Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Educational Inquiry and Practice is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal expects authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers to adhere to ethical principles that promote honesty, transparency, accountability, and responsible research practices. All parties involved in the publication process are expected to uphold these standards throughout the manuscript submission, review, and publication processes.

Authors' Responsibilities

1.    Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts represent original work and have not been published previously or simultaneously submitted to another journal. All sources used in the preparation of the manuscript must be appropriately acknowledged and cited.

2.    Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the data, analyses, interpretations, and conclusions presented in their manuscripts. Fabrication, falsification, manipulation of data, plagiarism, duplicate publication, and other forms of research misconduct are strictly prohibited.

3.    Where applicable, authors should ensure that research involving human participants has been conducted in accordance with relevant ethical standards and institutional guidelines. Necessary permissions, informed consent, and ethical approvals should be obtained before conducting the research.

4.    All individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the work should be listed as authors. Individuals who have not contributed significantly should not be included as authors. All co-authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission.

5.    Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, or personal relationships that may create a potential conflict of interest related to the submitted work.

 

Reviewers' Responsibilities

Reviewers play a crucial role in maintaining the quality and integrity of scholarly publishing. Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and timely evaluations of submitted manuscripts.

1.    Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts solely on academic merit, originality, methodological rigour, clarity, and relevance to the journal's scope. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate.

2.    Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers should not share, discuss, or use unpublished material contained in the manuscript for personal advantage.

3.    Reviewers should disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect their ability to provide an impartial review. In such cases, reviewers should decline the review invitation.

4.    Reviewers should alert the editor if they identify substantial similarity between the manuscript under review and other published or submitted work.

 

Editors' Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, transparent, and unbiased review process. Editorial decisions are based solely on the scholarly merit, originality, significance, methodological quality, and relevance of submitted manuscripts.

Editors shall maintain confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts and shall not disclose information about manuscripts to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher when appropriate.

1.    Editors shall not use unpublished information disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research or personal benefit.

2.    Editors shall take reasonable measures to identify and prevent the publication of manuscripts involving plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, unethical research practices, or other forms of misconduct.

3.    Where ethical concerns arise, editors may seek clarification from authors, request supporting documentation, or take appropriate corrective action in accordance with established publication ethics practices.

 

Publisher's Responsibilities

The publisher supports editorial independence and is committed to maintaining ethical publishing practices. The publisher works with editors to ensure that editorial decisions remain free from commercial, institutional, or personal influence.

The publisher shall take appropriate measures to address allegations of misconduct, ethical concerns, corrections, retractions, or other issues affecting the integrity of the scholarly record.

 

Plagiarism Policy

Educational Inquiry and Practice maintains a zero-tolerance approach to plagiarism. All manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software before peer review and publication.

Manuscripts containing substantial plagiarism, duplicate publication, self-plagiarism, fabricated data, falsified information, or unattributed use of others' work may be rejected immediately. If misconduct is identified after publication, the journal reserves the right to issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions as appropriate.

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative Tools

Authors may use artificial intelligence tools for language improvement, grammar checking, or research assistance. However, authors must disclose any significant use of AI tools in the preparation of the manuscript.

Artificial intelligence systems cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and ethical compliance of all submitted content.

 

Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors should disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could influence the research, review process, editorial decisions, or interpretation of findings.

Where a conflict of interest exists, appropriate measures shall be taken to ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the publication process.

Corrections and Retractions

When significant errors, ethical concerns, or research misconduct are identified in a published article, the journal may publish corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern, or retractions as appropriate.

Retractions may be issued in cases involving plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated or falsified data, unethical research practices, or other serious violations of publication ethics.

Publication Integrity

Educational Inquiry and Practice is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record and promoting responsible research practices. The journal encourages all participants in the publication process to act ethically, professionally, and transparently in support of high-quality academic scholarship.