Policies on Ethics, Conflict of Interest, and Informed Consent

Journal of Transformative Pedagogies and Learner Engagement is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing practices. The journal follows internationally recognized ethical guidelines to ensure the credibility and reliability of scholarly publications.

The journal’s editorial and publication policies are guided by the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices, the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the ethical guidance of the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Research involving human participants must comply with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their manuscripts are entirely original. All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software such as iThenticate plagiarism detection software provided by Crossref. Manuscripts containing significant plagiarism or unethical overlap will be rejected.

Multiple or Concurrent Submission

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal. Submitting identical or substantially similar manuscripts to multiple journals is considered unethical.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation of the study. All authors must approve the final manuscript before submission. See Section 11. Authorship & Ethical Responsibilities

Data Integrity

Author(s) must present accurate data and avoid fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation of data. Authors may be requested to provide raw data during the editorial review process.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Author(s) must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the research results or interpretation.

Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

If generative artificial intelligence tools are used during manuscript preparation, author(s) must disclose their use within the manuscript. Artificial intelligence tools may assist with language editing or drafting support but cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the content.

Data Availability

Author(s) are encouraged to provide a data availability statement indicating where the data supporting the findings of the study can be accessed. When possible, datasets should be made publicly available in appropriate repositories to support research transparency and reproducibility.

2. Ethical Considerations in Research

Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants must comply with internationally recognized ethical standards, including the Declaration of Helsinki.

Authors must provide:

  • Name of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee
  • Ethics approval number (if applicable)
  • Confirmation that informed consent was obtained from participants

For research involving minors, consent from a parent or legal guardian must be obtained.

Research Involving Students and Educational Institutions

Studies involving students, teachers, classrooms, or educational institutions must ensure voluntary participation, protection from harm, and respect for confidentiality of educational records. Researchers must take special care to avoid coercion and ensure that participation does not affect academic evaluation or institutional relationships.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants. Identifiable information such as names, photographs, or personal details must not be published without explicit written consent from the participant.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

Fair and Impartial Decisions

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on their scholarly merit, including originality, methodological rigor, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s aims and scope.

Confidentiality

Editors must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents and must not disclose information about manuscripts to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and publisher as appropriate.

Conflict of Interest

Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest involving authors, institutions, or funding sources. The journal follows COPE guidance on handling conflicts of interest.

Ethical Oversight

Editors take reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of papers involving research misconduct such as plagiarism, citation manipulation, and data fabrication.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be shared or discussed with others without authorization.

Objectivity

Reviewers should provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based feedback to help improve the quality of the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must decline review assignments if they have conflicts of interest that may affect their impartial evaluation.

Timeliness

Reviewers should complete their reviews within the agreed timeframe and notify the editor if they cannot meet the deadline.

5. Peer Review Process

The journal follows a double-blind peer review process, where the identities of both authors and reviewers are concealed to ensure unbiased evaluation.  The journal adheres to COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers and also Visit Journal Peer Review Policy

Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent experts in the relevant field. The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision based on reviewer recommendations and editorial assessment.

6. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

The journal takes all allegations of research or publication misconduct seriously. Cases involving plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate publication, unethical research practices, or authorship disputes will be investigated in accordance with the procedures recommended by COPE.

Where necessary, the journal may contact the authors’ institutions during investigations.

7. Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Updates

The journal maintains the integrity of the scholarly record through transparent post-publication updates.

The journal may issue:

These actions may occur in cases involving plagiarism, data fabrication, ethical violations, serious methodological errors, or duplicate publication. All notices will be clearly linked to the original article.

8. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently of the publisher, sponsors, or commercial interests. The Editor-in-Chief has full authority over editorial content and publication decisions.

9. Appeals and Complaints

Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions by submitting a formal written request to the editorial office explaining the grounds for the appeal. Complaints related to editorial processes, peer review, or publication ethics will be handled in accordance with guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics.

10. Publisher Responsibilities

The publisher supports the journal in maintaining ethical publishing standards and works with editors to address any cases of publication misconduct when they arise.