Ethical Principles
The journal Couple Therapy Assessment, Evaluation, and Intervention (CTAEI) is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct in all stages of the publication process. The journal adheres to internationally recognized principles of publication ethics and integrity and follows the guidelines and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All participants in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—are expected to comply fully with the ethical standards described in this policy.
This document outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication of articles in CTAEI and serves as a framework for ensuring transparency, accountability, and trust in scholarly communication.
1. Duties and Responsibilities of Authors
1.1 Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure that all submitted manuscripts are entirely original works. Any content derived from the work of others must be properly cited and acknowledged. Plagiarism in all forms, including verbatim copying, paraphrasing without attribution, self-plagiarism, and redundant publication, is strictly prohibited. All manuscripts submitted to CTAEI are screened using iThenticate plagiarism detection software prior to peer review. Manuscripts found to violate originality requirements will be rejected and may result in sanctions against the authors.
1.2 Data Integrity and Accuracy
Authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of all data presented in their manuscripts. Fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting of data is considered a serious breach of publication ethics. Authors must retain original data and be prepared to provide access to it upon reasonable request for verification or replication purposes.
1.3 Authorship and Contributions
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the research. All contributors who meet the criteria for authorship must be listed as authors, and all authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission. Any individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.
1.4 Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, personal, or professional relationships that could be perceived as influencing the research. All potential conflicts of interest must be clearly stated in the manuscript.
1.5 Ethical Approval and Informed Consent
For studies involving human participants, authors must confirm that the research was conducted in accordance with ethical standards, including approval by an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board. Informed consent must be obtained from all participants, and privacy and confidentiality must be strictly protected.
1.6 Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Submissions
Manuscripts submitted to CTAEI must not be under consideration by another journal or previously published elsewhere. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable.
2. Duties and Responsibilities of Editors
Editors are responsible for making publication decisions based solely on the manuscript’s scholarly merit, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope. Editors must ensure that the peer review process is fair, unbiased, and confidential. They must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and editorial staff.
Editors must avoid conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a competing interest. Allegations of misconduct are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly, following COPE procedures.
3. Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the quality and integrity of scholarly publishing. They are expected to conduct their evaluations objectively, constructively, and within the agreed timeframe.
Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents and must not use any information obtained during the review process for personal advantage. Any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed, and reviewers should decline assignments when such conflicts exist.
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited and alert editors to any suspected plagiarism, ethical concerns, or methodological issues.
4. Peer Review Integrity
CTAEI employs a double-blind peer-review process, ensuring that both authors and reviewers remain anonymous. This system is designed to promote fairness, minimize bias, and protect the integrity of the evaluation process. The journal typically assigns two or three independent reviewers to each manuscript.
All editorial decisions are made transparently and based on scholarly merit.
5. Handling of Misconduct
The journal takes all allegations of research or publication misconduct seriously, including plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, unethical research practices, and improper authorship. Suspected misconduct will be investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines. If misconduct is confirmed, appropriate actions may include rejection, retraction, correction notices, or notification of the authors’ institutions.
6. Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern
If significant errors or ethical issues are identified after publication, the journal will issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern as appropriate. Such notices will be clearly linked to the original article to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.
7. Transparency and Accountability
CTAEI is committed to maintaining a transparent publication process and ensuring that all decisions and actions are guided by ethical principles, academic integrity, and respect for the scholarly community.