About the Journal

Mission

The George Washington University Journal of Ethics in Publishing (GWJEP) is a student-managed diamond open access scholarly journal dedicated to advancing ethical publishing practices. By publishing rigorous, interdisciplinary scholarship and fostering dialogue on issues such as integrity, equity, accessibility, sustainability, emerging technologies, and the future of publishing, the journal serves all communication-oriented professionals committed to strengthening the publishing ecosystem.

 

Aim and Scope

GWJEP publishes scholarship and professional perspectives on ethical issues across the publishing industry (including scholarly research articles, case studies, book reviews, and conference presentations). We welcome submissions from scholars, students, librarians, and publishing professionals.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

Submissions from all publishing sectors are welcome, including academic, educational, independent, nonprofit, and trade publishing.

 

Open Access Policy

The GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing is an open access journal. All articles are freely available to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search for, and search within, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.

Authors retain their copyright and agree to license their articles under a Creative Commons license aligned with their goals for distribution and reuse. You can read more about Creative Commons licenses at creativecommons.org.

GWJEP is a no-fee journal and there are no charges to authors for the publication of their articles. This means no submission fees, no article processing charges (APCs), and no publication fees. Authors submit and publish in the journal for free.

 

Ethics Policies

GWJEP is committed to maintaining high standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing practices. Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to uphold these standards throughout the publication process.

Peer Review

GWJEP uses double-anonymous peer review for Research Articles, Case Studies, and Applied Ethics Projects. Peer reviewers are selected from a pool of academics and professionals in the relevant field(s). The journal’s editorial committee uses the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform to manage each manuscript as it goes through peer review and to maintain the anonymity of both the author(s) and reviewers.

Originality

Submissions must be the original work of the author(s) and must not have been previously published or be under consideration by another publication at the time of submission.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all sources are properly cited and that quotations, data, images, and other third-party materials are used in accordance with applicable copyright and licensing requirements.

Plagiarism

GWJEP does not tolerate plagiarism, including direct plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or the unattributed use of another person’s ideas, research, or creative work. Suspected cases of plagiarism may result in rejection of the manuscript or retraction of a published article.

Research Ethics

Authors are responsible for conducting research in accordance with applicable ethical standards and institutional requirements. Research involving human participants should be conducted with appropriate consent and oversight when required.

Conflicts of Interest

All conflicts of interest must be declared by authors, reviewers, and editors. Conflicts of interest are circumstances in which financial or other personal considerations may compromise or appear to compromise the conducting of research, reporting of findings, or the review of research.

Use of AI

Authors may use AI tools to support research, editing, accessibility, or other aspects of manuscript preparation. However, authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their work.

AI tools may not be listed as authors. Significant use of generative AI in the creation, drafting, or revision of a manuscript must be disclosed in an acknowledgment or author note. Failure to disclose such use, or submission of work that relies substantially on AI-generated content without appropriate attribution, may result in rejection of the manuscript.

Corrections & Retractions

If a significant error is discovered in a submitted or published work, authors should notify the Editorial Board as soon as possible. When necessary, GWJEP may publish corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.