PUBLICATION ETHICS

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

 TRANSBORDERS: International Relations Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against any publication malpractices. The Editorial Board is responsible for, among others, preventing publication malpractice. Unethical behavior is unacceptable, and the TRANSBORDERS: International Relations Journal does not tolerate plagiarism in any form. Authors who submitted articles: affirm that the manuscript contents are original. Furthermore, the authors’ submission also implies that the manuscript has not been published previously in any language, either wholly or partly, and is not currently submitted for publication elsewhere. Editors, authors, and reviewers, within the TRANSBORDERS: International Relations Journal, are to be fully committed to good publication practice and accept the responsibility for fulfilling the following duties and responsibilities, as set by the COPE Code of Conduct for Journal Editors. As part of the Core Practices, COPE has written guidelines on the http://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines.

Section A: Publication and authorship 

  1. All submitted papers are subject to strict peer-review process by at least two international reviewers that are experts in the area of the particular paper.
  2. Review process are blind peer review.
  3. The factors that are taken into account in review are relevance, soundness, significance, originality, readability and language.
  4. The possible decisions include acceptance, acceptance with revisions, or rejection.
  5. If authors are encouraged to revise and resubmit a submission, there is no guarantee that the revised submission will be accepted.
  6. Rejected articles will not be re-reviewed.
  7. The paper acceptance is constrained by such legal requirements as shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism.
  8. No research can be included in more than one publication. 

Section B: Authors’ responsibilities

  1. Authors must certify that their manuscripts are their original work.
  2. Authors must certify that the manuscript has not previously been published elsewhere.
  3. Authors must certify that the manuscript is not currently being considered for publication elsewhere. 
  4. Authors must participate in the peer review process. 
  5. Authors are obliged to provide retractions or corrections of mistakes.
  6. All Authors mentioned in the paper must have significantly contributed to the research.
  7. Authors must state that all data in the paper are real and authentic.
  8. Authors must notify the Editors of any conflicts of interest.
  9. Authors must identify all sources used in the creation of their manuscript.
  10. Authors must report any errors they discover in their published paper to the Editors. 

Section C: Reviewers’ responsibilities

  1. Reviewers should keep all information regarding papers confidential and treat them as privileged information. 
  2. Reviews should be conducted objectively, with no personal criticism of the author
  3. Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments
  4. Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors.
  5. Reviewers should also call to the Editor in Chief’s attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
  6. Reviewers should not review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers. 

Section D: Editors’ responsibilities

  1. Editors have complete responsibility and authority to reject/accept an article.
  2. Editors are responsible for the contents and overall quality of the publication.
  3. Editors should always consider the needs of the authors and the readers when attempting to improve the publication.
  4. Editors should guarantee the quality of the papers and the integrity of the academic record.
  5. Editors should publish errata pages or make corrections when needed.
  6. Editors should have a clear picture of a research’s funding sources.
  7. Editors should base their decisions solely one the papers’ importance, originality, clarity and relevance to publication’s scope.
  8. Editors should not reverse their decisions nor overturn the ones of previous editors without serious reason. 
  9. Editors should preserve the anonymity of reviewers. 
  10. Editors should ensure that all research material they publish conforms to internationally accepted ethical guidelines.
  11. Editors should only accept a paper when reasonably certain.
  12. Editors should act if they suspect misconduct, whether a paper is published or unpublished, and make all reasonable attempts to persist in obtaining a resolution to the problem.
  13. Editors should not reject papers based on suspicions; they should have proof of misconduct.
  14. Editors should not allow any conflicts of interest between staff, authors, reviewers and board members.

 Generative AI Policy

Policy on the Use of Generative AI in the Writing Process

As the use of generative AI tools becomes more prevalent in academic publishing, TRANSBORDERS: International Relations Journal has established a clear policy to guide authors, reviewers, and editors in their responsible use. This policy aims to ensure transparency, uphold ethical standards, and preserve the integrity of the scientific writing and publication process. TRANSBORDERS: International Relations Journal will continue to monitor the development of AI technologies and update this policy as necessary.

Note: This policy is specific to the use of generative AI in the writing process and does not regulate the use of AI tools for research activities such as data analysis or modelling, which should be properly described in the manuscript’s Methods section.

  1. Guidelines for Authors

Authors may use generative AI or AI-assisted tools to improve the language, clarity, and readability of their manuscripts. However, human oversight remains essential. Authors must critically evaluate, edit, and take full responsibility for all AI-generated content included in their work. Submissions that rely solely on AI-generated content without proper human review will not be accepted.

  1. Declaration of AI Usage

Authors are required to disclose any use of generative AI tools in the writing of their manuscripts by including a statement in a separate section titled:

“Declaration of Use of AI in the Writing Process”
(This section should appear before the References list)

Example:

The author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL/SERVICE] during the preparation of this manuscript to [e.g., improve grammar, paraphrase text, enhance clarity]. After using the tool/service, the author(s) carefully reviewed and edited the content and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.

If no generative AI tools were used, authors must state:

“Nothing to disclose.”

  1. Exceptions & Clarifications
  • The use of basic spelling and grammar tools (e.g., Microsoft Word Editor, Grammarly) does not require disclosure.
  • Generative AI tools cannot be listed as co-authors.
  • Only human authors can assume full responsibility for the work.
  1. Use of AI in Research

This policy does not limit or regulate the use of AI for research-related tasks (e.g., data processing, modelling, classification). If AI was used for such purposes, authors must clearly describe the methodology and tools used in the Methods section of the manuscript.

  1. Use of AI Tools for Image Generation
  • Explanatory or Conceptual Images: Permitted, provided that the authors verify the accuracy of the content.
  • Artistic or Illustrative Images: Permitted for non-scientific purposes (e.g., cover design, graphical abstract), as long as usage rights are clear.
  • Factual or Scientific Evidence Images: Not allowed. Scientific claims must be supported by verifiable and empirical data, not AI-generated visuals.
  1. For Reviewers

Reviewers must not upload any part of a manuscript to generative AI tools, as this may violate the confidentiality and privacy of the submission. Reviewers are personally responsible for the integrity and confidentiality of their evaluations.

  1. For Editors

Editors must handle manuscripts with strict confidentiality. Use of generative AI tools to analyze or summarize submitted content is prohibited, in order to protect the integrity and privacy of submitted materials.

This policy reflects TRANSBORDERS’s commitment to responsible innovation and ethical publishing in the era of artificial intelligence.

Plagiarism Screening Policy

All manuscripts submitted to TRANSBORDERS: International Relations Journal (TRANSBORDERS) are subject to plagiarism screening using CrossCheck/iThenticate to ensure originality and academic integrity.

TRANSBORDERS maintains a strict policy against plagiarism and self-plagiarism. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarized content—whether through direct copying, substantial similarity, or improper paraphrasing—will be rejected immediately.

Initial Screening by Editorial Team

Before undergoing peer review, each submission will be checked by the editorial team for similarity. Manuscripts must meet the following similarity thresholds to proceed:

  • Total similarity score must be less than 10%
  • Each individual source must not exceed 3%

Manuscripts exceeding these thresholds will be returned to the authors for revision or rejected outright, depending on the severity of the case.

Definition and Forms of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s work—ideas, words, or data—as one’s own without appropriate citation, permission, or acknowledgment. TRANSBORDERS recognizes several forms of plagiarism, including but not limited to:

  1. Verbatim Copying
    Directly copying another author’s work, in whole or in part, without proper citation or quotation marks. This can include copying from published papers, theses, websites, or even unpublished works.
  2. Substantial Copying
    Reproducing a significant portion of another’s work without appropriate acknowledgment. This refers to both quantitative (volume of text copied) and qualitative (importance of the copied content) aspects.
  3. Improper Paraphrasing
    Rewording or rephrasing someone else’s ideas without proper attribution. Even if the wording is changed, failure to credit the original source constitutes plagiarism. This is often the most difficult form to detect and will be scrutinized carefully.

Author Responsibility

Authors are fully responsible for the originality of their manuscripts. Submissions that fail to meet the plagiarism standards of TRANSBORDERS may be rejected or retracted. Repeat or serious violations may result in a permanent ban from future submissions to the journal.

For any questions regarding plagiarism policy or clarification on citation practices, authors are encouraged to contact the editorial office before submission.

 Article Sharing and Posting Policy

This policy outlines how authors may share or post their article at each stage of the publication life cycle with TRANSBORDERS. The journal supports responsible sharing to enhance visibility while protecting the integrity of the scholarly record.