Publication Ethics
The Art of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TATEFL) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. We adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure integrity, transparency, and accountability in the publication process. This document outlines the ethical responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher.
1. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
- Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their work is original and does not plagiarize the work of others. Proper citation and acknowledgment of sources are essential.
- Authorship: All individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research should be listed as authors. Those who have contributed in other ways should be acknowledged in the acknowledgments section.
- Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence their work. This includes funding sources, affiliations, and any potential conflicts that may affect the integrity of the research.
- Data Sharing and Transparency: Authors are encouraged to share their data and research materials to promote transparency and reproducibility. Any restrictions on data sharing should be clearly stated.
- Retraction and Correction: If authors discover significant errors in their published work, they must promptly notify the journal and cooperate with the editorial team to retract or correct the paper.
2. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers
- Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents. They should not share or discuss the manuscript with others without the consent of the editor.
- Impartiality: Reviewers should provide an unbiased assessment of the manuscript based on its scholarly merit. Personal biases or conflicts of interest should be disclosed to the editor.
- Constructive Feedback: Reviewers are expected to provide constructive and respectful feedback to authors, helping to improve the quality of the manuscript.
- Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their reviews in a timely manner to facilitate the publication process. If they are unable to meet the deadline, they should inform the editor as soon as possible.
3. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors
- Fairness and Impartiality: Editors must evaluate manuscripts based on their intellectual content without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
- Confidentiality: Editors must ensure that all manuscripts are treated as confidential and should not disclose any information about the manuscript to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, and editorial board members.
- Conflict of Interest: Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest that may arise during the editorial process and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where such conflicts exist.
- Publication Decisions: Editors are responsible for making publication decisions based on the quality of the manuscript and its relevance to the journal's scope. They should consider the reviewers' comments and recommendations in their decision-making process.
- Handling Complaints: Editors should have a clear process for handling complaints and appeals regarding manuscripts and should address any ethical concerns raised by authors or reviewers.
4. Ethical Responsibilities of the Publisher
- Support for Ethical Practices: The publisher must support the journal in maintaining ethical standards and provide resources for authors, reviewers, and editors to understand their responsibilities.
- Transparency: The publisher should ensure transparency in the publication process, including clear guidelines for authors and reviewers, as well as information about the journal's policies and practices.
- Handling Misconduct: The publisher should have procedures in place for investigating allegations of misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, and unethical research practices.
- Promoting Research Integrity: The publisher should promote research integrity and encourage authors to adhere to ethical standards in their research and publication practices.