Plagiarism & Research Misconduct Policy

1. Purpose

The Journal of Education and Development Lab (JEDL) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, research ethics, originality, and responsible scholarly communication.

JEDL considers plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, manipulation of research findings, duplicate publication, unethical research practices, authorship misconduct, citation manipulation, peer-review manipulation, and other forms of academic misconduct to be serious violations of scholarly integrity.

This policy establishes how JEDL identifies, evaluates, investigates, and responds to suspected plagiarism and research misconduct.

The policy applies to:

Authors;
Co-authors;
Reviewers;
Editors;
Editorial Board members;
Guest editors;
Research contributors;
Other individuals involved in the publication process.

2. JEDL's Principle of Academic Integrity

JEDL expects all submitted and published work to be:

Original;
Honest;
Accurate;
Properly attributed;
Ethically conducted;
Transparently reported;
Based on reliable evidence;
Compliant with applicable research-ethics requirements.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions comply with these principles.

3. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's ideas, words, data, images, results, methods, or other intellectual work as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment or attribution.

Plagiarism may occur intentionally or unintentionally. Lack of intent does not necessarily eliminate the requirement to correct improperly attributed material.

Plagiarism may include, but is not limited to:

Copying text without quotation and citation;
Presenting another person's ideas without attribution;
Copying or closely reproducing another work's structure or argument without appropriate acknowledgment;
Using another person's data without permission or attribution;
Reusing figures, tables, images, or illustrations without appropriate attribution or permission;
Translating another person's work and presenting it as original;
Paraphrasing another person's work without proper citation;
Submitting another person's work as one's own.

4. Types of Plagiarism

JEDL recognizes several forms of problematic textual or intellectual appropriation.

4.1 Direct Plagiarism

Direct plagiarism occurs when words or passages are copied substantially from another source without appropriate quotation and citation.

4.2 Mosaic or Patchwork Plagiarism

Mosaic plagiarism occurs when material from multiple sources is combined or lightly modified without appropriate acknowledgment.

4.3 Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Changing wording or sentence structure while retaining another person's ideas without proper citation may constitute plagiarism.

4.4 Idea Plagiarism

Using another researcher's original idea, hypothesis, argument, method, or conceptual contribution without appropriate acknowledgment may constitute plagiarism.

4.5 Translation Plagiarism

Translating material from another language and presenting the translated material as original work without attribution may constitute plagiarism.

4.6 Image, Figure, and Table Plagiarism

Using another person's figures, tables, photographs, diagrams, artwork, or other visual materials without appropriate attribution or permission may constitute plagiarism or copyright infringement.

5. Self-Plagiarism and Text Recycling

Authors should not unnecessarily reuse substantial portions of their own previously published work without appropriate disclosure and citation.

JEDL distinguishes between legitimate reuse and inappropriate text recycling.

Limited reuse may sometimes be appropriate, particularly where:

A standard methodological description must be repeated;
The previous work is explicitly cited;
The reuse is transparent;
Copyright requirements are respected;
The new manuscript provides a genuinely distinct scholarly contribution.

However, substantial undisclosed reuse of previously published material may constitute a publication-ethics concern.

6. Duplicate and Redundant Publication

JEDL does not accept manuscripts that have already been published substantially elsewhere.

Authors must disclose:

Previous publications containing substantially similar material;
Related manuscripts under consideration elsewhere;
Preprints, where applicable;
Conference papers or proceedings that substantially overlap with the submission;
Previous publications from which substantial material has been reused.

Submitting substantially the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals is not acceptable.

7. Fabrication

Fabrication is the invention of data, results, observations, participants, experiments, sources, citations, or other research information that did not actually exist.

Examples include:

Inventing survey responses;
Creating nonexistent participants;
Inventing experimental results;
Fabricating interviews;
Creating nonexistent references;
Reporting experiments that were never conducted.

Fabrication is considered serious research misconduct.

8. Falsification

Falsification involves manipulating research materials, processes, data, images, results, or reporting in a way that misrepresents the research record.

Examples may include:

Selectively altering data;
Removing inconvenient observations without justification;
Manipulating research procedures;
Misrepresenting statistical results;
Altering images in a misleading manner;
Misrepresenting research participants;
Deliberately changing results or findings.

Legitimate data cleaning, processing, statistical analysis, or image enhancement is not automatically falsification when appropriately documented and scientifically justified.

9. Data and Image Manipulation

Authors must report research data and images accurately.

JEDL does not permit deceptive manipulation intended to misrepresent research findings.

Where images are processed for legitimate analytical or presentation purposes, authors should ensure that:

The processing does not distort the scientific meaning;
Important changes are appropriately disclosed;
Original data can be provided where necessary;
The final image accurately represents the underlying evidence.

Editors may request original data, images, analysis files, or methodological information when concerns arise.

10. Citation Misconduct

Authors must use citations accurately and responsibly.

The following practices may constitute misconduct:

Fabricating references;
Citing sources that were not actually consulted when such citation is misleading;
Misrepresenting the findings of cited sources;
Excessive irrelevant citation;
Manipulating citations to artificially increase citation counts;
Coordinating inappropriate citation practices;
Omitting relevant prior work in a misleading manner.

Authors should cite relevant literature based on scholarly relevance rather than citation-count considerations.

11. Citation Manipulation and Coercive Citation

JEDL prohibits inappropriate citation manipulation by authors, reviewers, or editors.

Reviewers and editors must not require authors to cite publications merely to increase:

Individual citation counts;
Journal citation metrics;
Institutional metrics;
Personal academic visibility.

Citation recommendations are appropriate only when the cited work is genuinely relevant to the manuscript.

12. Authorship Misconduct

Authorship must reflect genuine intellectual contribution.

Potential authorship misconduct includes:

Ghost Authorship

A person who made a substantial contribution is omitted from authorship without appropriate justification.

Guest or Honorary Authorship

A person is listed as an author despite not making a sufficient contribution.

Gift Authorship

Authorship is provided as a favor or courtesy rather than based on scholarly contribution.

Authorship Misrepresentation

Individuals are added, removed, or listed without appropriate agreement or contribution.

Authorship disputes should be resolved among the authors and, where appropriate, their institutions. JEDL may request institutional clarification where necessary.

13. Unauthorized Use of Artificial Intelligence

The use of artificial intelligence or generative AI does not remove the author's responsibility for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and ethical compliance of a manuscript.

Authors must follow JEDL's AI and Generative AI Policy.

Potential misconduct may include:

Presenting AI-generated material as original human scholarship where disclosure is required;
Fabricating references using AI;
Submitting inaccurate AI-generated information;
Using AI to manipulate research findings;
Generating fabricated data;
Using AI to conceal plagiarism;
Uploading confidential third-party material to unauthorized AI services.

Authors remain fully responsible for the content they submit.

14. Peer-Review Manipulation

JEDL considers manipulation of the peer-review process to be serious misconduct.

Examples may include:

Providing false reviewer identities;
Creating fraudulent reviewer accounts;
Providing fake reviewer email addresses;
Attempting to influence reviewers improperly;
Interfering with reviewer reports;
Submitting fabricated reviews;
Coordinating fraudulent peer review;
Attempting to identify or contact anonymous reviewers improperly.

JEDL may suspend or reject submissions where peer-review manipulation is suspected.

15. Research Ethics Violations

Research involving human participants, vulnerable populations, personal data, animals, or other ethically sensitive areas must comply with appropriate ethical standards.

Potential violations include:

Conducting research without required ethical approval;
Failure to obtain required informed consent;
Unauthorized use of personal information;
Failure to protect participant confidentiality;
Misrepresentation of ethical approval;
Conducting research in violation of applicable institutional or legal requirements.

JEDL may request documentation of ethical approval or informed consent where appropriate.

16. Conflict of Interest Misconduct

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest.

Failure to disclose a significant conflict may constitute a publication-ethics concern where the omission could affect the interpretation, review, or editorial decision.

Conflicts may include:

Financial interests;
Employment;
Funding relationships;
Personal relationships;
Professional relationships;
Academic competition;
Institutional interests.

17. Misconduct Detected Before Publication

If suspected plagiarism or research misconduct is identified before publication, JEDL may:

Pause the editorial process;
Conduct an initial assessment;
Request an explanation from the authors;
Request supporting documentation;
Conduct additional similarity or integrity checks;
Consult relevant editors or experts;
Contact the authors' institution where appropriate;
Reject the manuscript;
Take other appropriate action.

The severity of the response will depend on the nature and evidence concerning the alleged misconduct.

18. Investigation Procedure

JEDL seeks to handle allegations of misconduct fairly, confidentially, and consistently.

An investigation may involve the following stages:

Stage 1 — Preliminary Assessment

The editorial team assesses whether the allegation has sufficient basis to warrant further consideration.

Stage 2 — Evidence Review

Relevant evidence may include:

Manuscript files;
Previous publications;
Similarity reports;
Data or supplementary files;
Reviewer reports;
Editorial correspondence;
Research records;
Ethical approval documentation.

Stage 3 — Author Response

Where appropriate, the corresponding author may be asked to provide an explanation or supporting evidence.

Stage 4 — Further Investigation

If the concern remains unresolved, JEDL may seek additional expert or institutional input.

Stage 5 — Editorial Action

JEDL will determine an appropriate action based on the available evidence.

19. Institutional Notification

Where serious or credible allegations cannot be adequately resolved through the journal's editorial process, JEDL may contact the relevant:

University;
Research institution;
Employer;
Ethics committee;
Research integrity office;
Funding organization;
Other appropriate authority.

Institutional contact may be necessary when the matter concerns research conduct that falls primarily within the institution's responsibility.

20. Author Response

JEDL will, where appropriate, provide authors with an opportunity to respond to allegations before taking significant adverse action.

Authors should provide:

A clear explanation;
Relevant evidence;
Corrected information where appropriate;
Documentation supporting their response.

Failure to respond within a reasonable period may result in a decision based on the available evidence.

21. Actions Following Confirmed Misconduct

Depending on the seriousness and timing of the misconduct, JEDL may:

Reject the manuscript;
Reject a revised manuscript;
Remove the manuscript from consideration;
Suspend publication;
Request corrections;
Publish a correction;
Publish an Expression of Concern;
Retract a published article;
Notify the relevant institution;
Restrict future submissions where justified;
Take other appropriate editorial action.

JEDL will seek to ensure that any action is proportionate to the seriousness of the misconduct.

22. Plagiarism Identified After Publication

If plagiarism is identified after publication, JEDL will assess:

The extent of the plagiarism;
Whether the copied material affects the central contribution;
Whether the original source was acknowledged;
Whether copyright or licensing issues are involved;
Whether the issue affects the reliability or integrity of the published article.

Depending on the circumstances, JEDL may issue:

A correction;
An Expression of Concern;
A retraction;
Another appropriate editorial notice.

The scholarly record will be corrected in accordance with JEDL's Correction, Retraction & Withdrawal Policy.

23. Retraction for Serious Misconduct

A published article may be considered for retraction where there is reliable evidence that:

The findings are substantially unreliable;
Fabrication or falsification occurred;
Significant plagiarism is confirmed;
Serious ethical violations occurred;
The publication represents substantial duplicate publication;
The peer-review process was materially compromised;
Other serious misconduct has affected the integrity of the article.

Retractions are intended to correct the scholarly record and will not ordinarily be used simply as a punishment.

24. Minor Similarity and Legitimate Overlap

Not all textual similarity constitutes plagiarism.

Similarity may legitimately occur through:

Common technical terminology;
Standard methodological language;
Properly quoted material;
Correctly cited passages;
References and bibliographic information;
Standard definitions;
Author's legitimate reuse of limited methodological descriptions.

JEDL therefore does not determine plagiarism solely from a similarity percentage.

Editors will consider the nature, location, source, extent, context, and purpose of the overlapping material.

25. Similarity Checking

JEDL may use plagiarism-detection and similarity-checking software during editorial assessment and peer review.

A similarity report is an investigative tool and is not, by itself, proof of plagiarism.

Editors may investigate substantial or suspicious overlap and may request an explanation from authors.

The final determination remains an editorial and, where appropriate, institutional matter.

26. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for:

Ensuring originality;
Properly acknowledging sources;
Obtaining necessary permissions;
Reporting research honestly;
Maintaining appropriate research records;
Reporting data accurately;
Disclosing relevant conflicts of interest;
Obtaining required ethical approval;
Obtaining required participant consent;
Disclosing related publications;
Following JEDL's AI policy;
Cooperating with reasonable editorial investigations.

27. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers should:

Report suspected plagiarism confidentially to the editor;
Avoid making unsupported allegations;
Maintain manuscript confidentiality;
Avoid using unpublished information;
Disclose conflicts of interest;
Provide objective and constructive assessments.

Reviewers should not independently contact alleged sources or publicly discuss suspected misconduct.

28. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors should:

Evaluate allegations objectively;
Protect confidentiality;
Avoid premature conclusions;
Give authors a reasonable opportunity to respond where appropriate;
Maintain appropriate documentation;
Seek expert or institutional advice when necessary;
Take proportionate editorial action;
Protect the integrity of the published scholarly record.

29. False or Malicious Allegations

JEDL takes allegations of misconduct seriously but also recognizes that unfounded or malicious accusations can unfairly damage researchers.

Individuals raising concerns should provide evidence wherever possible and should act in good faith.

JEDL will not knowingly publish or communicate unsubstantiated allegations as established facts.

30. Confidentiality During Investigations

JEDL will make reasonable efforts to maintain confidentiality during misconduct investigations.

Information may be shared with relevant individuals or institutions when necessary to:

Conduct an appropriate investigation;
Protect the integrity of the scholarly record;
Resolve the matter;
Comply with legal or ethical obligations.

Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed where disclosure is legally required or necessary for a legitimate investigation.

31. No Retaliation

JEDL does not support retaliation against individuals who raise genuine concerns about possible research or publication misconduct in good faith.

Authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals who raise legitimate concerns should not be penalized merely for reporting a potential integrity issue.