Publication Ethics
International Journal of TVET Studies (IJTVET)
The International Journal of TVET Studies (IJTVET) is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in academic publishing. Our ethical framework is guided by the principles set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). It is tailored to the unique demands of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) field. The following code of ethics applies to all parties involved in the publication process: authors, reviewers, editors, and the editorial board. Ethical concerns should be directed to the Chief Editor.
A. Code of Ethics for Authors
A.1 Responsibility and Integrity
• Authors must submit original, accurate, and honest work that adheres to recognised research standards.
• Research findings should be clearly and transparently presented, with sufficient detail to allow replication.
• Data must not be fabricated, falsified, or selectively reported.
• Authors must obtain necessary ethical approvals for studies involving human or animal participants and provide proof thereof.
A.2 Originality and Plagiarism
• Submitted manuscripts must be original and not under consideration elsewhere.
• All sources must be cited appropriately, including paraphrased content and prior work by the authors.
• Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, is strictly prohibited. IJTVET uses plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin©).
A.3 Dual Submission and Redundancy
•Manuscripts must not be submitted simultaneously to another journal.
• Previously rejected manuscripts may only be resubmitted with substantial changes and must be disclosed to the Chief Editor.
A.4 Conference Proceedings
• Manuscripts based on prior conference papers must be substantially revised and must cite the original source.
A.5 Authorship and Contributions
• Authorship must reflect significant contributions to the research.
• All listed authors must approve the final manuscript.
• Only one corresponding author should be designated.
• Changes to authorship are only allowed before acceptance.
A.6 Conflicts of Interest
• All financial, institutional, or personal relationships that might influence the research must be disclosed.
• Authors must declare any affiliations that may be perceived as a conflict.
A.7 Copyright and Permissions
• Authors retain copyright under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0).
• It is the author’s responsibility to obtain permission for third-party content.
A.8 Ethical Use of Human and Animal Subjects
• Obtaining ethical approval from an institutional review board is mandatory for all relevant studies.
• Informed consent must be obtained from all human participants.
A.9 Use of AI Tools
• If AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) are used in manuscript preparation, their role must be clearly disclosed.
• AI tools must not be listed as authors and must not replace critical scholarly judgment.
A.10 Manuscript Withdrawal and Retraction
• Authors may request withdrawal within two weeks of submission, provided they provide valid justification.
• Significant errors discovered in post-publication must be reported promptly for correction or retraction.
B. Code of Ethics for Reviewers
B.1 Reviewer Responsibilities
• Reviewers must be experts in the field and provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback.
• Manuscripts must be treated as confidential documents.
B.2 Conflict of Interest
• Reviewers must recuse themselves if a conflict of interest exists.
• Relationships or collaborations with authors in the past five years should be disclosed.
B.3 Review Quality
• Reviewers should assess the manuscript’s clarity, methodology, contribution to the field, and ethical compliance.
• Personal criticism is unacceptable; focus must remain on the work.
B.4 Timeliness
• Reviews should be completed within four weeks. Delays must be communicated to the Chief Editor.
C. Code of Ethics for Editorial Board
C.1 Manuscript Handling
• The Chief Editor will assess manuscripts for relevance and originality and ensure a double-blind peer-review process.
C.2 Editorial Decisions
• Decisions must be based on manuscript quality and reviewer feedback.
• Editorial decisions must be fair, unbiased, and justified.
C.3 Conflicts of Interest
• Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts when conflicts of interest exist.
• Editors submitting their own work must not be involved in the review or decision process.
D. Post-Publication Ethics
D.1 Corrections and Amendments
•Erratum: For publisher-introduced errors.
•Corrigendum: For author errors affecting the record.
•Retraction: For invalid or unethical work.
•Addendum: For additional information.
D.2 Sanctions
•Ethical violations may result in rejection, retraction, a ban from future submission (up to 3 years), and institutional notification.
This Ethics Statement will be reviewed periodically to ensure relevance and adherence to international publishing standards.
Revised: 19 September 2025
