Statement on Publication Ethics

The Journal of Practice Theory is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct in research, authorship, and publication. We expect all parties involved in the journal—authors, reviewers, and editors—to adhere to ethical guidelines that ensure transparency, integrity, and fairness in the publication process. The journal’s publication ethics are informed by Committee for Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.

1. Consent to Publish

Upon acceptance of their manuscript, authors are required to sign a Publication Agreement, confirming the following:

The material is original, accurate, and free from plagiarism;
The list of (co-)authors meets the expectations and criteria for authorship (set out here);
All co-authors have reviewed the manuscript and consent to its publication;
Any data, images, or material reproduced from third parties are used in compliance with fair use principles and proper permissions have been obtained where necessary;
Informed consent has been obtained for any study involving human subjects or vulnerable populations;
The authors confirm adherence to the journal’s ethical guidelines (below) regarding the accuracy and integrity of the research.

2. Ethical Conduct of Research

Research published in the Journal of Practice Theory must comply with established ethical standards, particularly in studies involving human subjects, vulnerable populations, or animals.

Human Subjects: All research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, as revised in 2013. A statement confirming the study’s approval by an institutional ethics committee providing the name of the committee and the acquisition of informed consent to publish data from participants or their legal guardians must be included in the manuscript.
Vulnerable Populations: Research involving vulnerable populations (e.g., children, individuals with disabilities, economically or educationally disadvantaged persons) must ensure that additional ethical considerations are met, including heightened scrutiny for obtaining informed consent.
Animals: Authors must ensure that the care and use of animals in research comply with institutional and national guidelines. A statement confirming adherence to such standards stating the name of the ethics committee that approved the study must be included in the manuscript.

3. Confidentiality

The Journal of Practice Theory ensures the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and related correspondence. Editors, reviewers, and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers (disclosure of the abstract only), and editorial board members.

Manuscripts under review will be treated as confidential documents, and no one involved in the review process may use unpublished information from a manuscript for any other purposes, including their own research.

4. Fairness

The Journal of Practice Theory is committed to a fair and unbiased peer review process. Submitted manuscripts are evaluated solely on the basis of their intellectual content, without regard to the author’s race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, disability, or political philosophy.

Reviewers and editors are expected to uphold these standards and ensure that no biases influence the evaluation process. Any potential conflict of interest during the review process must be communicated to the editors. The confidentiality of the review process is maintained to protect the integrity of the work under evaluation.

Decisions on manuscript submissions are based on the quality and relevance of the research, the clarity of presentation, and the journal’s editorial priorities.

5. Censorship

The Journal of Practice Theory supports academic freedom and editorial independence that underpin academic research We are committed to providing a platform for diverse voices and perspectives, and we do not engage in or tolerate any form of censorship.

All submissions must adhere to ethical and legal standards, including those regarding plagiarism, defamation, and academic integrity. Authors should contact the editors if they have concerns about potentially libellous content in their own manuscripts or any publications that could harm the reputation of individuals, groups, or organisations.

We prioritise the dissemination of knowledge to the widest possible audience, with a particular emphasis on serving academic communities worldwide. As an open access and autonomous journal, we reject any interference from external parties, commercial or otherwise, that may compromise the integrity of our editorial processes.

6. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

All participants in the publication process—authors, reviewers, and editors—must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence their work. Failure to disclose conflicts may lead to corrective actions, including retraction or reassignment of manuscripts.

Authors: Authors must declare any financial, personal, or professional affiliations that may be perceived as influencing the content of their manuscript. Additionally, authors must confirm that any unpublished materials used in their research have been properly acknowledged and obtained with the consent of the original source.

Editors and Reviewers: Editors and reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their ability to provide impartial evaluations. If a conflict prevents reviewers from offering an unbiased assessment, they must recuse themselves from the review process. Unpublished materials from manuscripts under review must not be used for personal gain or in the reviewer’s own research. Editors who have a conflict of interest will not be included in the peer review or decision-making of the relevant submission. If an editor has such a conflict of interest, the submission will be handled by one of the other editors of the journal. Unpublished information, arguments, or interpretations disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s own research except with the consent of the author.

7. Journal Promotion Practices

The Journal of Practice Theory adheres to ethical promotional practices. As an open access journal, we do not charge authors any submission or publication fees, nor do we engage in citation manipulation or impact factor gaming.

Our journal promotion is conducted through transparent and ethical means, including our website, social media channels, and the Centre for Practice Theory newsletter. Subscriptions to our newsletter are voluntary, and users can opt-out at any time. We do not participate in paid advertising or sponsorships, and all promotion efforts are intended to foster genuine engagement within the practice theory community.