Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics

Journal of Educational Computing and Technology (JECOTECH)

The Journal of Educational Computing and Technology (JECOTECH) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity throughout the editorial and publishing process. All parties involved in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—are expected to adhere to ethical principles that promote transparency, fairness, accountability, and academic integrity. JECOTECH follows the ethical guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and internationally recognized standards for scholarly publishing.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for submitting original, authentic, and unpublished work that has not been submitted simultaneously to another journal. All submitted manuscripts must accurately present the conducted research without fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or inappropriate data manipulation.

Authors must ensure that:

  • The manuscript is original and free from plagiarism.
  • All listed authors have made significant scholarly contributions to the research.
  • All sources of information are properly acknowledged and cited.
  • Data presented in the manuscript are accurate and can be verified if requested.
  • Any conflicts of interest, financial support, or funding sources are clearly disclosed.
  • Any significant errors identified after publication are promptly reported to the editor for correction or retraction if necessary.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, objective, and timely peer-review process. Editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific quality, originality, significance, and relevance of the manuscript, without discrimination based on nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, race, religion, or political beliefs.

Editors are expected to:

  • Evaluate manuscripts objectively and confidentially.
  • Select qualified and independent reviewers.
  • Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts.
  • Avoid conflicts of interest in editorial decisions.
  • Take appropriate action in cases involving research misconduct, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or ethical violations.
  • Publish corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play a vital role in maintaining the quality of published research. All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents.

Reviewers should:

  • Conduct reviews objectively, fairly, and constructively.
  • Provide clear, evidence-based recommendations.
  • Identify relevant published work not cited by the authors.
  • Report suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or ethical concerns.
  • Decline review assignments when conflicts of interest exist or when they lack sufficient expertise.
  • Complete the review process within the agreed timeframe.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher supports the editorial independence of JECOTECH and is committed to ensuring that editorial decisions are free from commercial or institutional influence.

The publisher is responsible for:

  • Supporting ethical publishing practices.
  • Providing adequate resources for editorial management.
  • Preserving the integrity of the scholarly record.
  • Cooperating with editors in addressing cases of publication misconduct.

Publication Misconduct

JECOTECH does not tolerate any form of publication misconduct, including but not limited to:

  • Plagiarism
  • Self-plagiarism
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Duplicate or redundant publication
  • Citation manipulation
  • Authorship manipulation
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest
  • Peer-review manipulation

Any suspected misconduct will be investigated following the COPE guidelines. Depending on the severity of the violation, actions may include manuscript rejection, publication correction, article retraction, notification to the authors' institutions, or prohibition from future submissions.

Conflict of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, personal, institutional, or professional relationships that could influence the objectivity of the publication process. Any identified conflict of interest will be managed transparently by the editorial office.

Plagiarism Policy

All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before entering the peer-review process. Manuscripts containing substantial plagiarism or unethical text similarity will be rejected immediately. Authors are expected to properly cite all referenced works and acknowledge the intellectual contributions of others.

Research Integrity

Research involving human participants, personal data, or sensitive information must comply with applicable ethical standards and institutional regulations. Authors are responsible for obtaining ethical approval and informed consent whenever required.

Corrections and Retractions

JECOTECH is committed to maintaining the accuracy of the published scholarly record. When significant errors or ethical concerns are identified after publication, the journal may publish corrections, expressions of concern, or retract articles following internationally accepted publishing standards.

Copyright and Open Access

Articles published in JECOTECH are made available under an appropriate Creative Commons License, allowing users to read, download, copy, distribute, and reuse published materials in accordance with the license terms while providing proper attribution to the original authors.

Ethical Commitment

By submitting a manuscript to JECOTECH, authors acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with this Publication Ethics statement. The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject or withdraw manuscripts that fail to meet these ethical standards.