Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
IJLHE: International Journal of Language, Humanities, and Education upholds ethical standards in research, peer review, and publication. This policy defines the responsibilities of authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher, and explains how the journal handles suspected misconduct. The journal draws on the Core Practices and relevant guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Responsibilities of Authors
Accuracy and integrity. Authors must report their research accurately and describe their methods sufficiently to allow readers to assess the findings. Fabrication, falsification, misleading reporting, and inappropriate manipulation of research materials are prohibited.
Originality and acknowledgment. Manuscripts must be original and acknowledge all sources appropriately. Plagiarism, duplicate publication, and substantial undisclosed overlap with previously published work are unacceptable. Authors must not submit the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously.
Authorship and contributions. Authorship must reflect substantial scholarly contributions. All authors must approve the submitted manuscript, agree to its publication, and accept responsibility for their contributions. Contributors who do not qualify for authorship should be acknowledged. Requests to change authorship must explain the reasons and include the agreement of all affected authors.
Research ethics. Research involving human participants must comply with applicable ethical requirements. Authors must report ethical approval or an applicable exemption and describe informed consent procedures. Additional safeguards are required when research involves children or other vulnerable participants. Identifiable information must not be published without appropriate consent.
Data and documentation. Authors must retain supporting research records and provide relevant data or documentation when reasonably requested for editorial assessment or investigation, subject to privacy, consent, and legal restrictions.
Disclosure. Authors must disclose funding sources, relevant conflicts of interest, and the role of funders. Any use of generative AI must comply with the journal’s separate policy. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their manuscripts.
Errors after publication. Authors who identify a significant error must notify the editor promptly and cooperate with any necessary correction or retraction.
Responsibilities of Editors
Editors evaluate manuscripts on scholarly merit, relevance, methodological quality, and ethical compliance. Decisions must remain independent of commercial interests and discriminatory considerations.
Editors must protect confidential information and arrange appropriate peer review. They must not handle manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest. Submissions authored by editors or editorial board members must be managed independently by an editor without a relevant conflict.
Editors must assess reported ethical concerns fairly, document their decisions, and take appropriate action to protect the published record.
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers must accept assignments only when they have appropriate expertise and can complete the review within the agreed period. Reviews must be objective, constructive, and supported by clear reasons.
Manuscripts and review materials are confidential. Reviewers must not use unpublished information for personal advantage or share it without editorial permission.
Reviewers must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and report suspected plagiarism, substantial overlap, data irregularities, or other ethical concerns to the editor.
Allegations of Research Misconduct
IJLHE considers allegations concerning submitted and published articles, including fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, inappropriate authorship, duplicate publication, unethical research practices, and manipulation of peer review.
Reporting a Concern
Concerns should be sent to ijlhe.stkip@gmail.com with the subject line “Research Misconduct Concern.” Reports should identify the manuscript or article, describe the concern, and provide supporting evidence where available. Anonymous reports will be considered when they contain sufficient specific information for assessment.
Initial Assessment
The editor will assess whether the allegation is relevant, sufficiently supported, and within the journal’s responsibility. An allegation alone will not be treated as proof of misconduct. Cases involving an editor will be referred to an uninvolved editor or the publisher.
Author Response and Further Examination
When further examination is warranted, the editor will contact the corresponding author, explain the concerns, and request a response and relevant documentation. Other authors may also be contacted where necessary. Review or publication may be paused while concerns remain unresolved.
The journal may seek independent expert advice and contact the relevant institution, ethics committee, funder, or other responsible body when a formal investigation is needed. Institutions are responsible for investigating researchers’ conduct; the journal is responsible for decisions concerning publication and the reliability of its published record.
Outcomes
Action will depend on the evidence and the effect on the research record. Outcomes may include closing an unsupported allegation, requesting revisions, rejecting a submission, publishing a correction, issuing an expression of concern, or retracting an article.
Retraction may be appropriate when findings are unreliable or when serious ethical or publication violations are established. Retraction is intended to correct the literature. Authors will be informed of the decision and its reasons.
Information will be shared only as necessary to assess the concern, obtain responses, or coordinate an investigation. The journal will seek to protect the confidentiality of those reporting concerns, while recognizing that complete anonymity cannot always be guaranteed.
Complaints and Appeals
Complaints about editorial procedures or conduct, and appeals against editorial decisions, should be sent to ijlhe.stkip@gmail.com. Correspondence should identify the manuscript or article and explain the grounds, with supporting evidence.
An uninvolved editor or the publisher will assess complaints involving the handling editor. Appeals must identify a substantive error, procedural concern, or relevant evidence that warrants reconsideration. The journal will communicate the outcome and its reasons.
Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions
The journal will correct significant errors that affect the interpretation of an article while leaving its main findings reliable. An expression of concern may be issued when substantial concerns remain unresolved. Retractions will explain the grounds and be clearly linked to the original article. Retracted articles will ordinarily remain accessible and be clearly marked to preserve the publication record.
Responsibilities of the Publisher
The publisher supports editorial independence, provides assistance in addressing ethical concerns, and cooperates with necessary corrections and investigations. Commercial considerations must not override decisions concerning research integrity.
Reference Guidelines
This policy is informed by the COPE Core Practices, relevant COPE flowcharts, and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.
