Editorial Policies

Paranalar International Journal of Communication (PIJoC) is committed to rigorous, fair, transparent, and responsible scholarly publishing. These policies apply to authors, editors, reviewers, and all parties involved in the publication process.

Peer Review Process

Every submission undergoes an initial editorial assessment for relevance to the journal’s focus and scope, scholarly quality, originality, ethical compliance, and adherence to submission requirements. Manuscripts that pass this assessment are evaluated by independent reviewers with relevant expertise. Reviewers assess the manuscript’s contribution, theoretical grounding, methodological rigor, analysis, clarity, and ethical integrity. Final decisions remain the responsibility of the editorial team and take account of reviewer reports, author revisions, and compliance with journal policies.

Research and Publication Ethics

Authors must report their work accurately, retain appropriate research records, cite sources correctly, obtain required permissions, and comply with applicable ethical requirements for research involving human participants. Editors evaluate manuscripts fairly and protect the confidentiality of submitted work. Reviewers must provide objective, constructive, and timely assessments and must not use unpublished material for personal advantage.

Originality and Plagiarism

Submissions must be original and must not be under consideration elsewhere. All quotations, paraphrases, data, images, and ideas derived from other sources must be properly acknowledged. PIJoC may use similarity-detection tools as part of editorial screening; similarity reports are interpreted through editorial judgment rather than by an automatic percentage threshold. Confirmed plagiarism, data fabrication, redundant publication, or other serious misconduct may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or other appropriate action.

Authorship and Conflicts of Interest

Authorship must be limited to individuals who made a substantial scholarly contribution and who approve the submitted version. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately. Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose financial, professional, institutional, or personal interests that could influence—or reasonably appear to influence—the work or its evaluation.

Corrections, Retractions, and Complaints

PIJoC will correct the scholarly record when material errors are identified. Retractions or other notices may be issued when findings are unreliable or serious ethical breaches are established. Concerns and complaints are assessed fairly, confidentially, and with an opportunity for relevant parties to respond.

Open Access Policy

PIJoC provides immediate open access to its published content. Readers may access articles without subscription or access charges. Open access supports the visibility, accessibility, and exchange of scholarly knowledge.

Archiving and Digital Preservation

PIJoC is committed to the long-term accessibility of its scholarly content through appropriate repositories, archiving systems, and preservation mechanisms. Where applicable, the journal may participate in recognized distributed preservation services such as LOCKSS and institutional repositories.

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright and grant PIJoC the right of first publication. Unless otherwise stated, articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). See the Copyright Notice and License for details.