AUTHOR STATEMENT OF ETHICS POLICY

The International Journal of Counseling and Psychotherapy (IJCP) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. In accordance with the principles established by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), all authors submitting manuscripts to IJCP are required to comply with the ethical responsibilities outlined in this policy.
Upon submission, the corresponding author must sign or electronically confirm the Author Statement of Ethics on behalf of all co-authors.

1. Core Ethical Responsibilities for Authors
Originality and Plagiarism: All submitted manuscripts must be the original work of the authors. Plagiarism in any form, including self-plagiarism, unattributed paraphrasing, or the unauthorized use of another person's ideas or work, is strictly prohibited. All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software before entering the peer-review process.
Data Integrity and Fabrication: Authors are responsible for ensuring that all research data are accurate, reliable, and honestly presented. Fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, or manipulation of research data, images, or participant quotations constitutes serious academic misconduct.
Redundant or Concurrent Submission: Authors must not submit the same manuscript, or substantially similar research, to more than one journal simultaneously. Duplicate publication is considered unethical and is not permitted.
Authorship and Contribution: Authorship must be limited to individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the research. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed, approved, and agreed to the submission of the final manuscript.

2. Ethical Requirements for Counseling and Psychotherapy Research
Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee Approval: Research involving human participants, including quantitative studies, qualitative interviews, case studies, or secondary analyses of identifiable data, must receive prior approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee. The name of the approving institution and the approval number, where applicable, must be reported in the manuscript.
Informed Consent: Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants before data collection. For research involving minors or vulnerable populations, consent must also be obtained from parents, legal guardians, or other authorized representatives, in accordance with applicable ethical regulations.
Anonymity and Confidentiality: Authors are responsible for protecting the privacy and confidentiality of research participants. Any identifying information, including names, locations, institutions, or clinical details, must be removed or appropriately anonymized to prevent identification.

3. Conflict of Interest and Funding Disclosure
Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, or personal relationships that could influence the conduct or interpretation of the research. All sources of research funding, including grant numbers where applicable, must also be disclosed. If no conflicts of interest exist, authors should include the following statement: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."

4. Retractions, Corrections, and Post-Publication Ethics
Duty to Notify: If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are ethically obligated to notify the IJCP Editorial Office without delay and cooperate fully in correcting or retracting the article when necessary.
Editorial Action: Where scientific misconduct, plagiarism, data fabrication, or other serious ethical violations are confirmed, IJCP reserves the right to issue corrections, expressions of concern, or article retractions in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Download the AUTHOR STATEMENT OF ETHICS FORM
Before submitting your manuscript, please download, complete, and sign the Author Statement of Ethics Form. The signed form must be uploaded as a supplementary file during online submission. Failure to provide this document may delay or prevent the manuscript from proceeding to editorial screening and peer review.