⦁ Editor in Chief:

⦁ Associate Editor:

⦁ International Advisory Board:

Journal Governance Policy

1. Introduction
This Governance Policy outlines the roles, responsibilities, and procedures for key positions within the journal, ensuring effective management, quality control, and adherence to ethical guidelines.

2. Governance Structure (Roles and Responsibilities/Duties)

2.1. Founding Editor

§ Role: The Founding Editor (FE) is responsible for laying the foundations and developing the journal, as well as securing and managing the financial resources needed to support its operations, growth, and strategic initiatives. The FE’s leadership is important in maintaining the journal’s credibility, ensuring its relevance, and guiding its long-term success within academic communities.

§ Responsibilities:

- Identify and pursue opportunities from institutions, government bodies, foundations, and private sector sponsors.
- Prepare grant applications and proposals to secure financial support for the journal’s projects and initiatives.
- Collaborate with the editorial board and publisher to align publication efforts with the journal’s goals and mission.
- Implement strategies for diversifying publication sources, including partnerships.
- Ensure proper allocation of funds for different aspects of journal operations, including editorial activities and technological improvements.
- Establish partnerships with academic institutions, research organisations, and industries for joint publication opportunities.
- Represent the journal at conferences, symposia, and networking events to raise awareness and engage with potential collaborators.
- Engage in social media and digital platforms to raise the journal’s impact and attract furthers collaborations.
- Contribute to strategic discussions regarding the expansion of the journal, including special issues or research initiatives.

§ Limitations of Authority:

The Founding Editor shall not:

- participate in manuscript acceptance or rejection decisions;

- interfere with the peer review process or reviewer selection;

- influence editorial evaluations or editorial independence;

- access confidential peer review materials unless explicitly authorised under exceptional ethical or legal circumstances.

All editorial decisions remain under the exclusive responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board.

2.2. Editor-in-Chief
§ Role: The Editor-in-Chief (EiC) is responsible for the overall editorial direction, strategic development, and policy implementation of Journal of Global Sustainability and Development.

§ Responsibilities:
- Provide leadership and vision for the journal developing a strategic direction, fostering excellence within the editorial team, and staying informed about innovative approaches covering a wide range of topics and also their theories and practices. In this regard, upon their appointment, the Editor-in-Chief must present a strategy (3-year period) for the journal.
- Ensure the quality and integrity of the published content, addressing cases where withdrawing a paper is necessary due to clear evidence indicating unreliable results or discussions, inappropriate conduct such as data fabrication, human errors like miscalculations or experimental mistakes, prior publication without proper attribution or justification, plagiarism, or reporting of unethical research. EiC is ethically and morally obligated to investigate alleged cases of misconduct thoroughly, potentially resulting in the rejection of articles.
- Make final decisions on manuscript acceptance or rejection. Should make sure that the assessment is fair, impartial and in due time. If the manuscript does not comply with the online published publication requirements and guidelines or it does not meet the aim and scope of the journal, the editor reserve the right to reject the manuscript without peer review. 
- Oversee the integrity of the editorial and peer review process, including the investigation of research and publication misconduct, and approve corrective actions such as corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, and notifications to relevant institutions, in accordance with COPE principles and the journal’s publication ethics policies.
- Maintain and enhance the journal's reputation and impact through developing strategies to increase its impact factor and citation rates, ensuring adherence to ethical publishing standards, and regularly updating editorial policies to reflect current best practices.

- Ensure the timely indexing process for each issue released across all databases in which the Journal is currently indexed;

- Liaise with the Publishing House and represent the Journal at academic and professional events, maintaining regular communication for strategic initiatives and operational matters, promoting the journal at conferences and workshops, and engaging with authors, reviewers, and readers to build strong relationships and encourage high-quality submissions.
- May not disclose others communications and materials related to the revision process to others and may not keep or copy the manuscript.
- Has a duty to act promptly and appropriately if they suspect improper conduct or if they are accused of improper conduct.

- Must familiarise themselves with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. Additionally, it is recommended to utilise Elsevier resources, particularly the Publication Ethics Resource Kit (PERK), which offers online support for managing publishing ethics issues and includes other essential resources relevant to the role of an Editor.

§ Appointment and Term: Appointed by the Founding Editor. Serves an open-ended term, renewable every 3 years by mutual agreement based on the strategy provided and demonstrated academic performance. Academic performance will be evaluated through key metrics, including year-over-year increases in h-index scores as provided by Google Scholar, Scopus Author ID, ResearcherID, and SciProfiles.

2.3. Associate Editor(s)
§ Role: The Associate Editor(s) (AE) assists the EiC in managing the editorial workflow and upholding the journal's standards.

§ Responsibilities:
- Collaborate closely with the Editor in Chief (EiC) to make informed editorial decisions and uphold the journal's standards.

- Take charge of managing submissions within specific areas of expertise, ensuring they align with the journal's scope and quality criteria.

- Oversee the coordination and execution of special issues and thematic collections, from soliciting contributions to final publication.

- Facilitate and support the peer review process, ensuring rigorous evaluation and timely feedback to authors.

- Assume the responsibilities of the Editor in Chief as needed, ensuring continuity and leadership in their absence to maintain operational efficiency and editorial excellence. In this regard, upon their appointment, the AE(s) must present a Cover Letter, reflecting their own vision in accordance with their responsibilities.

§ Appointment and Term: Appointed by the EiC in consultation with the FE. Serves a 2 years term, renewable by mutual agreement based on the Cover Letter provided and demonstrated academic performance. Academic performance will be evaluated through key metrics, including year-over-year increases in h-index scores as provided by Google Scholar, Scopus Author ID, ResearcherID, and SciProfiles.

2.4. International Advisory Board
§ Role: The International Advisory Board (IAB) provides strategic advice and guidance on the journal's direction and development.

§ Responsibilities:
- Advise the Editor in Chief and editorial team on shaping editorial policies, long-term strategic planning, and maintaining high standards of academic integrity.

- Recommend and critically review potential topics for special issues, ensuring they align with the journal's scope and contribute to advancing knowledge in the field.

- Act as ambassadors for the journal within the international academic community, fostering collaborations and enhancing its visibility and reputation globally.

- Assist in identifying and attracting high-quality manuscripts and competent reviewers, contributing to the journal's growth and impact.

- Provide valuable feedback and insights on the journal's performance, impact, and areas for improvement, based on their expertise and understanding of the field.

§ Composition and Appointment: Comprised of distinguished scholars and professionals from diverse geographical and disciplinary backgrounds. Members are appointed by the Founding Editor and EiC in consultation with current IAB members based an invitation. Serves a term of five years, renewable by mutual agreement based on demonstrated academic performance. Academic performance will be assessed through key metrics, including year-over-year increases in h-index scores as provided by Google Scholar, Scopus Author ID, ResearcherID, and SciProfiles.

3. Editorial Process

- Manuscripts are submitted through the journal’s online submission system, which ensures efficiency and transparency. Authors' work are anonymously considerate for reviewing to maintain a double-blind process. This system helps in maintaining impartiality and fairness in the review process.

- Upon submission, the Managing Editor oversees the assignment of manuscripts to reviewers. Reviewers are selected based on their expertise and familiarity with the subject matter, drawn from a registered pool within the RITHA Editorial & Publishing System. The Editor-in-Chief (EiC) and Associate Editor play key roles in identifying suitable reviewers who can provide insightful evaluations of the manuscript's quality, originality, methodology, and relevance to the journal's scope.
- Following the peer review process, the EiC consolidates feedback from reviewers and the AE(s) (when is the case) to make a final decision on the manuscript. This decision may include acceptance, revision with major or minor changes, or rejection. The aim is to ensure that decisions are made promptly and fairly, considering the scholarly merit and potential impact of the submission.
- Once accepted, manuscripts are prepared for publication by AE(s) (when is the case) under the overseeing of the EiC. This involves typesetting, formatting, and ensuring adherence to the journal's style guidelines. The editorial team works diligently to maintain the quality and integrity of the published content while aiming for timely release of journal issues. The EiC oversees the final approval process before publication to guarantee accuracy and consistency across all published articles.

Duties of Reviewers:

§ Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and through the editorial communications with the author who may also assist the author in improving the paper.

§ Reviewers are expected to respond promptly to requests to review and to submit reviews within the time agreed.

§ Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research report in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse himself from the review process.

§ Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorised by the editor.

§ Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

§ Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement or an observation, derivation, or argument that had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also call the editor's attention to any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.

§ Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers. A Non-Conflict of Interest Statement is included in the JCAPP_Reviewer Form in which they affirm that don't have any financial, professional, or personal affiliations or relationships with any individual, organisation, or entity that could potentially influence or bias their judgment or review of the manuscript.

§ Commitment to providing an unbiased and objective evaluation of the manuscript based solely on its scientific merits, originality, validity, and relevance to the field,  maintaining strict confidentiality and handling all materials and information provided for the review process with the utmost professionalism and integrity.

4. Conflict of Interest
All editors and board members must disclose any potential conflicts of interest. Decisions on manuscripts in which an editor has a conflict of interest will be handled by Managing Board of Publisher to ensure impartiality.

5. Amendments
This Governance Policy may be amended by the EiC in consultation with the Founding Editor, Managing Board of Publishing House, and IAB as needed to reflect the evolving needs of the journal.

Open Access Policy

The Journal of Global Sustainability and Development is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or their institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0  and BOAI definition of open access. 

Journal applies the DOAJ's principle of Open access for its digital content: "Open Access is only when digital content is freely available online AND user rights and the terms of copyright are defined. Publishing open access offers a number of benefits for authors:

• Authors maintain the copyright to their work through the use of a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0., allowing for the reuse and redistribution of publications as long as proper attribution is given to the original author.

• The journal operates under a gold open access model, meaning that all articles published are immediately and freely accessible online to readers worldwide, without the need for a subscription or payment.

• Open access publications undergo the same high-quality and rigorous peer review, production, and publishing processes as journals and books following the traditional subscription-based model.

• Open access journals that cross multiple disciplines help researchers connect more easily and providing greater visibility of their research. 

• Open access publications benefit from increased citations and usage, as well as greater public engagement, because the content is available to those who cannot access subscription-based content.

• An efficient online submission and production process ensures swift review, approval, and publication, facilitating a faster dissemination of research findings.

• Online publishing eliminates space constraints, providing authors with ample room for supplementary material, including figures, extensive data, and video footage.

• Open access publications enable authors to quickly and easily comply with open access mandates from funding sources or academic institutions. Final articles can be deposited into bibliographic databases and institutional repositories without embargo periods.

• Open access journals, like traditional ones, are deposited into bibliographic databases and institutional repositories without embargo periods. The immediate availability of full-text articles in The Journal of Global Sustainability and Development, without registration or subscription, allows search engines like Google Scholar to index them fully, significantly enhancing their visibility.

• The Journal of Global Sustainability and Development is dedicated to the long-term preservation and accessibility of published content. All articles are archived in digital repositories and preservation archives to ensure their continued availability and accessibility in the future.

Open Access Explained

Publishing open access (OA) offers significantly greater reach and readership for authors' work: 1.6 times more citations than non-OA articles across all subjects, OA articles are downloaded four times more frequently, enhancing visibility and accessibility,  OA articles attract 2.5 times more Altmetric attention, including 1.9 times more news mentions and 1.2 times more policy mentions. These metrics demonstrate that publishing open access not only increases the dissemination of research but also amplifies its influence and engagement within and beyond the scholarly community.

Open Access Explained

Preprints and Conference Papers Policy

A preprint is a paper that is made available publicly via a preprint server prior to (or simultaneous with) submission to a journal. Preprint servers, i.e., servers that allow for the posting of papers prior to submission for publication, are becoming more common across a range of disciplines.

Journal of Global Sustainability and Development allows for the submission of manuscripts which have already been made available on such a server. Allowing a preprint version as submission does not, of course, guarantee that an article will accepted for publication without reviewing; it simply reflects a belief that availability on a preprint server should not be a disqualifying for submission.

Authors are requested to update any pre-publication versions with a link to the final published article. Authors may also post the final published version of the article immediately after publication.

If a preprint is assigned a DOI, Publishing House will assign a new DOI to the accepted article using https://doi.org/10.57017/jgsd and can optionally link to the preprint. Note that the preprint publisher must link to the published article, per CrossRef: “[Posted content] consists of preprints, eprints, working papers, reports, dissertations, and many other types of content that has been posted but not formally published… Once a journal article (or book, conference paper, etc.) has been published from the posted content and a DOI has been assigned, the posted content publisher will update their metadata to associate the posted content with the DOI of the accepted manuscript (AM) or version of record (VOR)”. More details are available here.

If authors have previously presented their work at a conference, expanded and high-quality conference papers can also be considered for publication as full articles, under the following conditions:

- The conference paper must be significantly expanded to meet the length and depth of a research article;

- The original conference paper must be properly cited and referenced on the first page of the submission;

- If the authors do not retain the copyright of the published conference paper, they must secure permission from the copyright holder;

- Authors should clearly disclose that the submission is based on a conference paper, and provide a detailed explanation of the changes made from the original version.

Copyright and Licensing Policy

All articles published in Journal of Global Sustainability and Development are open access licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 which permits unrestricted, use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, or format for any purpose, even commercially provided the work is properly cited. The CC BY licence is the most open licence available and considered the industry 'gold standard' for open access; it is also preferred by many funders. A "License Agreement" will be complete by the author(s) if the submitted manuscript is accepted for publication allowing them to retain the copyright to their work. 

Reproducing Published Material from other Publishers

Authors must obtain permission to reproduce any published material (figures, schemes, tables, or text extracts) for which they do not hold the copyright. Permission should be sought from the copyright holder, typically the publisher.

- When permission is required:

      - For authors' own works published by other publishers where copyright was not retained;

      - For substantial extracts from others' works;

     - For using unaltered or slightly modified tables, graphs, charts, schemes, artworks, or photographs not owned by the author.

- When permission is not required:

      - Reconstruction of the author's own table with data published elsewhere, with proper citation;

      - Reasonably short quotes (considered fair use);

      - Graphs, charts, schemes, and artworks completely redrawn by the authors and significantly changed beyond recognition.

- Obtaining Permission:

      - Authors should start obtaining permissions early to avoid publication delays;

      - If unsure about copyright, it's recommended to apply for permission;

      - Acknowledgement of permission should follow a standard style if instructed by the copyright holder.

These guidelines aim to ensure compliance with copyright laws and ethical standards in academic publishing. Authors are responsible for obtaining necessary permissions to reproduce copyrighted material and should adhere to the stated policies to prevent any delays or legal issues in the publication process.

From submission to peer review, production, copyediting, and until final publication, Editor in Chief ensures an efficient publishing process in collaboration with the members of Managing Board and in accordance with Editorial Policies, Peer-Reviewing Policies and Ethical Standards of Publishing House.

Submitting a manuscript

Manuscripts must be submitted using this e-mail address: journals@ritha.eu or using the form SUBMIT Manuscript from journal's webpage. Note that the submission has to follow only one way in order to avoid a duplicate submission. 

The submission's schedule is announced by the Editor in Chief in CALL for Papers. 

Before submitting a manuscript, authors are invited to ensure that they adhere to the guidelines outlined below:

• - the corresponding author is responsible for the submission on behalf of all authors; authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co‐authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research, they should be named in the “Acknowledgements” section. 
• 
  
• - authors should not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Parallel submission of the same manuscript to more than one journal constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.
• 
  
• - appropriate acknowledgement of the work of others must be given at all times. Authors should also cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.
• 
  
• - all authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might be construed to influence the results or their interpretation in the manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.
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• - It is recommended that research paper be written in the third person to maintain a formal and objective tone. The use of the third person ("the author," "the researchers," "the study showed") creates a professional distance between the author and the subject, reinforcing the impartiality of the research. However, in certain cases, especially in methodology and discussion sections, it is also appropriate to use the first-person plural ("we conducted an experiment") to clearly describe the actions taken by the research team.
  Examples:
  • - Third Person: "A study was conducted to investigate the influence of variable X on variable Y."
  • - First-Person Plural: "We conducted a study to investigate the influence of variable X on variable Y."
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• - the manuscript will be examined to detect inappropriate use of previously published material without attribution. Crossref Similarity Check (iThenticate v2) and Safe Assign are used to screen submitted manuscript against previously published papers and other relevant sources. Any submission exceeding a 10% similarity score is promptly rejected. Authors are also encouraged to use any anti-plagiarism software to screen their manuscript prior to submission; if they have used the work and/or words of others, they should ensure that this has been appropriately cited or quoted. Despite our best efforts, some instances of plagiarism may escape detection. Authors who find their work plagiarised may report plagiarism to journals@ritha.eu, preferably by submitting both the original article and the allegedly plagiarising one with plagiarised parts highlighted or underlined. The Editorial Board will act promptly on such reports, asking the author for clarifications within two weeks. If the author does not respond within this deadline or if the clarifications are unsatisfactory, the article will be immediately withdrawn from publication and the author(s) will be banned from submitting future publications.
• 
  
• - the Conclusion section explores the practical and theoretical implications of the research findings. It discusses how the results may inform future research directions, influence policy decisions, or contribute to advancements in practice. Alongside these insights, the conclusion section acknowledges any limitations or constraints encountered during the research process. This critical reflection demonstrates an awareness of the study's scope and potential areas for improvement or further investigation. Finally,  summarise the overall implications of the study and suggesting avenues for future research.
• 
  
• - the References are to be listed in the alphabetically order. Follow the style APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition. See also, JGSD_Template Format, for example.
• 
  
• Introduction to Citation Styles: APA 7th ed.
• 
  
• Introduction to Citation Styles: APA 7th ed.

• - disclosure of interests is important for research publications to ensure transparency, maintain the integrity of the research process, and avoid any potential conflicts of interest that could bias the research outcomes. Authors are required to provide a clear and comprehensive disclosure of their financial and non-financial interests that could be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation by filling and signed JGSD_Disclosure Interests. These interests may be personal, professional, or institutional in nature.
• 
  
• - authors should disclose in their statement the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process. A statement will appear in JGSD_Disclosure Interests. Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication. This declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references etc. If there is nothing to disclose, there is no need to add a statement.
• 
  
• - all figures and tables included in the content have to be numbered, have a suggestive title and indicate the source; if these are compiled by the authors, it has to be specified. 
• 
  
• - manuscript should be written in clear, concise English (UK) and should contain all essential data in order to make the presentation clear. Language checks help maintain the quality and readability of your article, making it accessible to a broader audience. In this regard, the language should be clear and concise, avoiding excessive jargon or overly complex sentences; verify that the manuscript has proper grammar, correct sentence structures, and consistent verb tenses; look for subject-verb agreement and ensure that the sentences are clear and well-constructed; eliminate unnecessary wordiness and choose appropriate words to convey ideas succinctly; avoid using ambiguous terms or acronyms without proper explanations; check that the sentences flow logically from one to another, and the paragraphs are well-organised and coherent. During the editorial process, publisher reserves the right to improve the grammar and style of manuscript.

Each submitted manuscript must has a certain format in order to be published. Please follow the JGSD_Template Format. 

Duties of Authors:

§ Submitted manuscript must be the original work of the author(s) and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others they ensure that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.

§ Only unpublished manuscript should be submitted. Author should not in general publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. It is unethical to submit a manuscript to more than one journal concurrently.

§ Any conflict of interest must be clearly stated. Authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed. The JGSD_Disclosure Interest will be filled and signed in the same time with your paper submission.

§ Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be recognised. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.

§ All errors discovered in the manuscript after submission must be promptly communicated to the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.

§ If the authors decide to withdraw the paper from the revision process or they decide not to respond to the reviewers’ comments, after having received a conditional acceptance, they must inform the editors. Authors should respond to comments made in reviews in a professional manner and in due time.

§ Authors should acknowledge the contributions of those who provided support, guidance, or resources that helped in conducting the research. The template form of the paper has a brief section where authors express their appreciation and recognition to individuals, groups, or organisations that have contributed to the research but may not qualify for authorship. If individuals or organisations are being acknowledged by name, it is advisable to seek their informed consent before including their names in the publication.

§ Authorship to the manuscript should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included to the manuscript, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the manuscript and have agreed to its submission for publication. It is unacceptable to mention as authors persons whose contribution to the research has been scanty or actually non-existent (the so-called “guest authorship”). It is likewise inappropriate to conceal information on the contribution of persons who have actually participated in the creation of the publication. This must be recognised in form of acknowledgements at the end of the text or by including this person as a co-author. “Ghostwriting” and “guest authorship” are manifestations of scholarly unreliability.

§ Authors should disclose their specific contributions to the research and manuscript preparation. This disclosure is included in Credit Authorship Contribution Statement section in the published paper. This section has the intention of recognising individual author contributions, reducing authorship disputes and facilitating collaboration. For more details about how to describe the role played, please see: https://credit.niso.org/ The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that the descriptions are accurate and agreed by all authors.

§ All errors discovered in the manuscript after submission must be promptly communicated to the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.

§ If the authors decide to withdraw the paper from the revision process or they decide not to respond to the reviewers’ comments, after having received a conditional acceptance, they must inform the editors. Authors should respond to comments made in reviews in a professional manner and in due time.

§ If authors have not revised their articles within six weeks without offering any explanation, the paper will be postponed to the next issue. However, if more than six months pass without revision, the research reported may start to become outdated in terms of its evidence base. After one year in the system without revision, it becomes evident that the author is unlikely to revise the paper.

Journal Peer Review Policy in accordance with Peer-Reviewing Policies of Publisher.

Journal of Global Sustainability and Development upholds a rigorous double-blind peer review model, a process designed to ensure the quality and impact of published papers align with the journal's aims and scope. Typically, two academic experts evaluate each submission, with additional or supplementary reviews conducted by the Editor in Chief and/or Associate Editor(s) to maintain academic rigour and research relevance.
The reviewers and individuals overseeing the peer review process are expected to adhere to our Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, including the references/documents within it. Furthermore, we strongly encourage reviewers to familiarise themselves and uphold the ethical guidelines for peer reviewers set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). This commitment extends to recognising any potential misconduct or ethical concerns and promptly reporting them to the editorial office.
Manuscripts undergo comprehensive assessment based on several key criteria: (i) Alignment with the journal's aims and scope; (ii) Adherence to widely accepted academic standards in terms of originality, significance, and rigour, in addition to the high-quality research and analytical criteria stipulated in the editorial policies; (iii) Relevance of the research and its potential to contribute to the aims & scope of the Journal.

Please Note：

- Manuscripts with contents outside the scope will not be considered for review.
- Manuscripts usually will be refereed by 2 experts as suggested by the editorial board.
- Editor(s) will have the option of seeking additional reviews when needed. Authors will be informed when Editor(s) decide further review is required.
- All publication decisions are made by the journal’s Editors-in-Chief on the basis of the referees’ reports. Authors of papers that are not accepted are notified promptly.

- To meet the requirement for transparency in external/independent peer review, JGSD explicitly ensures that all reviewers are independent of the authors. Reviewers are never affiliated with the same institution as the authors under evaluation, and any potential conflicts of interest are disclosed and managed prior to the review process. The journal’s in-house publishing system further supports this by automatically preventing the assignment of reviewers who could have conflicts, thereby safeguarding the independence and objectivity of the evaluation.

- All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential documents.

- Authors are strongly encouraged to refer to the Review Form to gain insight into the criteria that reviewers will consider when evaluating their paper. Familiarising themselves with the specific aspects highlighted in the form can help them addresses to all relevant points and meets the expectations of the reviewers. 

- Upon acceptance, the paper proceeds to the production stage. In the event of rejection or if revisions are required, the editor provides constructive feedback from the reviewers to aid the author in improving the article. Reviewers are notified via email regarding the final decision on their review. If revisions are requested, reviewers anticipate receiving a revised version, unless they have opted out of further participation. However, where only minor changes were requested this follow-up review might be handle by the editor.
- Reviewers receive comprehensive guidelines on how to evaluate submissions. These guidelines refer to sources which serve as a roadmap for reviewers, outlining key criteria and considerations to ensure assessment of each manuscript's scholarly merit, originality, and adherence to ethical standards, as follows:

•         Peer Review: The Nuts and Bolts by Sense About Science (SAS)
•         Peer review: An Introduction and Guide, PRC
•         COPE’s Ethical guidelines for reviewers
•         Wiley’s Best Practice Guidelines on Publishing Ethics
•         The Council of Science Editors (CSE)
•         Reviewing Journal Manuscripts, by Charon Pierson

- Editors, reviewers and editorial stuff involved in the review process should disclose conflicts of interest resulting from direct competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, and remove oneself from cases in which such conflicts preclude an objective evaluation.

- Reviewers are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could bias their evaluation of the manuscript. Similarly, authors are expected to declare any conflicts of interest related to their research. To promote transparency and fairness, JORIT conducts a thorough conflict-of-interest screening before finalising reviewer assignments. Each reviewer must disclose any personal, financial, or professional conflicts that might affect their impartiality in assessing the manuscript. This step reinforces our commitment to an unbiased peer review process.
Editors and manners of managing specific conflicts
     Submission by an editor
A manuscript submitted by Editor(s) or one of the member of Editorial Advisory Board will be handled by one of the other associate editors who are not at the same institution as the submitting author. The chosen associate editor will select referees and make all decisions on the manuscript. Moreover, the publishing system, does not allow a conflicted editor to be assigned to work to relevant information concerning their manuscript. If the case, a conflicted editor will be blocked from participating in any discussion among the editors pertaining to such manuscripts.
     Submission by author from same institution as one of the editors
A manuscript submitted by an author who is at the same institution as one of the editors will be handled by another editors who is not at that specific institution. Another editor will select reviewers and make all decisions on the paper.

     Potential conflict of interest for reviewers
RITHA publishing system attempts to prevent conflicts of interest by not inviting reviewers from the same institutions as authors. However, because previous relationships or places of employment may not be obvious, the editors will ask that they decline to review if they know, or guess the identity of the author.
-  Reviewers evaluate using a Reviewing Form specially designed provided by the editor in chief to determine the scholarly merit and validity of the research findings. Reviewers provide detailed feedback to the editor in chief, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement in the manuscript. Editor in chief carefully consider the reviewers' comments and recommendations when making decisions on the manuscript's publication. Depending on the feedback received, manuscripts may be accepted for publication, accepted with minor revisions, returned to the authors for major revisions with re-submit recommendation, or rejected. In cases where revisions are requested, authors are provided with clear and constructive guidance to address the reviewers' concerns and enhance the quality and clarity of their work.
- The Journal regularly reviews and updates its peer-reviewing policies to ensure effectiveness, fairness, and alignment with best practices in scholarly publishing. These peer reviewing policies were last updated on July, 2025.

See the Panel of Reviewers

Review process follows these steps: 

• - 1st: The Editor in Chief makes an initial screening of the manuscript submitted in order to determine if it is suitable with the aims and scope of the Journal or not.
• - 2nd: Submission received is checked with the anti-plagiarism software before it undergoes a blind peer reviewing process. If the report is suspicious or exceeding a 5% similarity score, the manuscript will be rejected and the author(s) informed, else submission is qualified to follow the next stage.
• - 3rd: The manuscript is blind peer reviewed by the members of Editorial Advisory Board, in accordance with the area of research specified by the author in its submission. Each reviewer should fulfil the Review Form and give a score. Please see open positions listed in Call for Members in Editorial Advisory Board. For detailed guidelines about reviewing processes see COPE's Ethical guidelines for reviewers. 
• - 4th: The final decision is made by the Editor in Chief based on the Review Form with the recommendations and comments received from the reviewers. The Editor in Chief makes the Final Report and decides whether the manuscript should be accepted as it is, revised (with minor or major corrections) or rejected. Any changes which affecting the substance of the text will, of course, be made only in agreement with the author(s). 

The publication process may vary depending on the complexity of the manuscript, the number of revisions required, and the responsiveness of reviewers and authors. However, the journal generally follows the timeline below:

• - Initial Editorial Screening: up to 2 weeks
  (including scope assessment and plagiarism checking) 
• - Submission to Completion of Peer Review: approximately 8–10 weeks
  (including editorial assessment, reviewer evaluation, revisions, and final editorial decision) 
• - Production and Online Publication after Acceptance: up to 4 weeks
  (including copyediting, proofreading, formatting, DOI assignment, and online publication preparation) 
• - Estimated Total Submission-to-Publication Time: approximately 12–14 weeks

Authors are encouraged to maintain active communication with the editorial office and to submit revisions promptly in order to facilitate timely publication.

Copy editing, production and indexation 

In this stage of publication process, the manuscripts are checked for the final grammar and formatting review and the result is the pre-final form of the manuscript which will be return to author(s) for final revisions and approval; author of accepted manuscript fulfils and signs the Author(s) Licensing Form.

Once the author approved the pre-final form and signed the JGSD_Author(s) Licensing Form, the article will be published on-line; an email with message of publication will be send by our own publishing system to inform the author(s).

Article Processing Charge (APC) Policy

The Journal of Global Sustainability and Development  (JGSD) is a fully open access journal.

No Article Processing Charges (APCs) are required for submissions or publications starting with 2026.

All costs related to editorial processing, peer review, production, and online hosting are currently covered by the publisher.

JGSD may introduce APCs in the future to ensure the long-term sustainability of the journal. Any such change will be announced in advance and will not apply to manuscripts already submitted or accepted.

Indexing & Abstracting

Indexation represents the final stage of the publication process. It involves preparing and formatting each article’s metadata according to the technical and bibliographic requirements of recognised academic databases. This process enhances the journal’s visibility, discoverability, and citation potential within the international research community.

Journal of Global Sustainability and Development adheres to established guidelines and best practices for academic publishing, including those outlined by the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct and Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Furthermore, the ethical framework of the Journal of Global Sustainability and Development integrates the best practices outlined in The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. Endorsed by the European Science Foundation (ESF) and All European Academies (ALLEA), this code serves as a benchmark for national research integrity standards across the European Union, following a rigorous development process.

Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

The editors of Journal of Global Sustainability and Development are responsible for ensuring the integrity and quality of the journal's content. They strive to maintain editorial independence and impartiality in all decision-making processes. Editors evaluate submitted manuscripts based on their academic merit, relevance, and adherence to ethical standards. They ensure fair and unbiased peer review processes and make publication decisions based solely on the manuscript's quality and suitability for the journal.

§ Allegations of Plagiarism and Research Misconduct
The Journal of Global Sustainability and Development (JGSD) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. The journal recognises that plagiarism, duplicate publication, redundant publication, data fabrication, data falsification, citation manipulation, authorship misconduct, peer review manipulation, and other forms of unethical conduct undermine the credibility of scholarly communication. Any allegation of plagiarism or research misconduct received before or after publication will be treated seriously, confidentially, and in accordance with the principles and procedures established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Upon receiving an allegation, the Editor-in-Chief may request supporting evidence from the complainant and conduct a preliminary assessment, including similarity screening and comparison of the questioned work with the allegedly original source.The corresponding author will normally be contacted and invited to provide an explanation within a reasonable period of time. Where necessary, the Editor-in-Chief may consult Associate Editors, members of the International Advisory Board, independent experts, reviewers, the Publisher, or the authors’ affiliated institutions. During the investigation, the Journal may suspend editorial processing of a manuscript or, in the case of published articles, issue an expression of concern when appropriate.

If misconduct is confirmed, JGSD may take one or more corrective actions, including manuscript rejection, publication of a correction, publication of an expression of concern, article retraction, notification of the authors’ institution, or restrictions on future submissions. All decisions will be based on the available evidence and guided by the principles of fairness, transparency, proportionality, and due process.

JGSD is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record and will ensure that any corrective actions remain permanently linked to the published article and its DOI whenever applicable.

§ Publication decisions

The Editor-in-Chief of JGSD is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The Editor-in-Chief is guided by the policies of the journal's editorial board and constrained by such legal requirements as shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. The Editor-in-Chief may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.

§ Fair play

The Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Global Sustainability and Development  (JGSD) evaluates manuscripts based solely on their intellectual content. This evaluation is conducted without regard to the race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors. The primary focus is on the quality, originality, and relevance of the research, ensuring a fair and unbiased review process for all submissions. The editorial process adheres to the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical practices, fostering an inclusive and diverse academic community.

 § Authorship and Contributorship

The Journal of Global Sustainability and Development adheres to strict policies on authorship and contributorship to ensure transparency and integrity in the publication process. To qualify as an author, individuals must have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, or analysis and interpretation of the data. Additionally, authors must be involved in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content, give final approval of the version to be published, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Contributors who do not meet the full criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the manuscript. These contributors may include those providing technical support, writing assistance, funding acquisition, or general supervision of the research group. The corresponding author has the responsibility to communicate with the journal on behalf of all co-authors and ensure that all authors have seen, approved, and are aware of the manuscript submission. Additionally, the corresponding author must ensure that the manuscript adheres to the journal's policies and guidelines, including those concerning conflicts of interest and ethical research conduct.

Requests for changes to the authorship list after submission must be accompanied by a clear explanation for the change and signed confirmation from all authors agreeing to the change. In cases of authorship disputes, the journal will adhere to the guidelines provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), with the Editor-in-Chief mediating and seeking resolution based on these established guidelines.

Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be listed in the acknowledgments section. Authors must obtain written permission from acknowledged individuals as they may be recognised for their contribution to the manuscript. Furthermore, authors must provide a clear statement of their individual contributions to the manuscript, which will be published as part of the article. Each author should be listed with their specific contributions, such as conceptualisation, data curation, formal analysis, investigation, methodology, project administration, resource management, software usage, visualisation, original draft preparation, and review and editing. 

See also, JGSD_Template File which includes the section Credit Authorship Contribution Statement: This section has the intention of recognising individual author contributions, reducing authorship disputes and facilitating collaboration. In this regard, the statement will describe for each authors the role played to research outputs. For more details about how to describe the role played, please see: https://credit.niso.org/. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that the descriptions are accurate and agreed by all authors. 

§ Confidentiality

The Editor-in-Chief and any member of editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, or reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, or the publisher, as appropriate. Once a manuscript is rejected for publication, all the copies of the manuscript will be deleted from our editorial system. Reviewers are required to adhere to confidentiality rules and must not distribute or misappropriate any information pertaining to the manuscript during or after the peer-review process. In instances where reviewers wish to involve another individual in the review process, they must seek prior permission from the Editor-in-Chief. Reviewers should provide the name of the person assisting in the review, ensuring that confidentiality is rigorously maintained.

§ Disclosure and conflicts of interest/competing interest

Competing interests, also known as conflicts of interest, occur when the authors, reviewers, or editors have financial, personal, or professional relationships that could influence their actions, decisions, or judgments. To ensure the trustworthiness and credibility of published research, JGSD requires that authors disclose any potential financial and/or non-financial conflicts of interest both at the end of their manuscript and in the JGSD_Disclosure Interest document. This includes financial relationships, personal relationships, and professional affiliations that could be perceived as influencing the work. If no conflicts of interest are present, authors must explicitly state: "The author(s) declare(s) no conflicts of interest". We acknowledge that some authors may be constrained by confidentiality agreements. In such cases, authors should specify, "The authors declare that they are bound by confidentiality agreements that prevent them from disclosing their competing interests in this work". The declaration for each manuscript during peer review is fully accessible to reviewers and becomes entirely transparent to readers upon the online publication of the manuscript after acceptance.

Similarly, editors and reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling or reviewing manuscripts where a conflict exists. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for managing disclosed conflicts, which may involve reassigning the manuscript to a different editor or reviewer without conflicts. JGSD promotes transparency by publishing authors' disclosures within the article to make potential biases apparent to readers. If undisclosed conflicts of interest are discovered post-publication, EiC will investigate and may take actions such as publishing corrections or retractions. 

§ Disclosure  the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies

Authors must disclose in their statement the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process. AI and AI-assisted technologies should be used under human control and supervision as they may generate incorrect or prejudiced output, and they should not be listed as an author or co-author, nor cited as an author.

A statement will appear in the Disclosure Interest Form: Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication. This declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references etc.

See also: COPE Position Statement: Authorship and AI tools | COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics

§ Duplicate and Redundant Publication

JGSD publishes only original scholarly works that have not been previously published and are not simultaneously under consideration by another journal, book, conference proceeding, or other formal publication venue. Duplicate publication occurs when substantially the same manuscript, data, analyses, findings, or conclusions are published more than once without appropriate disclosure, permission, justification, or cross-referencing. Redundant publication occurs when authors reuse substantial portions of previously published work in a new manuscript without sufficient novelty, transparency, or acknowledgement of the earlier publication.

Authors are required to disclose any related manuscripts, preprints, conference papers, working papers, reports, datasets, or previously published materials that overlap with the submitted work. Any overlapping publications must be appropriately cited and clearly distinguished from the submitted manuscript. The journal may use similarity detection tools, editorial assessment, peer review, and other verification procedures to identify potential cases of duplicate or redundant publication. When concerns arise, authors may be requested to provide explanations, copies of related works, or additional information necessary to assess the originality of the submission.

If duplicate or redundant publication is confirmed, JGSD may take appropriate editorial actions, including manuscript rejection, publication of a correction, publication of an expression of concern, article retraction, notification of relevant institutions, or restrictions on future submissions, depending on the severity of the case.

The journal recognises that certain forms of prior dissemination, including preprints, conference abstracts, conference papers, theses, dissertations, working papers, and technical reports, may not constitute duplicate publication when handled transparently and in accordance with the journal’s Preprints and Conference Papers Policy. Authors are required to disclose any such prior dissemination at the time of submission and provide appropriate citations and documentation where applicable.

§ Author Expertise, Affiliation and Scholarly Contribution

JGSD welcomes submissions from researchers, academics, practitioners, policymakers, and professionals from diverse geographic regions and institutional backgrounds whose expertise is relevant to the aims and scope of the journal.

Authors are expected to provide accurate and complete information regarding their names, institutional affiliations, academic or professional positions, contact details, and, where available, ORCID identifiers. The journal may request additional information to verify authorship, institutional affiliation, or the scholarly relevance of a submission. Authors should possess demonstrable expertise, experience, research activity, or professional engagement related to the subject matter of the manuscript. The journal encourages contributions from both established and emerging scholars, provided that the submitted work meets the journal’s scientific, methodological, and ethical standards.

All listed authors must have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the research and manuscript preparation. Authorship should accurately reflect individual contributions, and any form of guest authorship, honorary authorship, gift authorship, or ghost authorship is considered unacceptable.

The Editorial Team may seek clarification regarding authorship, affiliations, funding sources, contributor roles, or potential conflicts of interest whenever necessary to ensure the integrity and transparency of the scholarly record.

§ Appropriate Citations to the Literature

Authors are required to ensure proper citation when incorporating material from other sources, including their own previously published work, and to obtain appropriate permissions when necessary. Excessive self-citation is discouraged. Authors should refrain from copying references from other publications without having read the cited work. Additionally, authors should avoid preferential citation of their own, friends', peers', or institution's publications, and should not cite advertisements or advertorial material. Following COPE guidelines, any original wording directly taken from other researchers' publications, including the author's own work, must be enclosed in quotation marks with the appropriate citations. COPE has issued a discussion document on citation manipulation, providing recommendations for best practices, which authors are expected to adhere to. 

JGSD uses the APA in-text citation style, which includes the author’s surname and the year of publication, for example: (Nikolson, 2026). Direct quotations must also include the relevant page number, for example: (Nikolson, 2026, p. 47).

Prior to acceptance, manuscripts may undergo editorial checks to verify citation accuracy, bibliographic completeness, and consistency of publication details. Manuscripts presenting substantial discrepancies between in-text citations and reference lists, or demonstrating inappropriate citation practices, may be returned to authors for correction or rejected when such deficiencies compromise the scholarly integrity of the work.

§ Expressions of Concern

The Editor(s) of JGSD may consider the issuance of an Expression of Concern when substantial concerns arise, justifing the need to alert readers to potentially misleading information within an article. However, the decision to issue an Expression of Concern should be reserved for situations where an investigation into the concerns has proven inconclusive, yet there remain compelling indicators that the concerns are valid. Reference COPE case: Data manipulation and institute's internal review. Editors should be mindful that issuing an Expression of Concern carries comparable risks to a researcher's reputation as a retraction. Therefore, it is often advisable to delay the publication of a retraction until a definitive judgment has been reached through an independent investigation. Reference COPE case: Handling self-admissions of fraud.

§ Complaints and Appeals Process

If authors do not agree with any decision made in editorial handling, they can submit a formal appeal to the Editorial Office of JGSD, explaining their reasons. The issue will be soon dealt (no more 7 working days) with according to the COPE Guidelines. Anyone involved in relation with editorial processes of JGSD: an author, reviewer, Editor, or representative, are in need to file a complaint, appeal a decision, or share other information, please send an email detailing the appropriate information (title, author, dataset, etc.) to journals@ritha.eu with subject line: complaints. Managing Board treats all such communications seriously, confidentially, and will reply being neutral and based on facts, indicating the intended action.
Please maintain your professionalism while communicating with us. Any unprofessional conduct will not be tolerated by editorial board, your complaint will not be considered. We consider also that it is important to respect the correspondent’s right to anonymity.

§ Data Sharing and Reproducibility

The Journal of Global Sustainability and Development (JGSD) is committed to promoting transparency, reproducibility, and the highest standards of research integrity. In accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), JGSD requires authors to adhere to the following regarding data availability and reproducibility:

- All manuscripts must include a Data Availability Statement indicating where and how the data supporting the study can be accessed, or explaining any restrictions (e.g., ethical, legal, or proprietary reasons). Manuscripts without a DAS will not proceed to peer review until compliant.

- Authors must make all data underlying their findings available to editors, reviewers, and readers without restriction, unless prevented by legitimate ethical or legal considerations.

- All datasets must be properly cited in the references using persistent identifiers (such as DOIs) to ensure findability and long-term access.

- Authors are strongly encouraged to deposit data in recognised repositories that follow the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). Examples include Zenodo, Figshare, Dryad, Harvard Dataverse, or domain-specific repositories.

- Authors must provide sufficient methodological detail, including software, code, and computational steps, to enable independent replication of results. Where possible, code should be shared through repositories such as GitHub, GitLab, or Code Ocean.

- Extended data, protocols, appendices, and supporting materials should be submitted alongside the manuscript or made available in repositories with direct links in the article.

- If data cannot be shared (e.g., privacy restrictions, proprietary data), authors must clearly state the reasons in their DAS and indicate conditions under which data might be accessed (if applicable).

- Authors are encouraged to notify the editorial office if repository links change or if restrictions arise after publication, so that records can be updated.

- If issues regarding data availability or reproducibility arise pre- or post-publication, the Editor-in-Chief will work with the authors to resolve them, which may include publishing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern as appropriate.

§ Digital Preservation Policy

Published articles of Journal of Global Sustainability and Development are deposited Archive System of  RITHA Publishing House, in terms of long-term preservation of the articles. Digital preservation involves a series of processes and actions designed to ensure the long-term accessibility and dissemination of information currently available in digital formats. The preservation policy of Journal comprises the following strategies:

- Website Archiving: All electronic content, including website content and manuscripts, is stored in different locations. The primary server hosts the content online and allows readers to access it. Simultaneously, a backup of the same content is preserved on other servers. In the event of a server failure, these alternative resources can be activated, and the website is expected to be available again within 2 hours, according our agreement with web-servers' provider.

- Partnership with PORTICO: In addition to our internal archiving efforts and preservation policy, JGSD benefits from the agreement signed by its Publisher with PORTICO, a leading digital preservation service. This partnership reinforces our commitment to safeguarding the published articles in this journal, ensuring they are securely archived and remain accessible, even in the event of organisational changes or disruptions.

- Abstracting/Indexing Services: The journal’s Abstracting/Indexing services retain essential information about articles. Additionally, some of these services also archive metadata and electronic versions of the articles. This enables the scientific community to access copies of the articles through these systems as an alternative to traditional journals. All the articles published are also stored and shared as open access in IndexCopernicus and Google Scholars.

-Author Self-Archiving Policy: Authors are encouraged to deposit their published articles in institutional or subject-specific repositories after publication, using the final published version (publisher's PDF). There are no embargo periods for any article published in this journal, which ensures immediate and unrestricted access upon publication. Articles deposited in repositories should be publicly accessible and free of charge, in line with our Open Access and Copyright Policy. All articles must be deposited under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), consistent with the journal's licensing. Authors are advised to include complete citation information and a link to the original publication on the journal's website to ensure proper attribution. In this regards, please follow our suggestion from the section How to cite.

§ Repository Policy

The Journal of Global Sustainability and Development (JGSD) fully supports open access and allows authors to deposit versions of their work in institutional, subject-based, or other repositories of their choice. Authors are permitted and encouraged to deposit the following versions of their manuscript:

• - Pre-print (Submitted version): The version of the article before peer review can be deposited at any time.
• - Post-print (Accepted version): The peer-reviewed version, accepted for publication, may be deposited immediately after acceptance.
• - Published version (Version of Record): The final published PDF version may be deposited immediately after publication, provided that proper citation and a link to the journal’s official website (https://ritha.eu/journals/JGSD.…) are included.

Authors may deposit their work in: institutional repositories, personal websites or academic social networks (e.g., ResearchGate, Academia.edu), national or international open access archives. Deposited versions must include:

• - A complete citation of the original publication in Journal of Global Sustainability and Development (JGSD);
• - A DOI link to the published version on the journal’s website;
• - The article’s open access license information (e.g., CC BY 4.0).

§ Ethical oversight

Authors must obtain explicit consent from all participants, including individuals and organizations, whose data or information is included in the publication. This includes obtaining consent for the use of personal data, images, and other identifying information. A statement confirming that consent to publish has been obtained must be included in the manuscript. Research involving vulnerable populations (e.g., children, elderly, socio-economically disadvantaged groups) must be conducted with heightened ethical considerations. Authors must provide evidence of ethical approval and informed consent specific to the vulnerable group, ensuring that the research does not exploit or harm the participants.

Research involving animals must comply with relevant national and international ethical guidelines. Authors must provide a statement confirming that the research was approved by an appropriate ethics committee and conducted in accordance with accepted standards for the humane treatment of animals. Details of the care and use of animals must be included in the manuscript. Research involving human subjects must adhere to ethical standards that protect the rights, dignity, and welfare of participants. Authors must obtain approval from a relevant ethics committee and provide a statement confirming that ethical standards were followed, including informed consent and the right to withdraw from the study at any time. Authors must ensure that all confidential data, including personal and sensitive information, is handled with the utmost care and in compliance with relevant data protection regulations. Confidential data must be anonymized or de-identified to protect the privacy of participants. Editors and reviewers are also required to maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and data. JGSD is committed to ethical business and marketing practices. This includes transparency in the publication process, avoiding conflicts of interest, and ensuring that advertising and promotional activities do not compromise the integrity of the journal. All sponsorship and funding sources must be disclosed.

§ Intellectual Property

The Journal of Global Sustainability and Development (JGSD) adheres to the principles of intellectual property (IP) as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors must ensure that their submissions are original works and do not infringe on the IP rights of others. Any use of third-party material, including figures, tables, or extensive quotations, must be accompanied by proper permissions and attributions. Authors are required to provide evidence of these permissions upon submission. Additionally, JGSD emphasises the importance of proper citation and referencing to acknowledge the contributions of other researchers and to avoid plagiarism.

JGSD also respects the intelectual property rights of authors. Upon acceptance of a manuscript, authors retain the copyright to their work while granting JGSD the right of first publication. This ensures that authors maintain control over their intellectual property while allowing JGSD to disseminate the research widely. JGSD supports open access and encourages authors to share their work under Creative Commons licenses, promoting broader access and reuse while protecting the authors' IP rights. Any disputes related to IP infringement are addressed promptly and in accordance with COPE guidelines concerning policy on intellectual property, ensuring fairness and integrity in the publication process.

§ Post-Publication Corrections, Expressions of Concern and Retractions

JGSD is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of the scholarly record. Readers, authors, reviewers, and other stakeholders are encouraged to report concerns, errors, or potential ethical issues related to published articles. When concerns arise regarding a published work, the journal will evaluate the available evidence and take appropriate corrective actions in accordance with COPE principles and publishing best practices.

Corrections. A correction (Erratum or Corrigendum) may be issued when a published article contains errors that do not invalidate the overall findings, conclusions, or scientific contribution of the work. Corrections may address factual inaccuracies, author information, affiliations, funding statements, references, or other elements requiring clarification. Corrections will be permanently linked to the original article and its DOI.

Expressions of Concern. An Expression of Concern may be issued when substantial concerns have been raised regarding the integrity, reliability, or ethical conduct of a published work, but where the available evidence remains inconclusive or an investigation is ongoing. The purpose of an Expression of Concern is to alert readers to potential issues while preserving procedural fairness during the investigation process.

Retractions. A retraction may be issued when there is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable due to misconduct or honest error, when plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, unethical research practices, or other serious breaches of publication ethics are confirmed, or when the scholarly record would otherwise be significantly compromised. 

Retracted articles will remain accessible as part of the permanent scholarly record but will be clearly identified as retracted. A Retraction Notice explaining the reasons for the retraction will be published and permanently linked to the original article and its DOI.

Editorial Responsibility. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for approving corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions, following consultation with the Editorial Board, reviewers, independent experts, the Publisher, or relevant institutions where appropriate. All decisions will be guided by principles of transparency, proportionality, fairness, and the preservation of the scholarly record.

§ Advertising Policy

Journal of Global Sustainability and Development can accept only advertisements that are relevant to the journal’s subject community, promote high quality products and services, and are provided by reputable organisations who display a true commitment to science and research. This journal can earn revenue from advertising sales income.

Publishing House’s advertising policy safeguards editorial autonomy and mitigates potential conflicts of interest as this is states in Editorial Policies of RITHA Publishing House, section Advertising Policy. RITHA Publishing House targets advertising based on publication, taxonomy, geography, behaviour, and opted-in audience demographics. User specific targeting only applies to individuals who have willingly and explicitly agreed to share their personal data as per our privacy policy. For more information about this journal’s advertising policy, please contact office@ritha.eu.

§ Revenue Sources

Starting with the 2025 issues, the Journal of Global Sustainability and Development has revised its APC (Article Publishing Charge) policy. This change brings several significant advantages to the journal and its contributors, enhancing both the publication process and the visibility of research:

- DOI Allocation: Ensures article-level access, easy citation, and efficient retrieval for all published content, in compliance with open access policy.
- Dedicated In-House Editorial and Publishing System: Streamlines the entire editorial process for greater efficiency.
- Database Integration: Provides direct connections with academic databases through advanced scripts and APIs, improving discoverability.
- Digital Preservation Services via PORTICO: Guarantees long-term accessibility and secure archiving of all published content, protecting against potential loss due to technological or organisational changes.
- Reputable Memberships: Affiliation with respected organisations such as DORA, CrossRef, SDG Publisher Compact, and Portico reflects the journal's commitment to quality and sustainability.
- Peer-Review Transparency: Recognises and rewards the peer-review process through integration with Reviewer Credits.
- Social Media Dissemination: Actively promotes articles on social media platforms, increasing visibility and engagement within the academic community.
- Articles published in JGSD are made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and the source are credited.

The APC for publication in JGSD is 350 EUR, payable only after the final decision for publication is made. Requests for reduced APCs are evaluated independently from the editorial process. For details, please contact office@ritha.eu with the subject line “Eligibility for Reduced APC.