Publication Ethics & Guidelines

1. Research Integrity Statement

IJHHF is committed to fostering a culture of honesty, transparency, accountability, and ethical scholarship. Authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members are expected to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct throughout the research, review, and publication process.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted work is original, accurate, and ethically conducted. Authors should:

• Submit only original work.
• Ensure manuscripts are not under consideration elsewhere.
• Accurately report research findings.
• Properly acknowledge sources and contributions.
• Obtain permissions for copyrighted materials where required.
• Cooperate with editors during the review and publication process.
• All authors must approve the final manuscript before submission.

3. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research and manuscript preparation. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be appropriately acknowledged.

Any changes in authorship after submission must be approved by all authors and justified to the Editor.

4. Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants must be conducted ethically and responsibly. Authors should:

• Respect participants' dignity, rights, privacy, and well-being.
• Obtain informed consent where applicable.
• Ensure confidentiality and anonymity.
• Obtain approval from an appropriate Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC), Institutional Review Board (IRB), or any other competent ethics review body when required.
• Comply with applicable institutional, national, and international ethical guidelines.

The journal may request supporting ethical approval documents during review.

5. Data Integrity and Transparency

Authors are expected to present research findings honestly, accurately, and completely. The journal does not permit:

• Data fabrication.
• Data falsification.
• Misrepresentation of results.
• Manipulation of research findings.

Authors should retain research records and supporting data and provide access when reasonably requested by the editorial team.

6. Originality and Plagiarism

All submissions must be original and appropriately referenced. Plagiarism includes:

• Copying text without attribution.
• Presenting another person's ideas as one's own.
• Using figures, tables, images, or data without acknowledgment.
• Significant reuse of previously published work without disclosure.

All manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software. Where concerns arise, the journal may investigate and take appropriate editorial action.

7. Duplicate Submission and Redundant Publication

Manuscripts submitted to IJHHF must not be simultaneously submitted to another journal. Authors should not publish substantially similar research in multiple publications without appropriate disclosure and justification.

8. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Authors may use AI-assisted tools for language improvement, grammar checking, or editorial assistance. However:

• Authors remain fully responsible for all submitted content.
• AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
• Significant use of generative AI tools should be disclosed in the manuscript.
• Transparency regarding AI-assisted content is encouraged.

9. Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors should disclose any relationships or interests that may influence their judgment. Potential conflicts may include:

• Financial interests.
• Employment relationships.
• Institutional affiliations.
• Personal relationships.
• Intellectual property interests.

Authors should include a Conflict of Interest Statement in their manuscript.

1. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers contribute significantly to maintaining the quality and credibility of the journal. Reviewers should:

• Treat manuscripts as confidential documents.
• Provide objective and constructive feedback.
• Respect review deadlines.
• Declare conflicts of interest.
• Inform editors about potential ethical concerns.

Reviewers should not use unpublished information for personal or professional advantage.

2. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, objective, and transparent review process. Editors should:

• Evaluate manuscripts solely on scholarly merit.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Avoid discriminatory practices.
• Select qualified reviewers.
• Address ethical concerns promptly and fairly.
• Promote integrity throughout the publication process.

3. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are based solely on the originality, quality, significance, and relevance of submitted work. Commercial, financial, institutional, political, or personal considerations shall not influence editorial decisions. The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board maintain full independence in publication decisions.

4. Role of the Publisher and Editorial Office

The publisher and editorial office support the journal's mission by:

• Safeguarding editorial independence.
• Maintaining publication quality standards.
• Supporting ethical publishing practices.
• Preserving the integrity of the scholarly record.
• Facilitating corrections, retractions, and ethical investigations when required.

1. Publication Misconduct

IJHHF takes all allegations of publication misconduct seriously. Examples include:

• Plagiarism.
• Data fabrication or falsification.
• Duplicate publication.
• Authorship manipulation.
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest.
• Citation manipulation.
• Peer-review manipulation.

The journal reserves the right to investigate concerns and take appropriate editorial action in accordance with accepted ethical practices.

2. Citation Integrity

Authors should ensure that citations are accurate, relevant, and contribute meaningfully to scholarly discussion. The journal discourages:

• Excessive self-citation.
• Coercive citation practices.
• Citation manipulation intended to artificially influence scholarly metrics.

1. Corrections, Retractions, Complaints and Appeals

IJHHF is committed to maintaining the accuracy of the scholarly record. The journal may publish:

• Corrections — For errors that do not invalidate the overall findings of a publication.
• Expressions of Concern — When significant concerns arise and investigations are ongoing.
• Retractions — When findings are shown to be unreliable due to misconduct, major error, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or unethical research practices.

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a reasoned written explanation to the Editor-in-Chief. Complaints relating to editorial conduct or publication ethics will be reviewed fairly and confidentially.

2. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Commitment to COPE Principles

IJHHF values diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect within research, authorship, peer review, and editorial activities. Manuscripts are evaluated solely on academic merit and relevance to the journal's scope.

The journal endorses the principles promoted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including ethical oversight, responsible authorship, transparent peer review, conflict of interest management, publication integrity, and post-publication accountability.

By submitting, reviewing, or editing manuscripts for IJHHF, all participants agree to uphold these principles and contribute to the advancement of trustworthy and impactful research in happiness, well-being, and human flourishing.