Ethical Guidelines and Responsibilities

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement (PEMS)

Last Updated: 26/02/2026

These guidelines apply to editorial and publication activities managed by TheSustainImpact on this platform, including conference proceedings issues and related publications. Event-specific policies may supplement these guidelines. Where there is a conflict, the event-specific policy takes precedence.

This page sets out TheSustainImpact’s publication ethics expectations and procedures. TheSustainImpact is informed by the COPE Core Practices and uses COPE guidance when assessing ethics and integrity concerns. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

1. Principles

  • Integrity: accuracy, transparency, and accountability across the publication process.
  • Fairness: decisions based on scholarly merit, relevance, and ethical compliance.
  • Independence: decisions are not influenced by sponsors, institutions, or personal relationships.
  • Transparency: clear public policies on review approach, ethics, licensing, fees, and archiving.
  • Safeguarding the record: appropriate correction and preservation practices.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

2.1 Originality and Prior Dissemination

  • Submit only original work that is not under consideration elsewhere in the same form.
  • Disclose prior dissemination where applicable (for example, preprints, theses, posters, or working papers). If an event specifies different rules, those rules apply.

2.2 Plagiarism, Text Recycling, and Screening

  • Submissions must be free of plagiarism. Text recycling should be limited, justified, and properly cited where applicable.
  • Submissions may be checked using similarity screening tools as part of editorial handling. Where concerns are identified, cases are assessed using COPE-informed procedures. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

2.3 Data Integrity, Availability, and Reproducibility

  • Report methods and findings honestly. Fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation is not acceptable.
  • Where feasible and appropriate, provide data, code, or materials, or include a clear statement of availability, licensing, and access restrictions.
  • Respect privacy and legal constraints, including data protection requirements, when sharing data.

2.4 Authorship and Contributions

  • List as authors only those who made substantial scholarly contributions, approved the final version, and accept accountability for the work.
  • Provide contribution statements when requested.
  • Authorship changes after submission require written consent from all authors and editorial approval.

2.5 Use of Generative AI and Assistive Tools

  • Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
  • Any use of AI tools (text, images, code, analysis, translation) should be disclosed in the submission, and authors remain responsible for accuracy, originality, permissions, and privacy.
  • Do not input confidential or personal data into third-party AI tools without a valid legal basis and any required consent.

2.6 Conflicts of Interest and Funding

  • Disclose all financial and non-financial competing interests that could be perceived to influence the work.
  • Provide a funding statement describing the role of the funder, if any, in study design, analysis, and publication.

2.7 Research Ethics: Humans, Animals, and Sensitive Data

  • Obtain prior approval from relevant ethics committees where required and confirm compliance with applicable standards.
  • Secure informed consent for human participation and consent to publish identifiable information where applicable.
  • For animal research, confirm compliance with recognized welfare standards where applicable.
  • Anonymize sensitive data and follow applicable data protection laws.

2.8 Image and Figure Integrity

  • Do not manipulate images in a way that could mislead. Material adjustments should be disclosed where relevant to interpretation.

2.9 Citation Practices

  • Cite sources accurately and sufficiently. Avoid citation manipulation or coercive citation practices.

2.10 Post-Publication Responsibilities

  • Notify the editor of significant errors and cooperate with corrections or other integrity actions where appropriate.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

3.1 Confidentiality

  • Treat submissions as confidential and do not share or use content for personal advantage.
  • Do not upload submission files to third-party tools or AI services without explicit editorial permission.

3.2 Objectivity and Constructive Feedback

  • Provide fair, evidence-based assessments and actionable comments, avoiding personal criticism.

3.3 Conflicts of Interest

  • Declare conflicts and decline reviews where conflicts cannot be managed.

3.4 Acknowledging Sources

  • Flag relevant prior work not cited and any suspected overlap or misconduct to the editors.

3.5 Timeliness

  • Accept reviews only when able to deliver on time, or inform the editor promptly.

4. Responsibilities of Editors

4.1 Editorial Independence and Fairness

  • Base decisions on merit, relevance, and integrity, independent of sponsor or external influence.
  • Apply the review or screening approach stated for the relevant event or publication route.

4.2 Managing Conflicts of Interest

  • Editors recuse themselves from handling submissions where conflicts exist.

4.3 Confidentiality and Data Protection

  • Safeguard submission materials and reviewer identities consistent with the declared model and applicable laws.

4.4 Handling Concerns and Misconduct

  • Address suspected plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, authorship disputes, image manipulation, duplicate publication, or peer review manipulation using COPE-informed procedures.

4.5 Transparency of Policies

  • Maintain clear policies on review approach, authorship, conflicts of interest, data availability, appeals and complaints, open access, and archiving.

5. Review Approach and Related Policies

TheSustainImpact applies an appropriate review approach based on the publication route.

  • Conferences, forums, and Book of Abstracts issues: items are typically subject to editorial or committee screening for scope alignment, clarity, completeness, and ethics compliance.
  • Extended publications where applicable: where a full peer review process is used, the model and requirements are stated in the relevant call or author instructions.
  • Transparency: the applicable model is communicated in event materials or author instructions.

For details, see the Peer Review Policy and Submission Guidelines. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

6. Appeals, Complaints, and Reader Concerns

6.1 Author Appeals

  • Authors may appeal decisions by providing specific, evidence-based reasons. Appeals are reviewed by a senior editor not involved in the original decision. The outcome of an appeal is final for that submission.

6.2 Complaints and Whistleblowing

  • Concerns about published content or editorial process should be sent to editorial@thesustainimpact.com. Reports are reviewed confidentially using COPE-informed procedures where applicable.

7. Misconduct Procedures and Possible Actions

Where credible concerns arise, editors may request clarifications or supporting information and assess the case using COPE-informed procedures. Possible actions include:

  • requests for clarification or revision;
  • rejection prior to publication;
  • published corrections or editor’s notes;
  • expressions of concern;
  • retractions where content is unreliable or where ethics or legal standards have been breached;
  • in severe or repeated cases, restrictions on future submissions for a defined period.

8. Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

  • Corrections: issued for errors that materially affect the scholarly record.
  • Expressions of concern: may be issued when investigations are ongoing but unresolved.
  • Retractions: may be issued when findings are unreliable or where ethics or legal standards have been breached. Notices explain reasons and link to the original record where possible.

10. Event-Specific Committees

Each conference, forum, or special issue may establish its own Scientific or Editorial Committee to apply these guidelines and add event-specific requirements. Those requirements are published in the relevant call or event materials.

11. Contact

Questions about these guidelines, suspected misconduct, appeals, corrections, or complaints can be directed to: editorial@thesustainimpact.com.