Publication Ethics

Authorship

Lalibela Journal of Social Science and Humanities requires any or all authors of a manuscript to sign the letter of submission, or to sign a submission form prepared for this purpose. Submission to LJSSH is taken to mean that all listed authors have agreed to all contents.

The corresponding (submitting) author is responsible for ensuring agreement among all co-authors and managing communication with the Journal before and after publication. Before submission, the corresponding author must confirm that all authors are included, the order is agreed upon, and that all authors are aware of the submission.

Any changes to authorship after submission, such as reordering, addition, or removal of authors, must be approved by a signed letter from every author.

After acceptance, proofs are sent to the corresponding author, who shares them with all co-authors and communicates with the Journal on their behalf. Errors not corrected at this stage may remain after publication.

Following publication, the corresponding author serves as the main contact for any inquiries and must ensure that co-authors are informed of relevant matters. Authors are required to promptly notify the Journal of any necessary corrections.

With prior permission from the Editorial Board, authors may withdraw submitted manuscripts when necessary.

Confidentiality and Anonymity

The Journal maintains strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts and the peer review process. Editors treat all communications with authors and reviewers as confidential.

Authors must also treat all correspondence with the Journal as confidential. Reviewer reports and related materials must not be shared or made public without prior permission from the editors.

Editors do not disclose reviewer identities unless explicitly requested by the reviewers. In general, reviewers are encouraged to remain anonymous to preserve objectivity.

Reviewers are expected to maintain confidentiality of all submitted materials and associated data throughout and after the review process.

Duplicate Publication

Submissions must be original and must not be published or under consideration elsewhere. This includes simultaneous submissions to other journals.

The Journal does not generally accept manuscripts derived from previously published theses unless properly disclosed. However, prior publication of abstracts is permitted, provided they are included and referenced in the submission.

If duplication is identified, the Editorial Board may notify the author’s institution and may decline future submissions from the author(s).

In cases of uncertainty, authors are encouraged to seek guidance from the editors before submission.

Plagiarism and Fabrication

Plagiarism occurs when an author presents another person's work as their own. This includes copying text, ideas, or data without proper acknowledgment. Self-plagiarism, or duplicate publication, involves reusing substantial parts of one’s own previously published work without appropriate citation.

Such practices are not acceptable and will result in rejection of the manuscript. In serious cases, published articles may be formally retracted.

Confirmed cases of misconduct will result in a formal statement identifying the plagiarism and referencing the original source.