Publication Ethics Statement

Introduction

The International Journal of Research in STEM Education (IJRSE) is an international peer-reviewed scholarly journal jointly published by the Research Synergy Foundation and the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia. The journal is committed to disseminating high-quality, original, and impactful research that advances knowledge and practice in all areas of STEM education.

This Publication Ethics Statement establishes the ethical principles, professional responsibilities, and standards of conduct expected from all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, members of the Editorial Board, and the publisher. These principles are intended to ensure the integrity, credibility, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record.

IJRSE adheres to internationally recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices, the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing developed by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME, and other internationally accepted standards of research integrity.

All individuals involved in the publication process are expected to perform their responsibilities with honesty, fairness, objectivity, professionalism, accountability, and respect for academic integrity.

 

Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

The publication of a peer-reviewed article represents the final outcome of a rigorous scholarly process involving authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher. Every published article contributes to the permanent scientific record and therefore requires the highest standards of ethical conduct throughout submission, peer review, editorial decision-making, publication, and post-publication activities.

IJRSE is committed to ensuring that every manuscript is evaluated fairly, objectively, and independently based solely on its academic merit. Editorial decisions are never influenced by commercial interests, financial considerations, political views, institutional affiliation, nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, seniority, or personal relationships.

The journal promotes responsible research practices by encouraging originality, transparency in reporting, appropriate acknowledgment of prior work, accurate citation of sources, responsible authorship, ethical data management, and openness in addressing errors or research misconduct whenever they occur.

The Publisher and Editorial Board are committed to maintaining editorial independence and protecting the integrity of the scientific record through fair editorial procedures, transparent peer review, and appropriate actions whenever publication ethics violations are identified.

 

Editors' Responsibilities

Fairness and Editorial Independence

Editors evaluate submitted manuscripts exclusively on their scholarly quality, originality, methodological rigor, scientific significance, clarity of presentation, and relevance to the aims and scope of IJRSE.

Editorial decisions shall be made independently without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, age, institutional affiliation, political belief, or personal characteristics of the authors.

Editors shall maintain complete editorial independence from commercial, institutional, governmental, financial, or personal influences.

Confidentiality

Editors and members of the editorial office shall maintain strict confidentiality throughout the editorial process.

Information contained in submitted manuscripts shall not be disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, editorial advisers, members of the Editorial Board, or the publisher when necessary for the editorial process.

Unpublished manuscripts, research findings, reviewer comments, and editorial communications shall not be used for personal research or personal advantage without the explicit written permission of the authors.

Publication Decisions

The Editor-in-Chief has full responsibility for making the final editorial decision regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection of a manuscript.

Editorial decisions are based upon:

• originality and novelty;
• scientific significance and contribution;
• methodological quality;
• relevance to the journal scope;
• ethical compliance;
• reviewer recommendations; and
• overall quality of the manuscript.

The Editor-in-Chief may consult Associate Editors or members of the Editorial Board whenever additional expertise is required.

Peer Review Management

Editors shall ensure that every submitted manuscript undergoes a fair, objective, confidential, and timely peer-review process.

Reviewers shall be selected according to their academic expertise while avoiding actual or potential conflicts of interest.

Editors shall monitor the quality, consistency, and professionalism of reviewer reports before making editorial decisions.

Whenever necessary, editors may invite additional reviewers to ensure balanced and well-informed evaluations.

Conflicts of Interest

Editors shall decline responsibility for handling manuscripts whenever financial, professional, institutional, collaborative, or personal relationships may compromise—or reasonably appear to compromise—their impartiality.

When conflicts of interest exist, editorial responsibility shall be delegated to another qualified editor.

Editors shall not exploit unpublished information obtained during the editorial process for personal research, financial gain, or any other personal benefit.

Research Integrity

Editors are responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record.

When potential publication misconduct is suspected, editors shall conduct an appropriate preliminary assessment and, where necessary, initiate an investigation in accordance with the journal's editorial policies and internationally accepted publication ethics guidelines.

Appropriate editorial actions may include requests for clarification, revision, additional documentation, withdrawal before publication, correction, retraction, notification of relevant institutions, or other measures considered necessary to preserve research integrity.

 

Reviewers' Responsibilities

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer reviewers play a fundamental role in maintaining the scientific quality of IJRSE by providing independent, objective, and constructive evaluations of submitted manuscripts.

Reviewer comments assist editors in making informed editorial decisions while providing valuable recommendations that help authors improve the quality, clarity, and scientific contribution of their work.

Promptness

Reviewers who feel unqualified to evaluate a manuscript, or who are unable to complete the review within the requested timeframe, should promptly notify the editor and decline the review invitation.

Timely peer review is essential to maintaining an efficient editorial process.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for peer review shall be treated as confidential documents.

Reviewers shall not disclose, distribute, discuss, copy, or use any part of a manuscript for personal research or other purposes without prior authorization from the Editor-in-Chief.

Confidentiality obligations continue even after the review process has concluded.

Objectivity

Reviews shall be conducted objectively, professionally, and respectfully.

Reviewer comments should be supported by scholarly arguments, scientific evidence, and constructive recommendations.

Personal criticism of authors or inappropriate language has no place in the peer-review process.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors whenever appropriate.

They should also inform the editor if substantial similarity, duplication, plagiarism, redundant publication, image manipulation, or other forms of publication misconduct are suspected.

Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers shall decline review invitations whenever personal, professional, financial, collaborative, or institutional relationships could influence—or reasonably appear to influence—their impartiality.

Information obtained through peer review shall remain confidential and shall never be used for personal, academic, or commercial advantage.

 

Authors' Responsibilities

Reporting Standards

Authors are responsible for presenting an accurate, complete, and objective account of their research. The manuscript shall provide sufficient methodological detail, appropriate references, and clear descriptions of research procedures to enable readers to understand, evaluate, and, where appropriate, reproduce the reported findings.

Fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, misleading interpretation of results, or intentional omission of significant findings constitute serious violations of publication ethics and are unacceptable.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors shall ensure that every manuscript submitted to IJRSE represents original scholarly work.

Whenever the work, ideas, methods, figures, tables, datasets, or words of others are used, appropriate citation and acknowledgment shall be provided.

All manuscripts submitted to IJRSE may undergo plagiarism screening using similarity detection software before entering the peer-review process.

Evidence of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, image plagiarism, data plagiarism, or other forms of academic misconduct may result in editorial actions in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Submission

Authors shall not submit the same manuscript, or substantially similar manuscripts, simultaneously to more than one journal.

Likewise, authors shall not submit manuscripts that have already been published, accepted for publication, or are under active consideration elsewhere.

Duplicate submission and duplicate publication undermine the integrity of scholarly communication and are regarded as serious publication misconduct.

If authors become aware of overlapping submissions or prior publications after submission, they are expected to notify the Editorial Office immediately and cooperate fully with the editorial process.

Data Integrity

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all research data are authentic, accurately represented, and honestly analyzed.

Data fabrication, falsification, manipulation, selective deletion of observations, inappropriate statistical modification, or intentional misrepresentation of research findings constitute serious research misconduct.

Editors may request access to original research data whenever necessary to verify the integrity of the reported findings.

Data Availability

Authors are encouraged to retain original research data, supporting documentation, computer codes, instruments, questionnaires, and other relevant materials for an appropriate period after publication.

Where applicable, authors should provide information regarding the availability of research data in accordance with institutional policies, funding requirements, or disciplinary standards.

Authorship

Authorship shall be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, interpretation, or writing of the research.

All listed authors must:

• approve the submitted manuscript;
• approve the final version accepted for publication;
• agree to be accountable for the integrity of the work; and
• consent to its submission to IJRSE.

Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately.

Ghost authorship, gift authorship, honorary authorship, purchased authorship, or any other inappropriate authorship practice is considered publication misconduct.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Authors shall properly acknowledge all publications, datasets, software, instruments, and other scholarly resources that have influenced the reported research.

References should be accurate, complete, and appropriately cited in accordance with the journal's citation style.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Authors shall disclose any financial, institutional, commercial, professional, or personal relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the reported research.

Sources of research funding shall also be clearly identified within the manuscript.

Ethical Approval

Research involving human participants, personal data, or other activities requiring ethical oversight shall comply with applicable institutional and national ethical standards.

Where appropriate, manuscripts should include information regarding ethical approval, informed consent, and relevant ethics committee approval numbers.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

When authors discover significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work, they have an ethical obligation to notify the Editor-in-Chief promptly.

Authors shall cooperate fully in issuing corrections, corrigenda, expressions of concern, withdrawals, or retractions whenever necessary to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

 

Editorial Actions and Sanctions

IJRSE is committed to maintaining the integrity, reliability, and credibility of the scholarly record. Whenever publication misconduct is suspected or confirmed, the Editor-in-Chief shall evaluate the available evidence fairly, objectively, confidentially, and in accordance with internationally accepted publication ethics principles.

Editorial actions shall be proportionate to the severity, intent, and impact of the misconduct.

Editorial Actions

Depending on the nature and seriousness of the case, the journal may undertake one or more of the following actions:

• request clarification or additional documentation from the author(s);
• suspend the editorial process while an investigation is conducted;
• reject the manuscript;
• withdraw a manuscript before publication;
• remove a manuscript from a scheduled issue before publication;
• publish a correction or corrigendum;
• publish an Expression of Concern;
• retract a published article;
• notify the author's institution, employer, funding agency, or relevant authority where appropriate;
• document confirmed cases of publication misconduct within the journal's confidential editorial records.

Editorial Sanctions

Where publication misconduct has been confirmed, the Editor-in-Chief may impose one or more editorial sanctions depending on the severity and recurrence of the violation.

Examples of publication misconduct include, but are not limited to:

• plagiarism;
• self-plagiarism;
• duplicate submission;
• duplicate publication;
• fabricated data;
• falsified data;
• manipulated images;
• manipulated citations;
• false authorship or inappropriate authorship practices;
• undisclosed conflicts of interest;
• unethical research practices;
• deliberate misrepresentation during manuscript submission;
• interference with the peer-review process.

Editorial sanctions may include:

• issuance of a formal written warning;
• immediate rejection of the manuscript;
• withdrawal of the manuscript prior to publication;
• retraction of a published article;
• notification of the author's institution, funding agency, or relevant professional body where appropriate;
• temporary prohibition on submitting new manuscripts to the International Journal of Research in STEM Education (IJRSE) for a period of up to three (3) years;
• permanent refusal of future submissions in cases involving repeated, intentional, or exceptionally serious publication misconduct.

The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to determine the appropriate editorial response based on the available evidence, the author's explanation, the seriousness of the violation, and internationally recognized standards of publication ethics.

Appeals and Complaints

IJRSE recognizes the right of authors to appeal editorial decisions when they believe that an error, misunderstanding, or procedural irregularity has occurred.

Appeals shall be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief together with a clear explanation and any supporting evidence.

The Editor-in-Chief may consult Associate Editors, members of the Editorial Board, or independent experts before reaching a final decision.

Appeals shall be evaluated objectively, confidentially, and without prejudice.

The decision reached following the appeal process shall be considered final.

Research Integrity

IJRSE is committed to preserving the integrity, credibility, and transparency of the scholarly record. Research integrity is fundamental to scientific advancement and requires honesty, accountability, openness, fairness, and responsibility throughout every stage of the research and publication process.

All parties involved in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, editors, members of the Editorial Board, and the publisher—are expected to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct and academic integrity.

The journal will take appropriate editorial actions whenever credible evidence indicates violations of research integrity or publication ethics.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Assisted Writing Policy

IJRSE recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technologies are increasingly used to support scholarly writing. Such technologies may assist authors in improving language quality, grammar, readability, or manuscript organization. However, authors remain fully responsible for every aspect of the submitted manuscript.

Artificial intelligence tools, including generative AI systems, shall not be listed as authors or co-authors, as they cannot assume responsibility for the integrity, originality, accuracy, or ethical accountability of scholarly work.

Authors who use AI-assisted technologies during manuscript preparation should ensure that:

• AI tools are used only as writing assistance and not as substitutes for scientific judgment;
• all factual statements, interpretations, analyses, citations, and conclusions have been independently verified by the authors;
• confidential data, unpublished manuscripts, reviewer comments, or copyrighted materials are not uploaded into AI systems in violation of applicable regulations;
• the use of AI does not result in fabricated information, fabricated references, manipulated images, misleading interpretations, or inaccurate scientific claims.

Where AI-assisted writing has made a substantial contribution to manuscript preparation, authors are encouraged to disclose its use in the Acknowledgements section or another appropriate disclosure statement.

The responsibility for the accuracy, originality, legality, and integrity of the manuscript always remains entirely with the authors.

Editorial Independence

The editorial decisions of IJRSE are made independently by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board.

Editorial decisions are based solely on scientific merit, methodological quality, originality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's aims and scope.

The Publisher shall not interfere with editorial decisions concerning manuscript acceptance, rejection, correction, withdrawal, or retraction.

Editors are expected to exercise their responsibilities impartially, transparently, and free from commercial, financial, institutional, or political influence.

Transparency and Accountability

IJRSE is committed to maintaining transparency throughout the editorial and publication process.

Editorial policies, peer-review procedures, publication ethics, copyright, open access, and other journal policies are publicly available through the journal website.

The journal encourages responsible communication among authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and the publisher in order to promote confidence in the integrity of published research.

Whenever errors or ethical concerns are identified, the journal will respond in a timely, transparent, and proportionate manner in accordance with its editorial policies.

Compliance with International Standards

The editorial policies of IJRSE are developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing.

The journal follows, where applicable, the recommendations and best practices established by:

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE);
• Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME);
• International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations, where applicable;
• other internationally accepted principles of research integrity and responsible scholarly publishing.

These standards provide the ethical framework guiding editorial decisions, peer review, publication, post-publication corrections, and responses to publication misconduct.

Publication Ethics References

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). COPE Core Practices.

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). COPE Guidelines and Flowcharts.

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA), & World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.

International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals.

For additional information regarding publication ethics, please visit:

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): https://publicationethics.org
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ): https://doaj.org
• World Association of Medical Editors (WAME): https://www.wame.org

 

Statement of Commitment

The International Journal of Research in STEM Education (IJRSE) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, editorial integrity, and responsible scholarly publishing.

All authors, reviewers, editors, Editorial Board members, and the publisher share responsibility for protecting the integrity of the scholarly record through ethical research practices, transparent editorial procedures, objective peer review, and responsible publication.

By submitting a manuscript to IJRSE, authors acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with the journal's Publication Ethics Statement and all related editorial policies.

Failure to comply with these ethical principles may result in editorial actions and sanctions in accordance with the policies of the journal.