Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics, research integrity, editorial independence, transparency, and accountability. These principles apply to authors, reviewers, editors, Editorial Board members, Guest Editors, and the publisher throughout the submission, peer-review, publication, and post-publication processes. The journal follows relevant principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and is committed to protecting the integrity of the scholarly record.
The Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board, and publisher of the Feminist Encounters journal believe that ethical guidelines should be respected and upheld in the publishing of all academic journals, and that the ownership of intellectual property be recognised and acknowledged.
1. COPE and Ethical Framework
Feminist Encounters follows the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in matters concerning research integrity, authorship, peer review, conflicts of interest, complaints and appeals, editorial independence, corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, and allegations of research or publication misconduct.
When the journal's policies do not explicitly address an ethical concern, the Editor-in-Chief and publisher will consult relevant COPE guidance and determine an appropriate course of action. The journal is committed to fairness, transparency, confidentiality, due process, and preservation of the scholarly record when addressing ethical concerns.
2. Statement on Diversity and Equality
As a journal, Feminist Encounters, as a founding principle of ethics, supports diversity, equality, and social inclusion, particularly in the representation of minority groups. We are committed to representing all peoples with fairness, dignity, and respect, regardless of age, health or disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and parental responsibility, race, ethnicity, religion and belief, social class, caste, or sexual orientation (or any other form of cultural or social axis of potential discrimination). In general, as academic publishers, we support the right to self-expression and freedom of speech, and we believe it is necessary and important to engage with difficult topics which will in some cases may offend social or cultural groups. We also recognise and acknowledge that as a journal involved in cultural and political debates, some content may occasionally prove to offend members of the public. We strongly support the principle of supporting minority voices, particularly those who have been traditionally excluded from academic fora. As a journal, we strive to be anti-censorship and support the principles of open and honest debate within an academic context; nevertheless, we will also aim to avoid causing unnecessary hurt or harm to minority social groups or cultures, particularly in the use of stereotyped or demeaning, reductive representations (whether in image or words). Authors should take care when publishing images of objects or subjects that might have cultural significance and could potentially offend. The Editor-in-Chief, on behalf of the Editorial Board and Lectito, reserves the right to refuse articles that may cause offense or hurt and/or are perceived to be violations of human dignity.
3. Responsibilities of Authors
Authors are responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical conduct of the work they submit to Feminist Encounters. Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts represent original scholarly work; all sources are appropriately acknowledged; data, evidence, quotations, images, and other materials are presented accurately; all individuals who meet the journal's authorship criteria are appropriately listed; and all authors have approved the submitted manuscript. Authors must disclose relevant funding and competing interests, comply with applicable ethical approval and informed-consent requirements, and obtain permission for copyrighted material where required. Authors must not engage in plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, duplicate or redundant publication, citation manipulation, inappropriate authorship, simultaneous submission, peer-review manipulation, or other forms of research or publication misconduct. Authors are expected to cooperate with reasonable editorial inquiries concerning the integrity of submitted or published work and to provide supporting information or documentation where necessary.
4. Authorship and Contributorship
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a substantial scholarly contribution to the conception or design of the work; acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; drafting or substantive revision of the manuscript; and who approve the final version and accept accountability for their contribution.
Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be appropriately acknowledged. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all listed authors meet the journal's authorship criteria, have approved the submitted manuscript, and agree to its submission.
Changes in authorship after submission—including the addition, removal, or rearrangement of authors—must be justified and approved by all affected authors and the journal. The journal follows COPE guidance when investigating authorship disputes.
5. Conflicts of Interest and Competing Interests
Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived financial, professional, institutional, personal, academic, political, or other competing interest that could reasonably be considered to influence their judgment. Authors must disclose relevant competing interests when submitting a manuscript. Where no competing interests exist, authors should state this explicitly. The existence of a competing interest does not automatically prevent consideration or publication of a manuscript. Relevant competing interests must, however, be transparently disclosed and appropriately managed. Editors and reviewers with a relevant competing interest must recuse themselves from the evaluation or decision-making process. An independent editor or reviewer will be assigned where necessary.
6. Funding
Authors must disclose all sources of financial and material support for the research and/or publication of the manuscript, including relevant grant numbers where applicable. Funding organizations, institutions, companies, foundations, government agencies, or other sources of support should be clearly identified.
Authors must also disclose the role, if any, of funders in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation of findings, preparation of the manuscript, and decision to submit the work for publication. Where the funder had no involvement in these activities, this should be stated. Funding arrangements must not influence the journal's peer-review process or editorial decisions.
7. Misconduct and Plagiarism
Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously. The journal follows relevant guidance and procedures of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when addressing suspected misconduct. Research and publication misconduct may include, but is not limited to, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data or results, inappropriate image manipulation, duplicate or redundant publication, citation manipulation, peer-review manipulation, inappropriate authorship, undisclosed competing interests, unethical research practices, or deliberate misrepresentation of research findings.
Investigation of Misconduct
Allegations of misconduct will be considered fairly, confidentially, objectively, and without unnecessary delay. Authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in an investigation will be given an appropriate opportunity to respond to relevant concerns. The journal may request clarification, original data, documentation, ethical approvals, permissions, or other supporting information where necessary. Editors should not assume misconduct solely on the basis of an allegation; concerns should be assessed on the available evidence and in accordance with applicable COPE guidance.
Where there is credible evidence of serious misconduct, the journal may contact an author's institution, employer, research ethics committee, funder, or other appropriate body for further investigation. Editors may also consult the Editorial Board or publisher where appropriate. Depending on the nature and seriousness of the matter, the journal may reject a manuscript, suspend consideration while an investigation is ongoing, correct the scholarly record, issue an Expression of Concern, retract a published article, or take other appropriate action.
Corrections, Retractions and Expressions of Concern
The journal may publish a Correction when an error affects the accuracy, interpretation, or understanding of an article but does not invalidate its principal findings. A Retraction may be issued where published findings are unreliable because of major error or misconduct, plagiarism, duplicate or redundant publication, unethical research, peer-review manipulation, fabrication, falsification, or other serious breaches of publication integrity. An Expression of Concern may be issued when serious concerns have been raised about a published article but an investigation is incomplete, inconclusive, or awaiting the findings of an institution or other responsible body. Corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern will be clearly identified, permanently available, and linked to the original article in order to preserve the integrity and transparency of the scholarly record.
Plagiarism and Duplicate Publication
Plagiarism in any form is prohibited. Plagiarism includes the unattributed use of another person's words, ideas, data, images, analyses, or other intellectual contributions. Authors must clearly acknowledge and appropriately cite all material derived from other sources. Authors must also avoid self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, and redundant publication. Material previously published by the same author must be appropriately cited, and substantial overlap with previously published or submitted work must be disclosed to the editors.
Manuscripts submitted to Feminist Encounters may be screened using iThenticate or other similarity-detection software. Similarity reports are used as an editorial screening tool and are interpreted in context; a numerical similarity score alone does not determine whether plagiarism has occurred. The journal reserves the right to reject a manuscript where plagiarism, inappropriate duplication, or other forms of publication misconduct are identified.
Previously Disseminated Material
Use of material originating from an author's doctoral or master's thesis or dissertation, conference abstract, poster, presentation, working paper, preprint, research repository, or clinical-trial registry does not necessarily constitute duplicate publication, provided that:
- the material is the author's own work;
- the earlier source is transparently disclosed and appropriately cited where relevant;
- the submitted manuscript represents a substantive scholarly contribution rather than simple republication; and
- any copyright or licensing requirements associated with the earlier version are respected.
Authors should inform the editorial office where a manuscript substantially derives from previously disseminated material.
Translated and Previously Published Material
Authors seeking to publish translated material that has previously appeared in another language must disclose the prior publication and obtain all necessary permissions from the original copyright holder or publisher, where applicable. The original source must be clearly acknowledged and cited. Translated republication should not be presented as original unpublished work.
Consequences of Confirmed Misconduct
Where misconduct is confirmed, the journal may take appropriate action proportionate to the seriousness of the case. Such action may include rejection of the manuscript, correction or retraction of a published article, notification of relevant institutions or authorities, or other measures consistent with COPE guidance. Any restriction on future submissions should be considered only in cases of serious or repeated misconduct and should be applied through a documented, fair, and proportionate process rather than automatically.
8. Research Data and Reproducibility
Feminist Encounters supports transparency, responsible data management, and reproducibility where these principles are appropriate to the research design and disciplinary context.
Authors of empirical research should provide a Data Availability Statement explaining whether and under what conditions supporting data, materials, transcripts, coding frameworks, analytical procedures, or other relevant research materials may be accessed. Where ethically, legally, and practically appropriate, authors are encouraged to deposit research data in a recognized repository. However, Feminist Encounters recognizes that open data sharing may not always be appropriate, particularly in qualitative, feminist, ethnographic, community-based, or politically sensitive research.
Data should not be made publicly available when doing so could compromise:
• participant confidentiality;
• anonymity;
• personal safety;
• informed consent;
• legal requirements;
• cultural sensitivities;
• intellectual property rights; or
• ethical obligations to individuals or communities.
Where data cannot be shared, authors should explain the reason in the Data Availability Statement. Editors may request reasonable supporting documentation when questions concerning the reliability or integrity of research arise.
9. Ethical Oversight and Human Participants
Research involving human participants must comply with applicable institutional, national, and international ethical standards. Where required, authors must obtain approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board, Research Ethics Committee, or equivalent body before conducting the research.
The manuscript should identify the approving body and, where applicable, approval or reference number. Where formal ethical review was not required, authors should explain the applicable institutional or legal basis for this exemption when relevant. Authors are responsible for ensuring that research has been conducted ethically.
The journal reserves the right to request documentation relating to:
• ethical approval;
• informed consent;
• research permissions;
• participant safeguards; or
• other ethical protections.
Research that does not meet appropriate ethical standards may be rejected or, if already published, subject to corrective action.
10. Research Involving Vulnerable Populations
Research involving vulnerable populations—such as children and minors, students, individuals with disabilities, economically or socially disadvantaged groups, refugees or migrants, or other individuals with limited autonomy—requires special ethical consideration. Authors must ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect the rights, dignity, and welfare of participants.
Where applicable, authors must confirm that the study received approval from a recognized Institutional Review Board (IRB), Ethics Committee, or equivalent body, and that informed consent was obtained from participants or from parents or legal guardians when participants are minors. Participation must be voluntary, and participants must be informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any time without consequences. Authors must ensure that research procedures minimize potential harm and protect the privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity of participants. Manuscripts that fail to demonstrate appropriate ethical consideration for vulnerable populations may be rejected during editorial review.
11. Confidentiality, Privacy, and Informed Consent
Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics is committed to protecting the privacy, dignity, safety, and confidentiality of research participants and to maintaining confidentiality throughout the editorial and peer-review process.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that research involving human participants complies with applicable institutional, national, and international ethical standards. Where required, research must receive approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB), Research Ethics Committee, or equivalent body. The manuscript should identify the approving body and, where applicable, the approval or reference number. Where formal ethical review was not required, authors should provide an appropriate explanation when relevant.
Participation in research must be voluntary, and informed consent must be obtained where applicable. Participants should be appropriately informed about the nature and purpose of the research, how their information will be collected and used, relevant risks or potential harms, measures taken to protect confidentiality and privacy, and their rights as research participants.
Authors must take appropriate measures to protect participants from harm and to safeguard personal, sensitive, or confidential information. Personally identifiable or potentially identifying information should not be published unless it is essential to the scholarly purpose of the research and appropriate consent for publication has been obtained. Particular care should be taken in qualitative, ethnographic, community-based, and politically or culturally sensitive research where individuals or communities may be identifiable indirectly through contextual information.
Where research involves children, refugees or displaced persons, migrants, Indigenous peoples, marginalized or minoritized communities, individuals with disabilities, survivors of violence or trauma, or other populations who may face heightened risks from identification or disclosure, authors must take additional precautions to protect participants' privacy, dignity, safety, and confidentiality.
Manuscripts submitted to Feminist Encounters are treated as confidential documents. Editors, reviewers, Editorial Board members, Guest Editors, and others involved in the editorial process must not disclose, distribute, discuss, or use unpublished manuscript content except as necessary for legitimate editorial and peer-review purposes. Reviewers must not share manuscripts or review materials with third parties without prior authorization from the editorial office.
The journal reserves the right to request documentation concerning ethical approval, informed consent, consent for publication, research permissions, confidentiality safeguards, or other relevant ethical protections where necessary. Failure to demonstrate appropriate ethical safeguards may result in rejection of a manuscript or, where concerns arise after publication, appropriate corrective action in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies and relevant COPE guidance.
12. Peer Review and Responsibilities of Reviewers
Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics operates a double-blind peer-review process. Manuscripts considered suitable following initial editorial screening are evaluated by at least two independent experts with relevant subject or methodological expertise. Peer review is conducted in accordance with the journal's ethical standards and relevant guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Reviewers are expected to maintain confidentiality, disclose competing interests, provide objective and constructive assessments, and report suspected research or publication misconduct to the editorial office.
Detailed information concerning reviewer selection, confidentiality, editorial decisions, appeals, special issues, Guest Editors, conflicts of interest, and editorial independence is provided in the journal's Peer Review Policy.
13. Responsibilities of Editors
Editors are responsible for maintaining the integrity, fairness, confidentiality, independence, and scholarly quality of the editorial process. Editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit, originality, methodological or analytical rigor, relevance to the journal's aims and scope, and compliance with applicable ethical standards. Editors must protect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, select appropriately qualified and independent reviewers, disclose and appropriately manage competing interests, avoid using unpublished information for personal or professional advantage, and respond appropriately to allegations of research or publication misconduct.
Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where an actual, potential, or perceived competing interest could compromise their impartiality. Such manuscripts will be assigned to an independent qualified editor. The Editor-in-Chief retains final responsibility for editorial decisions and for maintaining the integrity of the journal's editorial processes.
14. Complaints and Appeals
Feminist Encounters takes complaints concerning editorial procedures, peer review, publication ethics, editorial conduct, and published content seriously. Complaints should be submitted in writing to the editorial office with sufficient information and supporting evidence to permit appropriate consideration.
Complaints will normally be considered by the Editor-in-Chief. Where a complaint concerns the Editor-in-Chief or presents a competing interest, it will be referred to an independent senior editor or an appropriate representative of the publisher.
Authors may appeal editorial decisions where they believe that a significant error occurred during the editorial or peer-review process. Appeals must clearly explain the grounds for reconsideration and provide relevant scholarly evidence. Complaints and appeals will be handled fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with applicable COPE guidance. Detailed procedures concerning appeals of peer-review decisions are provided in the journal's Peer Review Policy.
15. Post-Publication Discussion
Feminist Encounters welcomes responsible scholarly discussion concerning published work. Readers who identify substantive errors, ethical concerns, methodological problems, or other issues that may affect the integrity of a published article are encouraged to contact the editorial office. Concerns will be assessed by the editorial team and, where appropriate, authors may be invited to respond, independent experts may be consulted, or corrective action may be taken. Corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern will be handled in accordance with the journal's Misconduct and Plagiarism Policy and applicable COPE guidance.
16. Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Licensing
The journal respects intellectual property rights and requires authors to obtain appropriate permission for third-party copyrighted material where necessary. Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted material does not infringe the intellectual property rights of others. Copyright ownership, licensing, reuse, and self-archiving are governed by the journal's License and Copyright Policy.
17. Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The use of generative artificial intelligence by authors, reviewers, and editors is governed by the journal's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy. AI systems cannot qualify as authors because they cannot assume responsibility or accountability for scholarly work. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and appropriate disclosure of all submitted content. Editors and reviewers must protect manuscript confidentiality and must not upload confidential manuscripts, peer-review reports, unpublished data, or other submission materials to unauthorized generative AI systems.
18. Editorial Independence
Editorial decisions at Feminist Encounters are made independently of commercial, financial, institutional, political, or personal influence. Decisions concerning peer review, revision, acceptance, rejection, and post-publication actions are based on scholarly merit, relevance, ethical integrity, and the journal's published editorial standards. The Editor-in-Chief retains final responsibility for editorial decisions. Article Processing Charges, waiver requests, advertising, sponsorship, institutional relationships, or other financial considerations do not influence peer-review outcomes or publication decisions.
19. Advertising and Commercial Considerations
Any advertising accepted by Feminist Encounters must be clearly distinguishable from editorial content and must not influence editorial decisions, peer review, or the presentation of scholarly content. Editorial and advertising activities are maintained independently.
The journal reserves the right to refuse or remove advertising that is misleading, inappropriate, discriminatory, unethical, or inconsistent with the journal's standards. Advertisers and sponsors have no influence over manuscript selection, peer review, editorial decisions, or published conclusions.
20. Direct Marketing and Manuscript Solicitation
Any direct marketing or manuscript-solicitation activities conducted on behalf of Feminist Encounters will be appropriate, targeted, professional, and unobtrusive. Communications concerning submissions, special issues, or other journal activities will provide accurate and non-misleading information about the journal, its editorial processes, and publication conditions.
21. Disclaimer
The views, opinions, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in articles published in Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board, reviewers, publisher, or their affiliated institutions.
Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their statements, the integrity of their research, the appropriate citation and acknowledgement of sources, and compliance with applicable ethical, legal, copyright, and research-integrity requirements.
Publication of an article does not constitute endorsement by the journal, its editors, reviewers, or publisher of the views, arguments, products, organizations, institutions, or other entities discussed in the article.
This disclaimer does not limit the journal's responsibility to maintain appropriate standards of peer review, publication ethics, editorial oversight, and research integrity, or to investigate concerns and issue corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or other appropriate post-publication actions when necessary.
22. Policy Review and Updates
These policies are periodically reviewed and may be updated to reflect developments in scholarly publishing, research integrity, publication ethics, and relevant COPE guidance. The journal will apply its policies consistently, fairly, and transparently and will take reasonable steps to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.