Publication Ethics for Journal of Multicultural Education Studies (JOMES)
The Journal of Multicultural Education Studies (JOMES) is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in the publication of research. This document outlines the ethical principles that all authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers are expected to adhere to in the process of submitting, reviewing, and publishing articles in the journal. We are dedicated to ensuring that our publication practices maintain integrity, transparency, and accountability at all stages of the publication process.
1. Ethical Guidelines for Authors
Authors submitting manuscripts to JOMES are expected to adhere to the following ethical guidelines:
- Originality: Authors must submit original work and ensure that their manuscript has not been published or is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Proper acknowledgment of other people's work and ideas must be made, and appropriate citations should be included.
- Plagiarism: Plagiarism in any form (including self-plagiarism) is unacceptable. Authors should ensure that all sources of data, text, or ideas are appropriately cited and credited. Manuscripts may be screened for plagiarism using plagiarism detection tools.
- Authorship: Only individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, analysis, or interpretation of the research should be listed as authors. All co-authors should have agreed to the manuscript’s submission and final version, and the corresponding author should ensure that all authors approve of the manuscript prior to submission.
- Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the research results or the review process. This includes financial, personal, or professional relationships that may affect the objectivity of the work.
- Data Integrity: Authors must ensure that all data presented in the manuscript are accurately reported, without fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of results. Any errors discovered post-publication should be promptly corrected or retracted.
- Ethical Approval: If the research involves human participants or animals, authors must state that ethical approval was obtained from the relevant ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB). In addition, authors must ensure that informed consent was obtained from participants where applicable.
- Funding Disclosure: Authors must disclose the sources of funding that supported the research and any potential conflicts of interest related to funding.
2. Ethical Guidelines for Reviewers
Reviewers are key to maintaining the quality and integrity of the journal's content. Reviewers should:
- Confidentiality: All manuscripts under review are confidential. Reviewers must not disclose or discuss the manuscript with others, except for the editorial team, without the permission of the editor.
- Impartiality: Reviewers should evaluate the manuscript based on its scientific merit, relevance to the field, and contribution to the journal’s goals, rather than personal preferences or biases. Reviews should be objective, and any conflicts of interest should be disclosed to the editor.
- Constructive Feedback: Reviewers are expected to provide constructive feedback to authors, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript. Comments should be clear, respectful, and aim to help authors improve their work.
- Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their review within the agreed-upon timeframe. If unable to meet the deadline, reviewers should inform the editor promptly.
- Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should report any relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. If reviewers are aware of any substantial similarities between the manuscript and other published works, they should notify the editor.
- Ethical Issues: Reviewers should identify any ethical issues within the manuscript, including concerns related to plagiarism, data integrity, or the lack of ethical approval.
3. Ethical Guidelines for Editors
The editors of JOMES hold a critical role in ensuring the quality and integrity of the journal's content. Editors are expected to:
- Fairness and Impartiality: Editors should make decisions on manuscripts based solely on their scientific merit, relevance to the journal’s scope, and quality, without regard to the author's personal characteristics, institutional affiliation, or nationality.
- Confidentiality: Editors must maintain the confidentiality of all manuscripts under consideration and should not share information about the manuscript with anyone outside the editorial process, including authors, reviewers, and other editorial team members.
- Conflict of Interest: Editors should disclose any conflicts of interest that may arise during the publication process. If editors have a conflict of interest with a manuscript, they should recuse themselves from handling it.
- Peer Review Process: Editors must ensure that a fair and transparent peer review process is conducted for every manuscript. They should select qualified reviewers, monitor the review process, and make decisions based on reviewer feedback.
- Handling Complaints: Editors should have procedures in place to handle any complaints or allegations of misconduct related to the peer review process, publication ethics, or data integrity. These complaints should be investigated thoroughly, and any necessary corrections or retractions should be made.
- Transparency and Accountability: Editors should act transparently in all decisions related to manuscript handling. This includes clearly communicating decisions to authors and reviewers, and providing reasons for decisions when requested.
4. Ethical Guidelines for the Publisher
The publisher of JOMES is committed to upholding high ethical standards in academic publishing. As the publisher, we are responsible for:
- Ensuring Ethical Practices: The publisher ensures that all manuscripts are processed in accordance with ethical standards. We will take appropriate action in cases of unethical behavior, such as plagiarism, falsification of data, or unethical research practices.
- Transparency: We provide transparency in the editorial and peer review process. The publisher supports the work of the editorial team and ensures that all decisions are based on scholarly merit.
- Correcting Errors: In cases where an error is identified in a published article, the publisher works with the authors and editors to issue corrections or retractions when necessary. This may include errata or corrigenda for minor errors or a full retraction in cases of major issues like data fabrication.
- Ensuring Accessibility: The publisher ensures that all published articles are freely accessible through an open-access model, which allows wide dissemination of knowledge in the field of multicultural education.
5. Retraction and Correction Policy
- Retraction: Articles may be retracted if there are significant issues such as data fabrication, plagiarism, or ethical violations. Retractions are made in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines and will be accompanied by a statement explaining the reasons for retraction.
- Corrections: Minor errors in published articles, such as typographical errors or inaccuracies, will be corrected with a note issued by the publisher or editor. Corrections will be clearly indicated in the article.
6. Publisher’s Role in Ethical Oversight
The publisher of JOMES follows the best practices for ethical publishing and adheres to guidelines set by international bodies, including the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics). The publisher works closely with the editorial board to maintain ethical standards and ensure that the journal operates with transparency, accountability, and fairness.