ETHICAL OVERSIGHT

Research Involving Human Participants

All research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Prior to commencing the study, it is necessary to obtain ethic approval from the ethics committee of the relevant higher education institution to confirm compliance with national and international recommendations on the research involving human participants. In the manuscript, Authors must make a confirmation statement that includes detailed information on the name of the ethics committee and the reference number(s) of approval/approvals, where applicable.

If the research involves human beings as objects of research, participants (or their legal guardians, if underage or unable to provide informed consent) must give written informed consent prior to participation in the research. A statement confirming this must be attached to the manuscript. Authors must be prepared to provide signed and dated consent copies to the Editorial Board upon request. If oral rather than written consent was obtained, this must be explained and stated in the manuscript. Consent for statement publication must confirm that details of any images, videos, recordings, etc. may be published and that the individual(s) giving such consent have been provided with the content of the article to be published. Consent for publication is a mandatory requirement of the Journal and cannot be waived by the ethics committee.

 

Human Dignity

In scientific research, all people, whether living or deceased, must be treated with dignity and respect. Ethical research practice requires researchers to be careful in ensuring that their work minimizes risk and does not cause harm to participants. Particular attention must be paid to protecting the dignity and well-being of vulnerable participants, including but not limited to children, refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, vulnerable persons or those placed in special institutions, as well as anyone who may lack the capacity to provide informed consent.

Research involving children and teenagers: written informed consent must be obtained from the parents/guardians of participants who are not legally adults, except in rare cases where children may provide consent independently (e.g., emancipated minors). The age of majority is determined by the country in which the research participants reside and is typically between 16 and 18 years. Whenever possible, researchers should also seek the consent of the children themselves. A statement confirming the receipt of informed consent must be attached to the manuscript. In cases where oral rather than written informed consent was obtained, this must be explained and indicated in the manuscript. In line with the principles set out in the Nuremberg Code  and Belmont Report, informed consent must be given voluntarily, without coercion or bribery.

Vulnerable populations: Authors must be familiar with disciplinary, institutional, and national/international guidelines on research involving vulnerable populations. The  Global Association of Human Trafficking Research and the  Economic and Social Research Council  have issued guidance on conducting research with such groups.

Images: Researchers must ensure that participants fully understand the benefits and risks associated with the publication of photographs, as well as how such images will be used, stored, and disseminated.

Derogatory and stigmatizing language: when describing groups by race, ethnicity, age, illness, ability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other identity categories, stigmatizing or discriminatory terminology must be avoided. If the research involves the publication of derogatory or offensive expressions (e.g., direct quotations, interview transcripts, song lyrics, etc.), Authors must clearly state the scientific purpose of including such material.

Content warnings: Authors must consider including content warnings if their articles contain particularly graphic or culturally significant material. Authors must be prepared to provide additional information and documentation regarding research methods and permissions to the Editorial Board upon request. The Editors and Publisher reserve the right to reject articles that do not meet these requirements.

Survey-based research

Authors must ensure that all participants are informed about the purpose of the research, whether anonymity is guaranteed, and how the collected data will be stored. Authors must always respect participants’ right to confidentiality, and participants must be fully informed about the aims of the study and any associated risks. Their voluntary consent must be documented, and all applicable data protection legislation must be observed. As in all scientific research, approval from the appropriate Ethics Committee must be obtained prior to conducting the study. A statement confirming this approval must be included in the manuscript. In cases where ethical approval is not required for review-based research, Authors must include a statement explaining this.

Authors must be aware of any specific ethical approval procedures that must be followed when conducting research in communities where restrictions or special procedures may apply. Authors must also be mindful of cultural peculiarities or restrictions associated with any images included in their manuscripts. Such cultural peculiarities or restrictions must be respected, for example, in the publication of dialectological studies.

Research using social media data

Authors using data collected from social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram) must be aware of national laws and ethical guidelines regarding the collection and publication of such information. When interacting with individuals or accessing personal information, ethical approval must be obtained prior to conducting the research. Authors must also ensure proper anonymity and obtain informed consent from anyone who could be potentially identified. Please note that not all data may be collected under the principles of fair use or copyright protection. Authors must review the relevant user policies of the social media platforms or terms of service in the region where the research is conducted to determine whether platform permission is required. Authors are encouraged to consult relevant guidelines such as the Ethics Statement and Conceptual Framework from Social Data Science Lab and ethical guidelines for digital research from the  British Sociological Association.

Breaches

Any situation involving a breach of publication ethics by an Editor, Author, or Reviewer requires mandatory investigation. This applies to both published and unpublished materials. The Editorial Board is obliged to request clarification without involving individuals who may have a conflict of interest with either party.