Implementation of New Ethical Policies for PESSR (Effective 2026)

2025-11-27
Official Notice of Updated Ethical Policies

Physical Education and Sports: Studies and Research (PESSR)**

Effective January 2026, Physical Education and Sports: Studies and Research (PESSR) will implement the following ethical policies to ensure compliance with international publication standards and COPE guidelines:

1. Ethical Clearance Requirement

All manuscripts involving human participants must include official Ethical Clearance approval issued by a recognized institutional ethics committee. Submissions without valid ethical approval will be automatically declined.

2. Policy on Undergraduate Research Manuscripts

Beginning in 2026, PESSR will no longer accept manuscripts derived solely from undergraduate (Bachelor-level) research projects or theses.
Undergraduate authors may continue to contribute as co-authors, provided the study is conducted and supervised within a recognized research framework that meets ethical and methodological standards.

3. Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence

In accordance with COPE’s AI Guidelines, PESSR prohibits:

  • AI-generated or AI-fabricated research data,

  • Manuscripts written primarily or entirely by AI tools,

  • Undeclared AI assistance in research or writing.

Any permitted AI use must be clearly disclosed in the manuscript.

These policies reinforce our commitment to research integrity, transparency, and high scholarly standards. PESSR appreciates the cooperation of all authors and institutions in upholding these ethical expectations.