Ethical Considerations for Research in the International Journal of TESOL Studies (IJTS)

 

Research Ethics

Authors are expected to adhere to the research ethical guidelines set forth by their respective institutions. In cases involving human participants, authors must obtain ethical approval from the appropriate authority within their institution and obtain informed consent from all participants. For research involving minors, parental consent should also be obtained.

 

IJTS strictly prohibits any form of data fabrication, distortion, or falsification. Authors are expected to report their data accurately and comprehensively, ensuring that it provides an honest representation of their research findings.

 

Authors are required to transparently report any conflicts of interest that could potentially impact the outcomes of their study. Failure to declare any conflicts of interest that could introduce bias or influence the interpretation of the findings may result in the rejection of the submission.

 

Authorship

Authorship is granted to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission to IJTS. Any addition, removal, or rearrangement of authors after submission must be justified in writing and approved by all authors. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript before submission. They are also the primary point of contact for communication with the journal during the review process.

 

Submission

Authors needs to make a statement on submission (1) has not been previously published (in English or other languages) and (2) is neither currently being reviewed nor will be submitted for review while the manuscript is being considered by IJTS.

 

The journal requires that all contents consulted or works referenced be properly acknowledged according to the latest APA style.

 

The Double-blind Peer Review Process

IJTS adheres to a stringent double-blind peer review policy to ensure the quality and relevance of published articles. The following steps outline the peer review process:

 

Initial In-House Review: The editors will conduct an initial in-house review to assess the suitability of the submission in terms of its alignment with the journal’s scope and the overall quality of the article. This step helps determine if the submission should proceed to external review.

 

External Expert Assessment: At least two external experts with expertise in the topic of the article will be invited to review the submission. These reviewers will evaluate the manuscript, provide constructive comments, and make recommendations regarding its acceptance, rejection, or need for revisions.

 

Editorial Decision: The editors will carefully consider the comments and recommendations of the anonymous reviewers to make a decision regarding the submission. Based on this evaluation, the editors will determine whether to accept the article, reject it, or request revisions from the authors.

 

Rigorous Peer Review: All research articles published in IJTS undergo a rigorous peer review process, which includes both the initial editor screening and anonymous refereeing by a minimum of two reviewers. This ensures that the published articles meet the highest standards of academic quality and rigor.

 

Timely Review Process: The journal aims to complete the review process within three months or less. However, in some cases, a second round of review may be required after the authors have made revisions based on the reviewers’ feedback.

 

Roles of Editors

To ensure fairness and objectivity in the review process, editors of IJTS will refrain from handling manuscripts in which they have any conflicts of interest. This includes situations where their personal or professional affiliations could unduly influence the selection of reviewers or the final decision on the submission.

 

Editors of the journal are committed to upholding the principles of editorial integrity. Manuscripts are evaluated solely based on their academic merits and relevance to the scope of TESOL Studies. The editorial process ensures fair and unbiased assessment, maintaining the highest standards of academic rigor and quality.

 

Publishing Malpractices (Plagiarism and Misconduct)

Plagiarism: All submitted manuscripts to IJTS are screened for plagiarism before the external reviewing process starts. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarized content, including self-plagiarism, will be desk rejected.

 

Duplicate Publication: Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals is prohibited. Authors must disclose any prior publication or submission of overlapping work in the cover letter during the submission stage.

 

Fabrication and Falsification: Data fabrication (inventing data), falsification (manipulating data), or image manipulation are serious ethical violations. Any evidence of such misconducts will result in immediate rejection or retraction and may lead to permanent sanctions against the authors.

 

Retractions

When there is clear evidence of unreliable findings due to misconducts (e.g., data fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism) or unintentional errors (e.g., miscalculations or experimental errors), retractions will be issued. Those situations like unethical research practices, duplicate publications, or failure to disclose major conflicts of interest may also lead to retractions. The retraction notice will specify the reason for retraction and will be linked to the original article.

 

Corrections

Authors have the responsibility to inform in a timely manner the journal of any errors in their published work. There are two types of corrections the journal makes. 1) Errata: issued for minor errors (e.g., typographical errors, incorrect citations) that do not affect the overall conclusions of the article; 2) Corrigenda: issued for significant errors (e.g., incorrect data, misrepresentation of results) that impact the interpretation of the findings.

 

The editorial board will review corrections and publish them with a link to the original article.

 

Use of AI Tools

IJTS upholds accountability and transparency as the two paramount principles in using AI tools during the writing process. Authors must disclose the use of AI tools in the preparation of their manuscript. At IJTS, authors can only use AI tools to enhance the readability and language use of their work during the writing process. Authors remain fully responsible for the content, accuracy, and originality of their work.

 

Open Access

IJTS operates under an open access model. This means that there are no subscription fees for readers, and authors are not required to pay any publication fees. All content published in the journal is freely accessible to the public online. IJTS does not impose any article processing charges on authors. This open access approach ensures that research and knowledge in the field of TESOL are widely available and accessible to researchers, educators, and the general public without financial barriers.