Publication Ethics

Psychological Research in Sport and Health (PRSH) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and research integrity. The journal follows internationally recognized ethical principles and best practices, including the guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher, are expected to adhere to ethical standards to ensure transparency, reliability, and integrity in scholarly communication.

Authors submitting manuscripts to PRSH are required to ensure that their work meets the following ethical standards:

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must submit original manuscripts that have not been published previously and are not under consideration by another journal. All sources, ideas, data, and contributions from other researchers must be appropriately acknowledged and cited.

PRSH uses appropriate plagiarism detection procedures to identify potential cases of plagiarism, duplicate publication, text recycling, and inappropriate reuse of previously published material.

Research Integrity and Data Accuracy

Authors are responsible for the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of their research findings. Submitted manuscripts must provide a transparent description of research methods, data collection procedures, statistical analyses, and results.

Authors should retain research data and supporting documents and be prepared to provide clarification or access to data when reasonably requested by editors.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, interpretation, or writing of the research.

All listed authors must:

Approve the final version of the manuscript.
Agree with submission to PRSH.
Accept responsibility for their contributions to the work.

Individuals who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, personal, professional, or institutional relationships that could influence the interpretation of research findings.

A conflict of interest statement must be included in all submitted manuscripts.

Funding Disclosure

Authors must clearly report all sources of financial support, grants, institutional support, or other resources that contributed to the research.

Research Ethics and Participant Protection

PRSH requires that all research involving human participants complies with internationally accepted ethical standards.

Authors must:

Obtain approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee before conducting research.
Provide the ethics approval number and committee information in the manuscript when applicable.
Obtain informed consent from participants before data collection.
Protect participant confidentiality and privacy.
Follow ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.

For research involving vulnerable populations, including children, older adults, individuals with disabilities, and clinical populations, authors must provide additional information regarding ethical safeguards and consent procedures.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors of PRSH are responsible for ensuring a fair, transparent, and unbiased publication process.

Editors must:

Evaluate manuscripts based on scientific quality, originality, relevance, and methodological rigor.
Make editorial decisions independently and without discrimination based on authors’ nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, ethnicity, or personal characteristics.
Maintain confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts.
Avoid conflicts of interest related to submitted manuscripts.
Ensure that appropriate reviewers are selected.
Investigate ethical concerns and suspected misconduct following COPE procedures.

Editors should take appropriate action when ethical issues arise, including corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when necessary.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

PRSH follows a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the quality and integrity of published research.

Reviewers are expected to:

Provide objective, constructive, and unbiased evaluations.
Maintain confidentiality of manuscript content.
Avoid using unpublished information for personal advantage.
Declare any potential conflicts of interest.
Identify relevant published work that has not been cited.
Report concerns regarding plagiarism, data manipulation, ethical violations, or methodological problems.

Peer Review Ethics

All submitted manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer-review process, in which the identities of authors and reviewers are protected.

The review process aims to ensure:

Scientific validity
Methodological quality
Ethical compliance
Originality and contribution to the field

The journal strives to provide timely and transparent editorial decisions while maintaining academic rigor.

Research Misconduct

PRSH considers the following practices as research misconduct:

Fabrication of data
Falsification or manipulation of results
Plagiarism
Duplicate publication
Unethical authorship practices
Undisclosed conflicts of interest
Manipulation of the peer-review process

Any suspected misconduct will be investigated according to COPE guidelines. Appropriate actions may include rejection, correction, retraction, notification of institutions, or other measures depending on the severity of the case.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

PRSH is committed to maintaining the accuracy of the scientific record.

When errors are identified:

Minor errors may be corrected through published corrections.
Significant errors affecting interpretation may require expressions of concern.
Articles containing serious ethical violations or unreliable findings may be retracted.

Retraction decisions will follow internationally accepted standards, including COPE recommendations.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Manuscript Preparation

PRSH recognizes the increasing use of artificial intelligence tools in research and manuscript preparation.

Authors must:

Disclose the use of AI-assisted tools when they contribute substantially to manuscript preparation.
Remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of submitted content.
Not list AI tools as authors or contributors.
Ensure that AI-generated content does not introduce plagiarism, fabricated information, or inaccurate references.

Editors and reviewers should use AI tools responsibly while protecting manuscript confidentiality.

Data Sharing and Transparency

PRSH encourages transparency and reproducibility in research.

Authors are encouraged to:

Share research data, protocols, materials, and analytical procedures when ethically and legally possible.
Provide sufficient methodological details to allow replication.
Follow recognized reporting guidelines appropriate to study design, including:
CONSORT for clinical trials
PRISMA for systematic reviews
STROBE for observational studies
CARE for case reports

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain appropriate rights to their work according to the journal’s open-access policy.

All published articles will be distributed under transparent licensing conditions, allowing appropriate access and reuse while ensuring proper attribution.

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

PRSH is dedicated to promoting responsible research practices, transparency, and trust in scientific publishing. The journal continuously updates its policies according to international standards and aims to contribute to a reliable, ethical, and high-quality scholarly environment.

Recommended Ethical Frameworks Followed by PRSH:

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations
Declaration of Helsinki
DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing
EQUATOR Network Reporting Guidelines