The Journal of Child and Youth Psychology upholds the highest standards of ethical responsibility and publication integrity in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). The following policy has been established to ensure transparency, accountability, and scientific quality throughout the publication process.

Authors’ Ethical Responsibilities

• Manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Child and Youth Psychology must be original. Submissions should not have been previously published or be under review elsewhere. For manuscripts derived from graduate theses or scientific research projects, authors must provide the necessary statements on the title page.
• All listed authors must have made a direct academic and scientific contribution to the submitted work. Providing funding, collecting data, or supervising the research group alone does not constitute authorship. Individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship but have contributed to the study (e.g., through technical assistance, provision of materials or funding, or general guidance) may be acknowledged in a footnote if desired.
• Submitting multiple manuscripts based on the same dataset, study, or experiment without providing substantial academic differentiation or contribution is unethical and will not be accepted.
• Authors are responsible for citing all sources used in their work completely, accurately, and in accordance with ethical standards. They must avoid unacknowledged quotations and refrain from citing their own previous works without proper attribution.
• Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data, findings, or any part of the study’s content is strictly prohibited under scientific publishing ethics. Authors are expected to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and representativeness of their data. When deemed necessary, the Editorial Board may request raw data or supplementary materials to increase the transparency and auditability of the study. Authors should be prepared to provide such materials upon request.
• For studies requiring ethical approval (e.g., those involving human participants, studies containing sensitive personal data, or research conducted with disadvantaged groups), authors must explicitly state that approval was obtained. Information regarding ethical approval should be included in the Method section in a manner that protects participant confidentiality. Additionally, the title page must clearly specify the name of the ethics committee, the approval date, and the approval number.
• All research involving human participants or animal subjects must comply with relevant national and international ethical principles and guidelines set by competent authorities. Authors are responsible for documenting ethical approval when required and for ensuring the safety, rights, and welfare of participants or animals throughout the research process.
• Authors must disclose any potential financial, commercial, legal, or professional relationships that could give rise to a conflict of interest. If there are no conflicts of interest to declare, authors should include the statement: “The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.”
• Authors affirm that the similarity index (plagiarism check) of their submitted manuscripts does not exceed 25%, and acknowledge that manuscripts exceeding this threshold will not be considered for review.
• If authors discover a significant error, inaccurate information, or misleading statement in their published, early-view, or under-review manuscripts, they are expected to promptly contact and cooperate with the editor to correct or retract the paper if necessary.
• The journal reserves the right to retract accepted papers in cases where plagiarism, ethical violations, or undisclosed conflicts of interest are identified, even after publication.

Ethical Responsibilities of Editors and Reviewers

• Editors and reviewers act in accordance with the rules and principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
• Editors and reviewers handle all information related to manuscripts and the review process within the framework of confidentiality. No information regarding these processes shall be shared with unauthorized individuals or institutions.
• Reviewers must not include any statements or footnotes in their reports that could reveal their identity. The review process is expected to be conducted under the double-blind peer review principle.
• If reviewers encounter any potential conflict of interest during the evaluation process, they must promptly inform the editorial team or decline the review.
• Editors and reviewers are expected to maintain open, constructive, and respectful communication with one another and with authors.
• Editors and reviewers are expected to complete their assigned tasks within the designated timeframe. However, if additional time is needed or if unforeseen circumstances prevent the completion of a review, they must inform the editorial team as soon as possible.
• Editors and reviewers must conduct evaluations in a fair, consistent, and objective manner, preserving the integrity of the peer review process.
• If editors or reviewers identify or suspect any form of ethical misconduct during the review process, they must immediately report the situation to the editorial team.