Publication Ethics

Journal of Education and Learning Reviews (JELR)

 

Human Research Ethics

Journal of Education and Learning Reviews (JELR) takes research ethics extremely seriously and prioritizes safeguarding the safety and well-being of study participants who are human volunteers, as well as their human rights and dignity. Any study publications that involve experiments with human subjects must explicitly state that researchers must receive both a research ethics certificate and permission from the Human Research Ethics Committee. The approval for publication of an article is subject to the consideration of the journal editorial board, which is final.

Reference Guidelines:
• COPE Core Practices
• WAME Editorial Policy Statements
• Declaration of Helsinki – Full Text

 

Purpose and Scope

The Journal of Education and Learning Reviews (JELR) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, accountability, and ethical scholarly publishing. This policy applies to all participants in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher. It covers ethical responsibilities, editorial governance, peer review integrity, and procedures for handling misconduct and post-publication updates.

 

Guidelines on AI-Generated Content

JELR acknowledges the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate valuable information for articles submitted to the journal for prospective publication. The magazine does, however, recognize the need to ensure that AI-generated content is managed appropriately and morally.
This policy describes the journal's guidelines for using AI-generated content in published articles.
1. Definition of AI-generated content
For this policy, any content created or substantially modified by an AI system is referred to as AI-generated content. This includes both work created wholly by an AI system and content created by a human author that has undergone substantial AI system modification.
2. Principles
JELR will only publish AI-generated content that complies with the following rules:
* The AI system that produced the content cannot be recognized as one of the authors when it is submitted for potential publication.
* A detailed explanation of the AI system that produced the information must be included in the article.
* The human author of the article must be credited.
* AI-generated content ought to be original and plagiarism-free.
* AI-generated content must be reliable and accurate.
* The content produced by AI must not mislead or deceive readers.
3. Procedure
Authors who wish to submit articles with AI-generated content must provide JELR with the following information:
* A detailed description of the AI algorithm that generated the content.
* A copy of the original input data used to generate the content.
* A copy of the AI-generated content.
* A statement acknowledging the human author's contribution to the work.
JELR will evaluate the AI-generated content and decide if it is suitable for publication.
4. Enforcement
JELR reserves the right to reject or retract any article that does not comply with this policy.

 

Article Retraction Policy
The Journal of Education and Learning Reviews (JELR) is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. Retractions are issued in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Retraction Guidelines to ensure transparency, accountability, and trust.
1. Grounds for Retraction
Retractions will be issued when published findings are found to be unreliable due to:
1.1 Proven misconduct, plagiarism, or duplicate publication.
1.2 Data fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of results.
1.3 Copyright infringement or ethical breaches.
1.4 Failure to disclose significant conflicts of interest.
1.5 Absence of required institutional review board (IRB) approval for research involving human subjects or animals.
1.6 Fundamental errors in research design or methodology that undermine reproducibility and validity.
2. Retraction Procedure
2.1 Retractions may be initiated by the editor, editorial board, or publisher, sometimes following concerns raised by reviewers, authors, or readers.
2.2 Minor editorial errors will not result in retraction; instead, corrections or errata will be issued.
2.3 When a retraction is necessary, a formal Retraction Notice will be published in the journal, linked to the original article, and stating the specific reason for retraction.
3. Availability and Marking of Retracted Articles
3.1 Retracted articles will remain accessible online to preserve the scholarly record, but will be clearly marked as “Retracted” on every page.
3.2 The Retraction Notice will accompany the article and be freely accessible to readers.
3.3 The aim is to maintain openness and allow the academic community to understand the reason for the retraction.

 

COPE Alignment and Best Practice  

JELR’s publication ethics policies and editorial practices are aligned with the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The journal follows COPE’s best practice recommendations for editors, reviewers, and publishers, and uses COPE guidance (including flowcharts) when handling suspected misconduct and post-publication concerns.

 

Editorial Independence and Governance

Editorial decisions in JELR are made independently by the editorial team. The publisher, DR.KEN Institute of Academic Development and Promotion, does not interfere with editorial decisions regarding acceptance, rejection, or revision. Decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, relevance to scope, originality, methodological rigor, clarity, and ethical compliance.

 

Peer Review Integrity

JELR employs a double-blind peer review process. All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening before external review. Manuscripts are then evaluated by at least two independent reviewers selected for subject expertise and absence of conflicts of interest.

Editors ensure that peer review is conducted fairly and confidentially, and that editorial decisions are grounded in reviewer feedback and academic standards.

 

Responsibilities of Stakeholders

  1. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

  • making decisions based on academic merit and relevance to scope;
  • maintaining confidentiality of manuscripts and reviewer identities;
  • ensuring a fair, unbiased, and timely peer review process;
  • managing conflicts of interest and recusing themselves when necessary;
  • applying ethical policies and COPE-aligned procedures when misconduct is suspected;
  • ensuring transparency in corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern when required.
  1. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting to JELR must:

  • submit original work not under consideration elsewhere;
  • ensure accuracy and honesty in reporting (no fabrication, falsification, or misrepresentation);
  • properly cite sources and avoid plagiarism/self-plagiarism;
  • ensure authorship reflects genuine contributions (no ghost/gift authorship);
  • disclose funding and potential conflicts of interest;
  • comply with ethical requirements for studies involving humans/animals (when applicable);
  • cooperate with editors if clarification, corrections, or investigations are needed.
  1. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

  • provide objective, constructive, and timely reviews;
  • maintain confidentiality of manuscripts and review content;
  • declare conflicts of interest and decline review when impartiality is compromised;
  • avoid using unpublished information for personal advantage;
  • alert editors to suspected ethical issues (e.g., plagiarism, duplicate publication, unethical research practices).

 

Authorship and Contributorship Policy

JELR requires that all listed authors have made substantial scholarly contributions to the work and that all authors approve the final version and consent to submission. Unethical authorship practices are prohibited, including:

  • ghost authorship (uncredited contributors),
  • gift/guest authorship (credit without contribution),
  • undisclosed third-party writing or manipulation of authorship.

Authors may be requested to clarify individual contributions when necessary.

 

Conflict of Interest (COI) Policy – Authors, Editors, Reviewers

All participants must disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest that could influence the work, review, or editorial decisions.

  • Authors must declare financial, institutional, or personal relationships that may bias interpretation, and disclose funding sources.
  • Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts exist.
  • Reviewers must disclose conflicts and decline review where impartiality could be affected.

If undisclosed conflicts are discovered post-publication, the journal may issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction depending on severity.

 

Human and Animal Research Ethics (IRB/REC Approval)

For research involving human participants (and/or animals), authors must:

  • obtain approval from an appropriate ethics committee (IRB/REC or equivalent), when applicable;
  • include an ethics approval statement and approval reference/number in the manuscript (when applicable);
  • confirm informed consent procedures where relevant;
  • ensure participant confidentiality and data protection.

Where studies are exempt from ethics review, authors should provide a clear statement explaining the exemption and applicable regulations.

 

Plagiarism, Redundant Publication, and Research Misconduct

  1. Plagiarism Screening

All submissions may be checked for similarity using plagiarism detection tools before peer review. Manuscripts with unacceptable similarity, improper citation, or plagiarism may be rejected or returned for correction.

  1. Research Misconduct and Data Integrity

Misconduct includes (but is not limited to):

  • plagiarism and self-plagiarism;
  • duplicate/redundant publication;
  • data fabrication or falsification;
  • manipulated images/figures (where applicable);
  • citation manipulation;
  • unethical research practices;
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest.
  1. Handling Misconduct (COPE-aligned process)

Concerns may be raised by editors, reviewers, readers, or institutions. The editorial team will:

  1. Perform an initial assessment.
  2. Request clarification and/or evidence from authors;
  3. Consult COPE guidance where appropriate.
  4. decide on actions proportionate to the case (rejection, correction, expression of concern, retraction, notification to institutions, etc.).

 

Complaints and Appeals Procedure

JELR provides a clear process for complaints and appeals regarding editorial procedures and ethical concerns.

  1. Complaints

Complaints should be submitted in writing to the journal’s editorial office with supporting evidence. The editorial team will acknowledge receipt and review the matter fairly. If necessary, the case may be escalated for ethics review consistent with COPE-aligned handling.

  1. Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a reasoned request with evidence (e.g., factual error, misunderstanding of methodology). Appeals are reviewed by the editorial leadership and/or independent editorial members as appropriate.

 

Post-Publication Updates

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

JELR is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record. When issues are identified after publication, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

  1. Corrections (Erratum/Correction)

Issued when errors do not invalidate the findings but require clarification or correction. Correction notices will be linked to the original article.

  1. Expressions of Concern

Issued when serious concerns exist, but an investigation is ongoing.

  1. Retractions

Retractions may occur for major errors or confirmed misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, fabricated data, duplicate publication, unethical research, serious undisclosed COI, copyright infringement). Retraction notices will:

  • clearly state the reason;
  • be permanently linked to the original article;
  • ensure transparency to readers.

The original article may remain accessible for the scholarly record but will be clearly marked as retracted.

 

Copyright, Licensing, and Reuse

JELR is an open-access journal. Licensing terms are provided on the journal website. Readers may access all articles freely, and reuse is permitted according to the stated Creative Commons license.

 

AI-Assisted Writing and AI-Generated Content

JELR acknowledges that authors may use AI tools to support language editing or drafting. However:

  • AI systems cannot be listed as authors;
  • authors must ensure originality, accuracy, and proper citation;
  • authors must disclose significant AI use when it affects content generation, analysis, or interpretation;
  • The journal may reject submissions that present misleading AI-generated content or violate ethical standards.

 

Transparency and Continuous Improvement

JELR regularly reviews and updates its editorial and ethics policies to maintain alignment with evolving international best practices and COPE guidance. The journal encourages ethical awareness among authors and reviewers and continuously improves governance to strengthen quality, transparency, and global discoverability.