Publication Ethics

Ethics of publishing
The Journal of Citizens of Lifelong Learning emphasizes the significant importance of ethical considerations in publishing research articles. The ethics of editors, authors, and reviewers strictly adhere to the principles outlined by The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)” (https://publicationethics.org/). Drafts of research articles and academic papers that do not meet ethical standards may be rejected or requested for explanation and additional revisions. All articles undergo evaluation by at least three experts in the relevant field, without disclosing the authors' names or personal information to the reviewers.

3.1 The ethics of the editorial board of the Journal of Citizens of Lifelong Learning afford them the ultimate decision-making authority in selecting articles for publication. They consider the recommendations and critiques of reviewers as fundamental in their deliberations. The editorial board comprises experts and scholars from various institutions and research domains, aligning with the journal's objectives and framework. They provide scholarly guidance and select reviewers, taking into account the following points:
- Editors must always be mindful of ethical principles when evaluating an article
- Editors must ensure the quality of the journal and verify that submissions have not been previously published elsewhere before considering them for publication in the Journal of Citizens of Lifelong Learning.
- Editors must guarantee non-disclosure of authors' personal information to reviewers.
- Editors must ensure that published works align with the objectives and scope of the Journal of Citizens of Lifelong Learning.
- Editors must thoroughly evaluate submissions impartially and should not outright reject works based solely on uncertainties. Editors should investigate and provide evidence to substantiate decisions, notifying authors of the reasons behind any rejection.
- Editors must not have conflicting interests or gain personal benefits that might overshadow or conflict with those of the authors
- Editors must carefully select reviewers who possess expertise and appropriate knowledge relevant to the submitted work, ensuring they are impartial in their evaluation of the manuscripts.
- Editors must not disclose information about manuscripts before they are published. Data and comments from reviewers should be protected and not used for personal gain.
- Editors must verify the originality of submitted manuscripts using reliable methods. In cases of plagiarism, editors have the right to cease consideration of the manuscript without requiring consent from the authors.

3.2 The ethics of authors dictate that all individuals who significantly support the work should be acknowledged as authors. The primary authorship and order of authors should reflect their varying levels of contribution to the work, regardless of their status. Those acknowledged as authors should have played a substantial role in creating the work, such as contributing to the conceptualization, designing tools, interpreting and summarizing data, discussing findings, and writing the manuscript. This promotes ethical responsibilities according to international standards outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The Journal of Citizens of Lifelong Learning adheres to these principles to uphold the ethical standards and responsibilities of authors.
- Authors must certify that the work submitted is original and has not been previously published elsewhere.
- Authors may submit their work to another journal after it has been rejected by the Journal of Citizens of Lifelong Learning, provided that the content of the manuscript aligns with the objectives of the subsequent journal.
- The author must take responsibility for any errors that arise from their work, guaranteeing that their work is original and explaining any doubts or questions.
- The author must report truthfully on what occurs during research, without distorting or providing false information.
- The author must adjust the manuscript to conform to the template and font size specified by the journal's format.
- Authors listed in an article must have contributed substantially to the research conducted. Authors must cite the work of others if they incorporate those works into their own research, and they must also compile a reference list at the end of the article according to international standards.
- Authors must verify the accuracy of their reference lists both in terms of format and content.
- The author must specify the funding sources or higher education institutions that supported this research and/or any conflicts of interest (if any) in the article and inform the editor.

3.3 Ethics of Evaluators
Evaluators are responsible for the evaluation process, providing feedback and suggestions that should support the authors in improving the quality of their work. They also ensure the benefits and appropriateness of the work for the academic field, particularly in educational knowledge. Evaluators have the legitimate right to offer recommendations on the work. To ensure that the evaluation process adheres to ethical principles, evaluators should follow these guidelines:
- Evaluators should decline to review work if the subject matter does not match their expertise and experience.
- Evaluators should provide recommendations and feedback based on their expertise and knowledge, supported by evidence and data, and free from bias.
- Evaluators must keep the information and findings of the work confidential before publication and must not disclose them to others.
- Evaluators should inform the editor if they find any plagiarism in the work they are reviewing.
- Evaluators must inform the editor if they encounter any potential conflicts of interest before, during, or after the evaluation process, and they should decline to review the work in such cases.