);
  • citation manipulation;
  • unethical authorship practices (false/“guest” authorship, omission of significant contributors);
  • breach of confidentiality of editorial materials and correspondence;
  • peer-review manipulation/fraud (including fake or arranged reviews);
  • other actions undermining the integrity of the scholarly record.

Similarity Screening and Editorial Ethical Assessment

The editorial office uses available tools to screen manuscripts for inappropriate overlap and may initiate additional checks where ethical concerns arise (requests for explanations, primary data, supporting documentation, etc.). Decisions are made with due regard to the nature of the concern and the strength of evidence.

Research Involving Humans, Personal Data, and Ethical Approval

Where a study involves human participants, processing of personal data, interviews/surveys, or materials enabling identification of participants, authors must:

  • confirm compliance with applicable ethical and legal requirements;
  • where required, provide information on ethical approval (ethics committee/IRB or equivalent) or justification if such approval was not required;
  • ensure informed consent (where applicable) and protection of confidentiality.

Use of Data, Sources, Archives, and Lawful Use of Materials

 Authors must ensure:

  • accurate referencing of data/sources/archival materials and lawful use thereof;
  • no infringement of copyright when using texts, images, maps, tables, and other materials;
  • readiness to provide the editorial office, upon request, with explanations regarding data sources and methods of obtaining data.

Images, Illustrations, and Unacceptable Manipulation

Manipulation of images/graphic materials that may distort meaning or mislead is not permitted (including non-obvious alterations, selective processing, or element substitution). Where necessary, the editorial office may request original files/versions and explanations of processing.

Errors, Material Clarifications, and Post-Publication Responsibility

If authors identify a material error after publication, they must promptly notify the editorial office and assist in addressing the issue. The editorial office may initiate a correction (erratum/corrigendum), an expression of concern, or a retraction, depending on the nature of the issue and its impact on the conclusions.

Handling Allegations: Review Procedure and Communication

Upon receiving an allegation or identifying concerns, the editorial office:

  • records the case and performs an initial assessment;
  • requests explanations and, where necessary, supporting materials/documents;
  • may involve independent experts;
  • may suspend consideration/publication during the assessment;
  • makes a decision and communicates it to the complainant within the bounds of confidentiality and applicable requirements.

Post-Publication Actions: Correction, Expression of Concern, Retraction

If errors or potential violations are identified after publication, the editorial office applies post-publication actions:

  • correction (erratum/corrigendum) — where errors can be corrected without invalidating the main conclusions;
  • expression of concern — where there are substantiated doubts pending the outcome of an assessment;
  • retraction — in cases of proven serious violations or unreliability of results.
    In the event of retraction, the article is not removed: it remains part of the scholarly record, is marked “Retracted,” and a retraction notice is published with the date and rationale; where possible, the PDF is labelled

Corrections to Authorship and Contribution After Publication

Requests to correct authorship (addition/removal, reordering, affiliation corrections) are considered upon receipt of a reasoned request and confirmation of the agreement of all parties involved. The editorial office may request additional explanations and documentary evidence.

Coercive Citation and “Metric” Manipulation

Editors and reviewers must not require authors to add citations that do not improve the scholarly quality of the manuscript. Practices aimed at artificially inflating citation indicators are not permitted.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

All manuscripts, reviews, and editorial correspondence are treated as confidential materials. The editorial office does not disclose information to third parties, except appointed reviewers and cases of ethical investigations where disclosure is necessary and lawful.

Publication Ethics Contact

For publication ethics matters and potential violations: iriljournal@kaznu.kz