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Publications Ethics and Best Practice
The Journal of Policy Evaluation (JPEVAL) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics. Authors must ensure that their research complies with recognized ethical principles, including obtaining informed consent when applicable and protecting data confidentiality. Reviewers must treat manuscripts confidentially and must not use the information obtained for personal gain. They are expected to provide impartial and constructive evaluations. Plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct will not be tolerated, and mechanisms will be implemented to detect and prevent such practices. To ensure compliance with these principles, JPEVAL will adhere to a set of guidelines and principles outlined in this Code of Ethics and Good Practices.
Readers have the right to know who funded a research project or the publication of a document. To ensure transparency, all sources of funding for a study will be explicitly and clearly identified in the published work (See Funding sources policy).
Responsibilities of Papers' Authors
All authors listed in the manuscript must have actively contributed to the work an must identify each author’s individual contribution using the CRediT (Contributor Role Taxonomy) terminology. In the event of a dispute regarding authorship of a published article, JPEVAL journal may temporarily restrict access to the article until a final decision is reached.
Publication of papers that have not been published before
JPEVAL jornal will only consider manuscripts that have not been previously published in another journal, publisher, or format. Authors must declare that the submitted work, particularly in its essential content, has not been published before and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere (Author Guidelines).
Research misconduct
If the editors of JPEVAL suspect research misconduct (for example, data fabrication, falsification or plagiarism), they will consult the authors regarding their research procedures, and they must provide all requested information.
Peer review sometimes reveals suspicion of misconduct. If peer reviewers raise concerns of serious misconduct (for example, data fabrication, falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, or plagiarism), these should be taken seriously. However, authors have a right to respond to such allegations and for investigations to be carried out with appropriate speed and due diligence.
Protecting the rights of research participants/subject
Editors of JPEVAL create publication policies that promote ethical and responsible research practices. The editors seek assurances that studies have been approved by relevant bodies. If human participants were involved, manuscripts must be accompanied by a statement that the experiments were undertaken with the understanding and appropriate informed consent of each. Editors reserve the right to reject papers if there is doubt whether appropriate procedures have been followed.
If a paper has been submitted from a country where there is no ethics committee, institutional review board, or similar review and approval, editors should use their own experience to judge whether the paper should be published. If the decision is made to publish a paper under these circumstances a short statement should be included to explain the situation. In the majority of cases, editors should only consider publishing information and images from individual participants where the authors have obtained the individual's explicit consent.
Respecting cultures and heritage
Editors of JPEVAL exercise sensitivity when publishing images of objects that might have cultural significance or cause offence.
Informing readers about research and publication misconduct
Editors inform readers if ethical breaches have occurred. JPEVAL publishes corrections (errata) when errors could affect the interpretation of data or information, whatever the cause of the error (i.e. arising from author errors or from editorial mishaps). Likewise, JPEVAL publishes ‘retractions’ if work is proven to be fraudulent, or ‘expressions of concern’ if editors have well-founded suspicions of misconduct. The title of the erratum, retraction, or expression of concern includes the words ‘Erratum’, ‘Retraction’, or ‘Expression of concern’. It is published on a numbered page (print and electronic) and should be listed in the journal's table of contents. It enables the reader to identify and understand the correction in context with the errors made, or explains why the article is being retracted, or explains the editor's concerns about the contents of the article. It is linked electronically with the original electronic publication.
JPEVAL is responsible for ensuring a fair and rigorous peer review process. To fulfill this responsibility, the journal follows a double-blind peer review system. Any material that has not undergone peer review will be clearly identified.
If disagreements arise between authors, editors, and reviewers during the review process, they will be addressed constructively to improve the quality of the publication.
Selection and conduct of the review process
JPEVAL is responsible for ensuring a high level of objective, impartial information and timely peer review, and will therefore review the work carried out by the evaluators and monitor the performance of their work, taking into account the quality and timeliness of their opinions.
The reviewers' reports will be checked to ensure that they are relevant and constructive; a new review will be requested when it is considered that the one provided is not of sufficient quality.
JPEVAL requires reviewers to declare that they have no conflict of interest regarding accepted papers, and if this occurs, they must inform the journal so that a new reviewer can be selected.
Timing of publication
JPEVAL is committed to an efficient peer review process and aims to publish accepted articles as quickly as possible, especially when findings have significant implications. However, publication may be temporarily delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.
The relationship between JPEVAL and the Universitat Politècnica de València Press is governed by an agreement that guarantees the journal’s editorial independence. The publisher does not interfere in editorial decisions.
Editorial Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, as the publisher of JPEVAL, works with the journal editors to set journal policies appropriately and aim to meet those policies, particularly with respect to: editorial independence; research ethics(including confidentiality, consent, and the special requirements for research in social sciences); authorship; transparency and integrity (conflicts of interest, research funding, reporting standards); peer review....
Editors, authors, and peer reviewers have a responsibility to disclose interests that might appear to affect their ability to present or review data objectively.
If an editor has a conflict of interest with a submitted manuscript — including but not limited to personal, professional, familial, or close friendship relationships with any of the authors — the editor will not take part in any stage of the editorial process for that manuscript, which will be assigned to an editor with no competing interests.
JPEVAL requires reviewers to declare any potential conflicts of interest related to assigned manuscripts. These declarations should provide information on financial, political, intellectual, or religious interests that may influence their assessment (e.g., stock ownership, consultancy roles, speaking fees).
JPEVAL promotes academic debate by encouraging communication between authors and readers. Authors are invited to respond to queries or requests for clarification regarding their work.
JPEVAL encourages authors and readers to notify the journal of any errors detected in published works. If errors are identified, the journal will promptly issue a correction, particularly if the mistake affects data interpretation.
Corrections arising from errors within an article (by authors or journals) are distinguishable from retractions and statements of concern relating to misconduct.
JPEVAL editors and readers have a right to expect that submitted work is the author's own, that it has not been plagiarized and that copyright has not been breached.
We ask authors to declare that the work reported is their own and that they are the copyright owner. To support the review before a possible plagiarism, Similarity Check platform will be used and all works will be checked.
If journal editors have plagiarism firm evidence, they will contact works authors to clarify it.
In case of plagiarism, the author could state the situation through the e-mail: ojsadmin@upvnet.upv.es.
Responsible publication practices
Editors will follow to the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Council of Science Editors (CSE), or other competent authority, if more advice is needed.
The journal investigates suspected cases of misconduct identified during peer review or publication. If misconduct is confirmed, JPEVAL may impose a temporary publication ban on the authors involved.
Intellectual property protection
JPEVAL authors retain intellectual property rights over their work. The journal distributes content under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 license, specifying the permitted uses of published materials.
Reviewer Conduct and Intellectual Property
Authors have the right to expect that reviewers and others involved in the evaluation process will not use any part of their work without explicit permission, as all content remains confidential until published.
JPEVAL is committed to precise, unbiased and intersectional research, that is, sensitive to the complexity and breadth of cultural, biological, economic and social contexts. For this reason, it is essential to use an inclusive language free of prejudices associated with race, functional diversity, gender, sexual orientation, beliefs, ideology or socioeconomic status.
It is language that avoids excluding or alienating people because of race, gender identity, disability, education level, socioeconomic status, or any other factor. Inclusive language acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equal opportunities.
Authors should ensure that writing is free from bias, stereotypes, slang, reference to dominant culture, and cultural assumptions. Seek gender neutrality by using plural nouns (“clinicians, patients/clients”) as default/wherever possible to avoid using “he, she,” or “he/she.” We recommend avoiding the use of descriptors that refer to personal attributes such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability, and health condition unless there is scientific or clinical relevance. Statements and claims about personal attributes should be factual and supported by an evidentiary reference.
JPEVAL recommended the American Psychological Association (APA) Inclusive Language Guidelines.
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