Authorship and Contributorship Policy

Regional Studies Journal (RSJ) is committed to the principles of integrity and transparency in authorship and scholarly contributions. Authorship must reflect genuine and substantial scholarly contributions to the research.

1. Authorship Criteria

Authorship must be based on a substantial scientific or intellectual contribution to the research, such as developing the research idea or design, collecting, analyzing, or interpreting data, developing the methodology, or drafting or critically revising the manuscript.

Institutional affiliation, administrative supervision, or technical or administrative assistance that does not constitute a substantial scholarly contribution does not, by itself, justify authorship.

2. Authors’ Responsibilities

All authors share responsibility for the content and scientific accuracy of the manuscript. They must:

·   Approve the submitted version and the final version accepted for publication.

·   Ensure that the research is original and that the data and information presented are accurate to the best of their knowledge.

·   Disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest.

·   Cooperate with the Editorial Board when clarification regarding authorship or individual contributions is required.

3. Corresponding Author

The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal throughout the submission, peer-review, and publication processes. Responsibilities include:

·   Ensuring that all authors approve the submission of the manuscript.

·   Providing accurate information about all authors.

·   Communicating with the Editorial Board regarding comments, revisions, and procedures related to the manuscript.

·   Confirming that all authors have approved the final version before publication.

Being the corresponding author does not imply sole scientific responsibility for the manuscript. Scientific responsibility remains shared among all authors according to their respective contributions.

4. Order of Authors

The order of authors is determined by the authors themselves before submission and should reflect the nature and extent of their agreed scholarly contributions.

The Editorial Board does not intervene in the order of authors unless concerns arise regarding authorship, contributions, or research integrity.

5. Changes to Authorship

No author may be added, removed, or reordered after submission except upon a justified request and with the approval of all authors concerned.

The Editorial Board may require a written explanation of the reasons for the proposed change and clarification of the contributions of each author before making a decision.

After publication, changes to authorship are permitted only in exceptional circumstances supported by documented reasons and in accordance with the journal’s editorial procedures.

6. Inappropriate Authorship

The journal does not permit honorary, guest, or ghost authorship. This includes the inclusion of individuals who have not made a substantial scholarly contribution, as well as the exclusion of researchers who have made contributions that warrant authorship.

7. Acknowledgment of Non-Authorship Contributions

Individuals who have provided technical, administrative, linguistic, or other forms of assistance that do not meet the criteria for authorship may be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section, where appropriate.

8. Disclosure of Contributions

The journal may request clarification of each author’s contribution when necessary, particularly in cases requiring verification of authorship responsibilities or when disputes concerning scholarly contributions arise.

The Editorial Board reserves the right to request relevant information or documentation to verify the integrity of authorship and to take appropriate action when there is evidence of a violation of scientific or publication integrity standards.