1. Ethical Commitment of the Journal

IJGESR aims to publish original, reliable and academically meaningful research in Geography,
Earth Sciences, Environmental Studies, GIS, Remote Sensing, Spatial Analysis and related
interdisciplinary fields. The journal does not support plagiarism, duplicate publication,
fabricated data, falsified results, inappropriate authorship, unethical image manipulation
or any form of academic misconduct.

All manuscripts submitted to IJGESR are expected to follow standards of honesty, originality,
proper acknowledgement of sources, fair authorship representation and responsible reporting
of research findings.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscript is original, accurate, properly
referenced and ethically prepared. Manuscripts must not be submitted to more than one journal
at the same time and must not have been published previously in substantially similar form.

• Submit only original and unpublished work.
• Ensure that all data, maps, tables, figures and images are accurate and authentic.
• Cite all sources properly and avoid plagiarism.
• Ensure that all listed authors have contributed meaningfully to the research.
• Disclose funding sources, conflicts of interest and acknowledgements where applicable.
• Obtain necessary permission for copyrighted material, maps, photographs or datasets.
• Cooperate with editors during review, revision, correction or investigation processes.

3. Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their submitted manuscript is original and free from plagiarism.
Plagiarism includes copying text, ideas, data, maps, images, tables or research findings
from another source without proper acknowledgement. Self-plagiarism, duplicate publication
and excessive reuse of previously published work without citation are also considered
unethical.

Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism, fabricated content, copied material or manipulated
evidence may be rejected at any stage of the editorial or publication process.

4. Data Integrity and Research Accuracy

Authors must present research data, field observations, maps, geospatial outputs, satellite
images, statistical results and interpretations accurately. Data fabrication, falsification,
selective reporting, manipulation of maps or misleading presentation of findings are serious
ethical violations.

Where appropriate, authors should preserve research data and be prepared to provide supporting
information if requested by the editorial team during review or post-publication assessment.

5. Authorship and Contributor Responsibility

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a significant intellectual or
scholarly contribution to the conception, design, data collection, analysis, interpretation
or writing of the manuscript. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript
before submission.

Valid Authorship

Authors should have made genuine academic contributions to the research and manuscript.

Author Approval

All listed authors should approve the final manuscript before submission.

No Gift Authorship

Individuals without substantial contribution should not be added as authors.

Acknowledgement

Technical, institutional or financial support may be acknowledged separately.

6. Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers and editors must disclose any conflict of interest that may influence
the research, review process or publication decision. Conflicts may be financial, personal,
professional, institutional or academic in nature.

If a conflict of interest is identified, the editorial team may take appropriate steps,
including assigning alternative reviewers, requesting clarification from authors or making
an editorial decision based on transparency and fairness.

7. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play an important role in maintaining the quality and credibility of the journal.
Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, confidential and timely feedback
on manuscripts assigned to them.

• Evaluate manuscripts fairly and objectively.
• Maintain confidentiality of the manuscript and review process.
• Declare any conflict of interest before accepting review work.
• Avoid personal criticism, biased judgement or unsupported comments.
• Identify suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication or ethical concerns.
• Submit review comments within the assigned timeline.

8. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring fair, transparent and academically sound editorial
decisions. Manuscripts should be evaluated on the basis of originality, relevance, academic
quality, methodological soundness, ethical compliance and contribution to the field.

• Handle manuscripts fairly and confidentially.
• Select suitable reviewers based on subject expertise.
• Make editorial decisions without discrimination or personal bias.
• Protect the integrity of the peer review process.
• Take appropriate action in cases of misconduct or ethical concern.
• Maintain transparency in correction, withdrawal and retraction matters.

9. Human Participants, Field Surveys and Sensitive Data

Research involving human participants, field surveys, household data, institutional data,
community information or sensitive geographical information should follow appropriate ethical
standards. Authors should obtain consent where required and avoid disclosure of personally
identifiable or sensitive information without permission.

Studies using official datasets, satellite data, GIS layers, field photographs or maps should
mention relevant sources and permissions wherever applicable.

10. Publication Misconduct

Publication misconduct includes plagiarism, duplicate submission, duplicate publication,
data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, false authorship claims, citation
manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest and unethical research practices.

If misconduct is suspected, the editorial team may request clarification, supporting documents
or revised declarations from the authors. Serious ethical violations may lead to rejection,
withdrawal, correction, retraction or notification to relevant institutions where appropriate.

11. Corrections, Withdrawal and Retraction

IJGESR may issue corrections if minor errors are identified after publication and the overall
findings remain valid. A manuscript may be withdrawn before publication if justified by the
author and approved by the editorial office. Retraction may be considered in cases of serious
ethical violations, major errors, plagiarism, fabricated data or unreliable findings.

Correction

Used when minor errors require clarification without invalidating the article.

Withdrawal

May apply before publication when a valid reason is accepted by the editorial office.

Retraction

Used for serious misconduct, unreliable findings or major ethical violations.

Editorial Note

May be issued when clarification or public notice is required.

12. Publisher Responsibilities

The publisher supports editorial independence, ethical publication practices and responsible
scholarly communication. The publisher does not interfere with editorial decisions based on
academic quality, peer review, ethical compliance and journal policy.

The publisher assists in maintaining the journal website, publication records, article access,
policy transparency and communication support for authors, editors and readers.

13. Editorial Office

For queries related to publication ethics, manuscript integrity, peer review, corrections,
withdrawal or editorial communication, authors may contact the editorial office of IJGESR.

Website: www.ijgesr.com
Email: editor@ijgesr.com

Submit Ethically Prepared Manuscripts

Authors should carefully review the publication ethics policy before submitting a manuscript.

Submit Manuscript