Editorial Guidelines

Journal of Transformative Pedagogies and Learner Engagement is committed to maintaining the highest standards of editorial integrity, academic independence, and scholarly quality. The journal follows internationally recognized best practices in scholarly publishing and adheres to the ethical standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

These guidelines define the roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes governing the journal's editorial management.

1. Editorial Governance and Structure

The journal operates under a transparent editorial hierarchy to ensure accountability and quality control.

Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief holds ultimate responsibility for the academic quality and integrity of the journal. The Editor-in-Chief oversees the peer review process, ensures compliance with ethical standards, and makes final decisions regarding manuscript acceptance or rejection.

Deputy Editor-in-Chief

The Deputy Editor-in-Chief supports the Editor-in-Chief in managing editorial operations, coordinating the peer review workflow, and ensuring consistency in editorial decisions.

Editors

Editors manage manuscript submissions within their areas of subject expertise. They coordinate the peer review process, evaluate reviewer reports, and make recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief regarding editorial decisions.

View our full Editorial Team & Affiliations →

External Reviewers

External reviewers are independent subject experts who evaluate manuscripts through a double-blind peer review process and provide objective scholarly feedback.

2. Editorial Independence and Integrity

Editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, including originality, methodological rigor, relevance to the journal’s scope, and clarity of presentation.

The editorial team operates independently of the publisher, sponsors, or commercial interests. The publisher does not influence editorial decisions.

Manuscripts submitted by editors are handled by independent editors or guest editors to ensure impartial evaluation.

3. Confidentiality

Editors and reviewers must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents.

Unpublished materials disclosed in a manuscript must not be used for personal research or advantage without the author’s written consent.

4. Conflict of Interest

Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their editorial judgment.

If an editor has a conflict of interest, such as collaboration with the authors, institutional affiliation, or financial relationships, they must recuse themselves from handling the manuscript.

The manuscript will then be assigned to another independent editor.

5. Manuscript Evaluation Process

All submissions follow a structured editorial workflow.

Initial Screening

  • Relevance to the journal’s aims and scope
  • Originality and scholarly quality
  • Compliance with submission guidelines
  • Plagiarism screening

Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria may be desk-rejected.

Peer Review

Manuscripts passing the initial screening undergo double-blind peer review by at least two independent experts.

Editorial Decision

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision based on reviewer reports and editorial assessment.

Possible editorial decisions include:

  • Accept
  • Minor Revisions
  • Major Revisions
  • Reject

6. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a formal, evidence-based explanation.

Appeals and complaints regarding editorial conduct or publication ethics are investigated in accordance with the procedures recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

7. Ethical Oversight

The editorial team is responsible for identifying and addressing potential cases of research misconduct, including:

  • Plagiarism
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Duplicate publication
  • Unethical research practices

All investigations follow internationally recognized ethical guidelines.