Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

1. Introduction

At Verlumun: Journal of AI, Gender and Cultural Studies, published by Gever Verlumun Publishers LLP, our commitment to the integrity of our academic content and publishing process is guaranteed. We encourage researchers to conduct their work in line with established best practices and the professional codes of conduct of internationally regulated bodies.

2. Research Integrity

We uphold the highest standards of research integrity. We expect all contributors to our journal to abide by the following core principles:

2a. Maintaining complete honesty in all aspects of research.
2b. Ensuring thoroughness, accuracy, and excellence in research practice.
2c. Communicating research reports with heightened transparency and integrity.
2d. Protecting the rights, care, and well-being of all human and animal subjects in the study.
2e. Considering the ethical and societal implications of research findings, especially concerning algorithms, data bias, gender equity, and cultural representation.

3. Editorial Process

We are committed to a high standard in our editorial process, ensuring all content is developed with rigour and independence. Our inclusive editorial policies are as follows:

3a. Initial Submission Check: After submission, manuscripts undergo a preliminary check and will only proceed to peer review if they meet the following criteria:
- The manuscript falls within the journal's scope.
- Authorship information is complete and well-grounded.
- The manuscript meets our standards for presentation and formatting.
- Required information regarding research ethics, informed consent, and data handling procedures (especially for AI or large-scale data) is included.
- The manuscript is free from plagiarism, with a maximum acceptable similarity index of 20%.
3b. Peer Review and Decision: When a submission passes the preliminary check, qualified and independent reviewers are invited to critically assess it. Following a thorough evaluation of the reviewers' comments, editors will decide to either accept, reject, or request a revision from the author(s).
3c. Final Decision: After a revised manuscript is resubmitted, it may be sent for a second round of review. The editors will then make a final decision to accept or reject the revised manuscript. If accepted, the manuscript will undergo professional layout editing, author proofreading, and format conversion before publication.

4. Peer Review

We use a double-blind peer review process to ensure impartial assessment of submitted manuscripts. Our reviewers are external to the journal and publisher, Gever Verlumun Publishers LLP. We acknowledge the indispensable role of critical assessment in the integrity of the scholarly record and adhere to the following principles:

4a. Reviewers should only accept manuscripts for which they have the subject expertise required for a proper, prompt review.
4b. Reviewers must ensure the confidentiality of the peer review process, refraining from disclosing any details of a manuscript or its review.
4c. Reviewers must not use information from a manuscript to their own advantage or to the disadvantage of others.
4d. Reviewers should declare all potential conflicts of interest.
4e. Reviews should be impartial, objective, and constructive, free from personal or defamatory comments.
4f. Reviewers must not let their judgment be influenced by the manuscript's origin, nationality, religion, political beliefs, gender, or other characteristics of the authors.
4g. Reviewers should assess whether the research appropriately addresses issues of fairness, bias, and representation (especially concerning gender, cultural, or algorithmic systems) and uses language that is respectful and inclusive of diverse identities and communities.
4h. Reviewers should recognise peer review as a reciprocal effort and strive to complete their reviews in a timely manner.
4i. Impersonating another individual during the review process is considered a serious breach of ethics.

5. Handling Submissions from Editorial Board Members

To ensure impartiality and avoid conflicts of interest, all manuscripts submitted by our Editor-in-Chief, editors, or any member of our Editorial Board are subject to the following strict process:

The submission is treated like any other, but the submitting editor or board member is completely excluded from the peer-review and decision-making process for that manuscript.
The manuscript will be assigned to an independent editor or another senior editorial board member who will manage the entire peer-review process, ensuring it adheres to the double-blind procedure.
The final decision to accept or reject the manuscript will be made by the independent editor or by the Editor-in-Chief (if the submitting author is not the EiC), based solely on the independent reviews.

6. Special Issue Policies

The journal applies the following policies for its special issues to maintain perfect alignment with our structural operational constraints:

6a. Appointment: The Editor-in-Chief may serve as the editor, or external Guest Editors with proven expertise and exceptional publication records on the special issue theme may be formally appointed following proposal approval.
6b. Workflow Management: The Guest Editor will screen initial submissions, invite independent reviewers, and coordinate the review process. However, to maintain absolute editorial independence, the journal’s internal Editor-in-Chief retains sole authority and makes the final decision to accept or reject any manuscript.
6c. Institutional Conflicts: Where a Guest Editor shares an institutional affiliation with an author, that Guest Editor will be completely excluded from the peer review and decision-making process for that specific manuscript.
6d. Review Standards: The review process for special issues follows the exact same double-blind, rigorous procedure as regular issues.
6e. Institutional Diversity: While a special issue featuring authors from a single institution is possible under exceptional themes, the peer review must be handled entirely externally, and the content must fall squarely within the journal's scope.

7. Authorship

Scholarly contributions to the development of research work have significant academic implications. Authorship comes with both liability and accountability. Therefore, potential authors must be aware of the following:

7a. Individuals with considerable contributions to the work's conception, design, data acquisition/analysis, and drafting or revision must be listed as authors.
7b. The corresponding author assumes primary responsibility for communication with the journal and publisher, Gever Verlumun Publishers LLP, and does not have a superior role.
7c. Individuals whose contributions do not justify authorship (e.g., data collectors, professional writing assistants) should be acknowledged in a separate section.

8. Policy for Authorship Change

Verlumun Journal of AI, Gender and Cultural Studies recognises that circumstances may arise where a change in authorship is necessary after a manuscript has been submitted. Such changes must be handled with transparency and require approval from the journal's editors.

8a. During Peer Review: Any request for adding, deleting, or re-ordering authors must be made by the corresponding author and requires a written explanation for the change. This request must be accompanied by a signed statement from all authors involved (including those being added or removed) confirming their agreement with the change.
8b. Post-Acceptance: Authorship changes (additions, deletions, or rearrangements of author names) are strictly prohibited after a manuscript has been formally accepted for publication. The author list is finalised upon acceptance and must reflect the certified contributions made during the research and review process.
8c. Timing of Requests: All authorship change requests must be made prior to formal acceptance. Requests must include a clear and valid justification, such as the discovery of a significant, previously unmentioned scholarly contribution or an error in the original author list.
8d. Editor's Discretion: The journal's editors reserve the right to decline any request for authorship change that does not meet the above criteria or is deemed to be ethically questionable.

9. Management of Author Affiliation and Contact Information Changes

This policy outlines the procedures and constraints governing requests for changes to author affiliation and contact information after a manuscript has been submitted:

9a. Strict Policy Statement: The institutional affiliation published in the final article must strictly and solely reflect the author's primary affiliation at the time the manuscript was written and finalised for submission.
9b. Affiliation Change Status and Constraints:
- Stage 1 (Pre-Acceptance): Minor typographical errors may be corrected. A complete change of institution is generally prohibited.
- Stage 2 (Post-Acceptance / Pre-Proofing): Only minor administrative corrections are permitted. Written confirmation from all co-authors is required.
- Stage 3 (Post-Proof Approval): Changes are strictly prohibited once the final PDF is deposited and assigned a DOI.
9c. Accommodation for Current Affiliation: If a change occurred after writing, the Editorial Office may consider a Present Address or Current Affiliation footnote.
9d. Corresponding Author Email Changes: Updates are generally permitted up to publication, though original records are retained for historical tracking.

10. Author Declarations Policy

10a. Policy Implementation and Effective Date

This Author Declarations Policy is officially effective and strictly enforced by the publisher, Gever Verlumun Publishers LLP, starting with the publication of Volume 2, Issue 1 (October 2026). All manuscripts slated for this issue and all subsequent volumes must strictly comply with these disclosure requirements prior to receiving final galley proof approval. Papers published in volumes prior to October 2026 remain governed by the guidelines in place at their respective times of publication.

To maintain the highest standards of transparency, scientific integrity, and publication ethics, the Verlumun Journal of AI, Gender and Cultural Studies requires all manuscripts to include a mandatory Declarations section. This section must be placed at the very end of the manuscript text, immediately preceding the reference list. Submissions that omit these statements or fail to use the required templates will be returned to the authors during the initial screening or galley proof stage.

10b. Mandatory Declarations Components and Templates

Authors must provide explicit statements for each of the following six components:

Ethical Approval Statement: The journal is committed to upholding rigorous ethical standards for research involving human participants. Authors must declare compliance with international frameworks, specifically the Declaration of Helsinki. To accommodate varying institutional frameworks and research designs, authors must present one of the following two options:
- Standard Institutional Approval: For studies requiring formal institutional oversight, authors must specify the reviewing body, the official protocol/approval code, and the date of approval.
  
  Template: This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Institutional Review Board of [INSTITUTION NAME] (Protocol code [NUMBER] and date of approval).
- Exemptions for Anonymous/Minimal-Risk Research: For low-risk, voluntary, and completely anonymised research (such as online surveys and questionnaires), where institutional regulations do not trigger a formal board review, authors must explicitly state this justification while maintaining accountability to global ethical baselines.
  
  Template: This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Formal institutional ethical approval was not required for this study as the survey was completely anonymous, voluntary, and carried no risk to participants.
  
  (Note: The final legal and professional responsibility for ensuring true ethical compliance, participant confidentiality, and adherence to institutional rules rests entirely and solely with the authors).
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Statement: In alignment with evolving digital publishing ethics, the journal requires full transparency regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies.
- If AI technologies were utilised: Authors must declare the specific tool used, the reason for its deployment, and confirm that human oversight was maintained over the final output.
  
  Template: During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON, e.g. language editing and clarity improvement]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.
- If no AI technologies were utilised: Authors must explicitly confirm the sole human production of the text.
  
  Template: The authors confirm that no Artificial Intelligence tools were used in the writing or production of this manuscript.
Data Availability Statement: To foster scientific transparency and reproducibility, authors must clarify the availability of their research data.

Template: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [AUTHOR INITIALS], upon reasonable request. (Alternative standard repository statements may be used if data are hosted publicly).
Funding Statement: Authors must completely disclose all sources of financial support related to the execution of the research.

Template: [List the funding body and grant number]. (If unfunded, use the following text): This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Conflict of Interest: Authors must declare any potential financial, personal, or professional relationships within the past three years that could be perceived as inappropriately influencing or biasing their work.

Template: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Authors’ Contributions (or Author’s Contribution for sole authors): To ensure appropriate academic accountability, an explicit breakdown of individual author roles must be provided using author initials.

Template (Multiple Authors): [AUTHOR INITIALS] conceived and designed the study; [AUTHOR INITIALS] performed the data collection; [AUTHOR INITIALS] analysed the data; [AUTHOR INITIALS] wrote the paper. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Template (Sole Author): [AUTHOR INITIALS] is the sole author of this work and was solely responsible for the conceptualisation, theoretical framework, study design, data collection, statistical analyses, interpretation of results, and the writing and revision of the manuscript. The author read and approved the final manuscript.

11. Plagiarism

We utilise Turnitin to screen all submitted manuscripts. The use of another author's language, ideas, and expressions as one's own is strictly unacceptable. Our maximum acceptable similarity index for a manuscript is 20% or below. Self-plagiarism, defined as using a considerable part of one's previously published work without proper citation or re-publishing the same content, is also prohibited. Authors must correctly cite all sources, including their own previous work.

12. Generative AI Policies

12a. For Authors: AI is not permitted to generate manuscripts; it should only be used to improve readability and language under strict human oversight. If the research relies on or employs AI models/algorithms (e.g., for data analysis, image generation, or content moderation), the model, its architecture, and the specific version or training data used must be disclosed transparently in the Methods section for reproducibility. AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
12b. For Figures and Artwork: The use of AI to create or alter images, figures, or artwork is generally not permitted unless it is an integral part of the research design, which must be fully described in the methods section.
12c. For Reviewers and Editors: Uploading manuscripts or review reports into generative AI tools is strictly prohibited to protect the authors' confidentiality and the integrity of the peer-review process.

13. Sex/Gender and Cultural Inclusiveness Language

The journal and its publisher, Gever Verlumun Publishers LLP, are committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in academic publishing. We require authors, reviewers, and editors to use gender-neutral, culturally sensitive, and identity-affirming language in all submitted manuscripts, communications, and peer reviews. This includes:

13a. Using terms that are not specific to a particular sex or gender identity (e.g., researcher instead of he, and they instead of he/she).
13b. Avoiding stereotypes, generalisations, and derogatory terms related to gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, or any cultural group.
13c. Respecting the self-identified names and pronouns of individuals and communities discussed in the research.

14. Research with Animals or Humans

All research involving animal or human subjects must have prior approval from a research ethics committee (IRB) and documented informed consent.

14a. Data Privacy and Sensitivity: Informed consent must explicitly address how sensitive data (such as gender, sexual identity, political affiliation, or personally identifiable information derived from online platforms) will be anonymised, stored, and protected.
14b. Vulnerable Groups: For studies involving vulnerable groups, authors must obtain and provide evidence of signed consent from parents or legal guardians, ensuring all parties fully understand publication implications.

15. Conflicts of Interest (COI) and Funding

Authors are required to declare all financial and relevant non-financial potential COIs upon submission to ensure unbiased peer review.

16. Libel, Defamation, and Freedom of Expression

We discourage false publications or statements that threaten the reputation of individuals or organisations.

17. Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern

The Verlumun Journal of AI, Gender and Cultural Studies and Gever Verlumun Publishers LLP are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in the scholarly record. We strictly adhere to the 2017 Core Practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), which replaced the previous Code of Conduct to provide a more flexible and practical framework for transparency and integrity. Our editorial office is currently monitoring the transition to the forthcoming 2026 COPE Code of Conduct and will update our procedures accordingly upon its formal release. For transparency regarding the principles we uphold and the historical evolution of these standards, please refer to the following functional link: https://publicationethics.org/about/what-we-do/our-story/history-code-conduct.

17a. Retractions: Reserved for major errors or ethical breaches that invalidate results.
17b. Corrections: Used for minor errors (Errata/Corrigenda) that do not affect study validity.
17c. Expressions of Concern: Temporary notices issued during ongoing investigations of potential misconduct.

18. Falsification, Fabrication, and Image Manipulation

We maintain a zero-tolerance policy against research misconduct, including fabrication, falsification, and misrepresentation (image manipulation). Adjustments to images must not obscure or eliminate information. Selective enhancement is forbidden. Original data may be requested by the Editorial Office for verification purposes.

19. Consequences and Sanctions for Misconduct

Confirmed research misconduct or ethical breaches will result in severe action by the Editorial Board and Gever Verlumun Publishers LLP. Based on investigation findings, the journal may apply the following sanctions:

Immediate rejection of the active manuscript or formal publication retraction if already processed.
Formally collaborating with institutional or governmental bodies to investigate credible allegations.
Imposing a permanent publication ban within the journal for the authors involved, and notifying their institutions or funding agencies.

20. Data and Supporting Evidence

Authors are expected to provide and store accurate data in public repositories to allow for verification, understanding, and replication of findings.

21. Copyright, Licensing, and Repository Policy

21a. Copyright and License Agreement: Copyright is retained by the author(s). By submitting, authors certify the work is original, does not infringe on third-party rights, and is not under consideration elsewhere. Authors grant the journal a licence to publish and identify Verlumun Journal of AI, Gender and Cultural Studies and Gever Verlumun Publishers LLP as the original publisher. All articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
21b. Digital Preservation: Articles are digitally preserved on the journal website and permanently archived via the PKP Preservation Network (PN), LOCKSS, and CLOCKSS platforms to ensure long-term preservation.
21c. Repository Constraints: Authors may self-archive their work under the following specific conditions:
- Submitted Version: Strictly prohibited from being deposited online or in public repositories while undergoing active peer review.
- Accepted Version: May be deposited in closed institutional repositories following formal acceptance.
- Published Version: May be freely deposited in public repositories, institutional servers, and personal websites immediately upon publication, provided the final published source is cited with a URL link.

LAST UPDATED: 21 June 2026