Publication Ethic and Malpractice Statement

1. Introduction

The Journal of Advances in Physics Education (JAPE) maintains the highest ethical standards in scientific publication. This publication ethics and malpractice statement adheres to the guidelines and core practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All parties involved in the publishing process, including editors, reviewers, authors, and the publisher, must comply with these ethical standards.

1. Duties of the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board

  • Publication Decisions: The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for determining which articles submitted to JAPE will be published. Decisions are based on the manuscript's intellectual merit, alignment with the journal's focus and scope, and peer-reviewer feedback. The Editor-in-Chief acts in accordance with legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.
  • Fair Play and Objectivity: Editors evaluate manuscripts purely for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.
  • Confidentiality: The editorial team must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher.
  • Handling of Ethical Misconduct: In cases of alleged or confirmed scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism, the publisher, in collaboration with the editors, will take all necessary measures to clarify the situation and amend the article. Actions may include the prompt publication of an erratum, clarification, or, in severe cases, retraction of the affected work.

2. Duties of Reviewers

  • Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review helps editors make objective editorial decisions and enables authors to improve their manuscripts through constructive feedback.
  • Promptness: Referees who feel unqualified to review the research in a manuscript, or who are unable to provide a timely review, must notify the editor immediately and decline the invitation.
  • Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review are confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.
  • Standards of Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate. Referees should present their views clearly and support them with evidence.
  • Acknowledgment of Sources and Plagiarism Detection: Reviewers are expected to identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Reviewers must also promptly inform the editor of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and any other published work known to them.
  • Conflict of Interest: Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must remain confidential and must not be used for personal benefit. Reviewers should not evaluate manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any authors or affiliated institutions.

3. Duties of Authors

  • Reporting Standards and Data Access: Authors of original research are required to present an accurate account of the work performed and to discuss its significance objectively. Authors may be asked to provide raw data for editorial review and should retain such data for a reasonable period after publication.
  • Originality, Plagiarism, and AI Usage: Authors must ensure that all submitted work is entirely original. Proper citation is required when using the work or words of others. Plagiarism in any form is considered unethical. Authors must also comply with JAPE's policy on using generative AI tools in manuscript preparation.
  • Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication: Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is strictly unacceptable.
  • Authorship of the Paper: Authorship is limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All significant contributors must be listed as co-authors. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version and have agreed to its submission.
  • Human Subjects and Hazards: For research involving human subjects, such as students or teachers in classroom action research, authors must ensure that the manuscript includes a statement confirming that all procedures complied with relevant laws and institutional ethical guidelines. Authors must also state that they obtained informed consent for experimentation involving human subjects.
  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors are required to disclose any financial or substantive conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript.
  • Fundamental Errors in Published Works: If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are obligated to promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate in retracting or correcting the paper.