Ethical Standards

All policies at Sustainability and Beyond are aligned with established ethical standards in academic publishing. We aim to foster a publishing environment built on integrity, transparency, and a commitment to advancing knowledge responsibly. 

For more information on the journal’s publication ethics please visit the publisher’s Publication Ethics page. This includes information on:

• Standards for Professional Conduct
• Complaints and appeals
• Allegations and handling of research misconduct
• Conflicts of interest / Competing interests
• Intellectual property and Research integrity
• Confidentiality and transparency as well as the
• Name change policy

Further information on individual aspects beyond what is provided on the publisher page including contact information for the journal can be found on this page.

 

For information regarding manuscript submissions please visit our Submissions page, including information on: 

• Manuscript preparation
• The types of manuscripts the journal will consider
• Submission process
• Submission Preparation Checklist
• Authorship and Contributorship
• Ethical oversight
• Intellectual property & Research integrity
• Peer Review process in detail
• Post-publication discussions and corrections

Additional Information on Publication Ethics

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools

Authors and reviewers must familiarise themselves with the journal’s AI Policy.

Standards for Professional Conduct 

Sustainability & Beyond promotes transparent scientific communication and high ethical standards. All interactions with the journal’s staff, editors, reviewers, and authors must be polite, respectful, and professional, whether by email, phone, comments, or social media.

Decisions on responses will be made by the Director of Publications in consultation with the Executive Editorial Team, the Managing Editors Group and, where appropriate, the publisher. Concerns about non-compliant interactions should be reported directly to the journal journal@isdrs.com.

COPE Alignment

Sustainability & Beyond follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices. In cases of suspected misconduct or breaches of professional conduct, the journal will act in accordance with COPE guidance to ensure fairness, transparency, and integrity in the editorial process.

Code of Conduct for Editorial Board Members

Editorial Board members of Sustainability & Beyond are entrusted with upholding the highest standards of editorial practice. Members are expected to adhere to the journal’s policies on research integrity and publication ethics, the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers and Editors, and the values of fairness, transparency, and accountability.

If an Editorial Board member is found to have violated this Code of Conduct:

1. The issue will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and the Publisher, following COPE Core Practices.
2. The member will be informed in writing of the concerns and given an opportunity to respond.
3. Depending on the severity, outcomes may include:

• • Feedback or formal warning.
  • Temporary suspension of editorial duties.
  • Removal from handling new submissions.
  • Permanent removal from the Editorial Board.

1. Serious breaches (e.g. research misconduct, harassment, or breaches of confidentiality) may be escalated to the member’s institution or professional body, and/or COPE for further guidance.