At Goldline and Jacobs Publishing, we are dedicated to the global distribution of high-quality research. Our editorial processes are built on rigorous, transparent, and fair ethical standards that govern every journal in our division. Successful publication relies on the shared commitment of our authors, editors, and reviewers. We require everyone involved to understand and uphold our policies on publication ethics and malpractice. These guidelines closely aligned with the COPE Core Practices, ensuring our community meets the highest international standards for integrity.
Responsibility of the Editor
The editor holds final authority for deciding which submissions are published. All editorial decisions must be based strictly on the manuscript’s academic merit and relevance to the journal, without regard to the author's race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
Confidentiality
Information concerning a submitted manuscript should only be revealed to the corresponding author, reviewers, editorial board members, or the publisher as is required or otherwise appropriate.
Disclosure and conflicts of interest
Reviewers will not use unpublished information disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research purposes without the authors’ explicit written consent. Reviewers will recuse themselves from reviewing manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships/connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.
Responsibility of Reviewers
Purpose of peer review
The peer review process is a crucial component in helping the editor and/or editorial board reach editorial or publishing decisions and may also help the author improve the quality of the submission.
Promptness
A potential reviewer should withdraw from the review process if they feel unqualified to assess the contribution or cannot provide an assessment in a timely manner, as defined by the editor.
Confidentiality
Manuscripts for review must be considered confidential documents. Information concerning the manuscripts should not be discussed with others without the approval of the editor.
Disclosure and conflicts of interest
Editors and editorial board members will not use unpublished information disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research purposes without the authors’ explicit written consent. Editors will recuse themselves from considering manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships/connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers; instead, they will ask another member of the editorial board to handle the manuscript.
Objectivity
Reviewers should strive to be objective in their assessments. Reviewers’ comments should be clearly expressed and supported by data or arguments. Personal criticism of the author(s) is not appropriate.
Acknowledgment of sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also call to the editor’s attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
Responsibility of the Author
Reporting standards
In scholarly publishing, it is imperative that authors of original research provide a transparent and precise record of their methodology, accompanied by a balanced evaluation of its significance. All empirical data must be represented with absolute fidelity. To ensure scientific rigor, manuscripts should include comprehensive procedural details and citations, thereby enabling independent replication by the academic community. The inclusion of fabricated, falsified, or deliberately misleading statements is considered a severe breach of professional ethics and is strictly prohibited.
Originality, plagiarism, and acknowledgment of sources
Manuscripts must be original and unpublished. Authors are responsible for attributing all data and ideas to their sources, citing relevant literature, and using quotation marks for direct text usage
Multiple, redundant, or concurrent publication
Broadly speaking, you shouldn't publish the same research in multiple journals. Submitting a single paper to several outlets at once is considered unethical and unacceptable. You also cannot submit work that has already been published as copyrighted material. Furthermore, if a manuscript is currently under review at one journal, it shouldn't be submitted elsewhere until a decision is made. Some journals featuring creative works might offer exceptions to these rules, so it’s best to check with the editor directly.
Acknowledgment of sources
Authors must ensure proper attribution for all work. This includes citing influential publications and obtaining explicit, written permission before using private information from conversations or correspondence. Additionally, information obtained during confidential services, such as manuscript reviews or grant assessments, must not be used without the original author's written authorization.
Authorship of the paper
Authorship is reserved for those who contributed significantly to the study's conception, design, execution, or data interpretation. All major contributors must be listed as co-authors, while those who assisted in other substantive ways should be acknowledged. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring the author list is accurate, obtaining approval from all co-authors on the final draft, and securing their agreement for submission.
Disclosure and conflicts of interest
All authors are required to declare any financial interests or personal relationships that may be perceived as influencing the integrity of the submitted manuscript. This includes, but is not limited to, professional consultancies, equity holdings, honoraria, and patent registrations. Full transparency regarding research sponsors and their involvement in the study design or analysis is mandatory. All such disclosures must be communicated to the editorial office upon initial submission.
Fundamental errors in published works
Authors bear a professional responsibility to report any significant errors in their published work to the editor immediately and to cooperate in issuing a correction or retraction. Should a third party report a potential error, the author must promptly rectify the paper or provide evidence validating the original findings.
Please send questions, concerns, or comments to Goldline and Jacobs Publishing: [email protected].
Article Publication Charges
There is currently no article publication charge.
Subscription and Payment
Institutional and non-member subscriptions are $55 and $35 a year, respectively. Add $5 per issue for subscriptions outside the United States. Institutional and subscribers and individual subscribers who are not members of the ISA should direct inquiries about subscription (or standing order), claims for missing issues, and notifications of address changes to:
Address for Submission
Editorial Office: Igbo Studies Review,
Department of History, Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881
Email: [email protected]