Publication Ethics Statement

The Historian, published by the Department of History, Government College University Lahore, is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. Our editorial policies adhere to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE, 2022) guidelines and reflect the values of transparency, integrity, accountability, and academic freedom. This ethics statement applies to all parties involved in the publishing process: authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher.

1. Duties of Authors
   A. Originality and Plagiarism

• Authors must ensure their work is original and unpublished, and not under review elsewhere.
• Authors may use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly) solely for editing and language refinement.
• All manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software.
• A maximum similarity index of 19% is allowed (excluding references).
• Any form of plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or redundant publication will result in immediate rejection and possible institutional reporting.

           B. Authorship and Acknowledgements

• Only individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions should be listed as authors.
• Any contributors not meeting authorship criteria (e.g., technical editing, data collection) must be acknowledged separately.
• All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission.

           C. Conflict of Interest

• Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence their research or interpretation of data.

           D. Ethical Approval

• Research involving human participants, archival restrictions, or sensitive data must comply with ethical standards and receive appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee approval, where applicable.

2. Duties of Editors

• Editors ensure that all manuscripts are evaluated based on their scholarly merit, without discrimination regarding authors' gender, race, religion, citizenship, or institutional affiliation.
• The Historian follows a triple-blind peer review process: identities of authors, reviewers, and handling editors are anonymised to ensure unbiased evaluation.
• Editors will take responsive action on ethical complaints, suspected misconduct, or retraction requests, in accordance with COPE procedures.
• Editors must maintain editorial independence, avoid conflicts of interest, and protect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and peer reviews.

3. Duties of Reviewers

• Reviewers are expected to provide constructive, honest, and timely feedback to improve the quality of submissions.
• They must maintain strict confidentiality, and must not share, use, or disclose any part of the manuscript prior to publication.
• Reviewers must declare conflicts of interest and decline to review if personal or professional connections compromise objectivity.
• If reviewers suspect plagiarism, unethical research, or data manipulation, they are encouraged to alert the editorial team.

4. Publisher’s Responsibilities

• Government College University Lahore, as the publisher, ensures the long-term preservation and accessibility of all published content through secure archiving systems.
• The publisher supports editorial freedom and upholds policies that maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.
• In the event of publication errors, the publisher will cooperate with editors to issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern, as appropriate.

5. Corrections, Retractions, and Complaints

• Authors are responsible for notifying the editors of any significant errors or inaccuracies discovered post-publication.
• The editorial board, in line with COPE recommendations, will determine whether a correction, retraction, or editorial note is warranted.
• Complaints regarding ethical misconduct, authorship disputes, or peer review concerns can be submitted confidentially to the Editor-in-Chief, and will be investigated promptly and fairly.

6. Confidentiality and Data Protection

• All submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities are handled as confidential documents.
• Personal data of authors, reviewers, and readers will not be shared without explicit consent, in accordance with GDPR and other relevant data protection regulations.

The Historian is committed to ethical, inclusive, and transparent scholarly publishing. All parties involved are expected to uphold these standards to ensure the credibility, accessibility, and integrity of the academic record.