Publication Ethics

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Publication Ethics

World Education Policy: An International Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, transparency, and academic integrity. The journal follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure fairness and responsibility throughout the editorial and publication process.

The journal maintains zero tolerance for plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate submission, or any unethical research or publishing practice.

1. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting to World Education Policy must:

  • Submit original and accurately presented work, free from plagiarism.
  • Provide proper citations and acknowledge all sources and contributions.
  • Avoid sending the same manuscript to more than one journal.
  • Disclose any conflicts of interest that may influence the research.
  • Ensure all listed authors have made meaningful contributions and approve the final manuscript.

Follow appropriate ethical standards for studies involving human participants, educational settings, surveys, interviews, or institutional data, and provide ethical clearance where required.

2. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play a key role in maintaining the quality of published research. They are expected to:

  • Provide fair, objective, and constructive reviews within the given timeframe.
  • Maintain confidentiality of manuscript content and not use the material for personal benefit.
  • Review impartially, without discrimination or bias.
  • Decline review assignments where a conflict of interest exists.
  • Report any suspected plagiarism, duplication, or data integrity issues to the editorial office.

3. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

The editorial team ensures that:

  • Manuscripts are evaluated based on academic merit, originality, and relevance to education policy.
  • The peer-review process is conducted fairly, transparently, and confidentially.
  • Editorial decisions are made free from personal or professional conflicts of interest.
  • Allegations of misconduct are investigated promptly and objectively.
  • Retractions, corrections, or notices are issued when required to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

4. Research Misconduct & Handling Procedures

Unethical practices include, but are not limited to:

  • Plagiarism and self-plagiarism
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Duplicate submissions
  • Manipulation of images, data, or results
  • Improper or honorary authorship

Procedure in case of suspected misconduct:

  • The editorial office conducts an initial investigation and requests clarification from the authors.
  • If misconduct is confirmed, actions may include:
  • Rejection of the manuscript
  • Withdrawal during review
  • Retraction of a published article
  • Issuance of corrections or expressions of concern
  • Serious cases may be reported to the authors’ institution or funding agency.

5. Transparency and Accountability

All articles undergo strict editorial, ethical, and technical checks before publication.

Any post-publication issues (corrections, retractions, clarifications) are addressed promptly and transparently.

The journal is committed to honest, responsible, and ethical scholarly communication.

6. Compliance with COPE Guidelines

The journal strictly follows the COPE Code of Conduct for ethical publishing.

More information: https://publicationethics.org