Publication Ethics

The Journal of Language Pedagogy and Linguistics is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal follows the principles and best-practice guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All parties involved in the publication process—authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—are expected to uphold these standards.

Editorial Responsibilities

Editors evaluate submissions solely on their scholarly merit, originality, methodological quality, relevance to the journal’s scope, and clarity of presentation. Decisions are made without discrimination based on authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnicity, citizenship, institutional affiliation, or political views.

Editors must protect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and must not disclose information about a submission to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher, where appropriate. Editors must not use unpublished material from a submitted manuscript in their own research without the author’s written permission.

Editors will take reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of papers involving research misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate submission, and redundant publication. When ethical concerns are raised, the editorial team will investigate them fairly and take appropriate action in line with COPE guidance.

Peer Review Responsibilities

The journal applies a peer-review process to ensure the quality, originality, and scholarly contribution of published work. Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and must not share, discuss, or use their content for personal advantage.

Reviews should be objective, constructive, and supported by clear academic arguments. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate. Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited and inform the editor of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and another published or submitted work of which they are aware.

Reviewers should decline an invitation to review if they have a conflict of interest, lack sufficient expertise, or cannot complete the review within the requested timeframe.

Author Responsibilities

Authors must submit original work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal or publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously is unethical and unacceptable.

Authors must accurately present their research methods, data, findings, and interpretations. Fabrication, falsification, manipulation of data or images, and selective reporting are serious violations of publication ethics. Authors must retain research data for a reasonable period and provide access to data when requested by the editor, where ethically and legally appropriate.

All sources used in the manuscript must be properly acknowledged. Authors are responsible for ensuring accurate citations and references and for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted material, including tables, figures, instruments, and extensive quotations.

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or writing of the study. All co-authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission. Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately.

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, personal, or professional relationships that may be perceived as influencing their research or its interpretation. Authors should also disclose all relevant sources of funding.

Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants, including students, teachers, and other educational stakeholders, must be conducted in accordance with recognised ethical principles. Authors must confirm that appropriate ethical approval was obtained from a relevant ethics committee or institutional review board when required.

Authors must ensure that informed consent was obtained from participants. For research involving children, vulnerable groups, or participants with limited capacity to provide consent, appropriate consent procedures must be followed. Personal information must be anonymised, and participants’ privacy and confidentiality must be protected.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

When significant errors are identified in a published article, the journal will consider publishing a correction. Where findings are unreliable because of error or misconduct, the journal may issue a retraction. An expression of concern may be published while an investigation is ongoing.

The journal will handle allegations of misconduct fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with COPE guidance. Authors, reviewers, or readers who identify a potential ethical concern are encouraged to contact the editorial office.

Conflicts of Interest

Editors, reviewers, and authors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect, or appear to affect, the objectivity of the editorial or review process. Where a conflict exists, the journal will take appropriate measures, such as assigning the manuscript to another editor or reviewer.

Ethical Complaints and Appeals

The journal welcomes ethical complaints and appeals regarding editorial decisions or publication practices. Such matters will be reviewed carefully and impartially by the editorial team. Where necessary, the journal may seek independent advice and follow COPE procedures to reach a fair resolution.