Citations Policy
Our Commitment to Responsible Referencing
Citations are essential to scholarly publishing. They acknowledge prior work, provide evidence for claims, and allow readers to trace the development of ideas. At Global Journals®, we uphold rigorous standards for citations to ensure accuracy, fairness, and integrity in the research record.
Principles of Our Citation Policy
Accuracy and Completeness
- All references must be accurate, verifiable, and correspond to the original source.
- Authors are responsible for checking details such as author names, titles, publication year, journal name, volume, issue, and page numbers.
Relevance
- References should be directly relevant to the work being presented.
- Citations should not be included solely to increase citation counts of specific journals, individuals, or organizations.
Ethics and Integrity
- Citation manipulation (including coercive citation practices, excessive self-citation, or citation cartels) is strictly prohibited.
- Authors, editors, and reviewers must avoid practices that artificially influence bibliometrics or impact factors.
Balance and Fairness
- Authors must provide a balanced overview of the literature, citing a diversity of sources rather than relying excessively on a single group, journal, or region.
- Self-citations should be kept to a necessary minimum and should only be included where directly relevant to the research.
Transparency in Use of Sources
- Secondary citations (citing a source you have not personally read) should be avoided. If unavoidable, the use of secondary references must be clearly indicated.
- Authors should not misrepresent the content or conclusions of the work they are citing.
Author Responsibilities
- Ensure that citations support the claims and arguments presented in the manuscript.
- Use recognized citation styles as indicated in the journal’s author guidelines.
- Disclose the use of any automated citation tools and verify the accuracy of outputs, since such tools can produce incomplete or incorrect references.
- Confirm that all cited works are accessible to the public, unless referencing confidential reports or data (which should be clearly explained).
Reviewer and Editor Responsibilities
- Reviewers should check that references are appropriate, relevant, and sufficient to support the manuscript’s claims.
- Editors should remain alert to patterns of excessive self-citation, irrelevant referencing, or coercive citation requests and address them as needed.
Consequences of Citation Misconduct
Improper citation practices undermine the integrity of the scientific record. In cases of citation manipulation or unethical practices, Global Journals® may take actions including
- Requesting revision or removal of problematic citations.
- Issuing corrections or expressions of concern.
- Rejecting manuscripts or retracting published articles in serious cases.
- Informing authors’ institutions or funders about unethical practices.
Our Goal
By maintaining high standards for citations, Global Journals® ensures that published work reflects intellectual honesty, recognizes contributions fairly, and supports the advancement of knowledge across disciplines.
