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Arts and Humanities Open Access

International Journal of Education and Practice

e-ISSN: 2310-3868 p-ISSN: 2311-6897 Code: IJEP

Peer Review Policy

1. Purpose of Peer Review

International Journal of Education and Practice (IJEP) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic quality, research integrity, and ethical publishing. The journal employs a rigorous peer review process to evaluate the scientific merit, originality, validity, and significance of submitted manuscripts. Peer review serves as an essential mechanism for ensuring that published articles contribute meaningfully to the advancement of knowledge and practice in education and related disciplines.

2. Initial Editorial Assessment

All manuscripts submitted to IJEP undergo an initial screening by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated editor. At this stage, manuscripts are assessed for:

  • Relevance to the aims and scope of the journal;

  • Compliance with the journal’s submission guidelines;

  • Originality and scholarly contribution;

  • Methodological rigor and academic quality;

  • Ethical compliance and research integrity;

  • Clarity of writing and presentation.

Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's standards or fall outside its scope may be rejected without external peer review.

3. Double-Blind Peer Review Process

IJEP follows a double-blind peer review system, whereby the identities of both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the review process. Authors must ensure that manuscripts are prepared in a manner that does not reveal their identities, affiliations, or other identifying information.

Following successful editorial screening, manuscripts are assigned to at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise in the subject area. The double-blind review process promotes fairness, objectivity, and impartiality while minimizing the potential for bias.

4. Review Criteria

Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on the following criteria:

  • Originality and innovation of the research;

  • Relevance to the field of education and educational practice;

  • Clarity of research objectives and questions;

  • Appropriateness of theoretical framework and literature review;

  • Soundness of research methodology and analysis;

  • Validity and reliability of findings;

  • Quality of discussion and conclusions;

  • Practical and scholarly contribution to the field;

  • Ethical compliance and research integrity.

Reviewers are encouraged to provide constructive comments that assist authors in improving their manuscripts.

5. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Conduct reviews objectively, fairly, and professionally;

  • Maintain the confidentiality of all manuscript materials;

  • Declare any potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment;

  • Provide clear, evidence-based recommendations and feedback;

  • Identify relevant published work that has not been cited;

  • Report any concerns regarding plagiarism, duplicate publication, data manipulation, or other forms of research misconduct.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained during the review process for personal or professional advantage.

6. Editorial Decisions

Based on reviewers’ recommendations and editorial evaluation, the Editor-in-Chief or handling editor may make one of the following decisions:

  • Accept without revision;

  • Accept with minor revisions;

  • Request major revisions;

  • Reject with the opportunity to resubmit;

  • Reject.

The final decision regarding publication rests solely with the editorial team. Editors may seek additional reviews when necessary to ensure a balanced and informed decision.

7. Plagiarism Detection and Similarity Checking

IJEP is committed to publishing original research and preventing publication misconduct. All manuscripts are screened using iThenticate through the Crossref Similarity Check service before publication.

The journal does not accept manuscripts that involve:

  • Plagiarism;

  • Self-plagiarism;

  • Duplicate or redundant publication;

  • Data fabrication or falsification;

  • Image manipulation;

  • Citation manipulation.

Cases of suspected misconduct are investigated in accordance with the guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

8. Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, or personal relationships that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the research, review process, or editorial decisions.

All conflicts of interest must be declared at the time of submission or review. Where conflicts exist, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure an unbiased review and publication process.

9. Research Ethics and Human Participants

Research involving human participants must comply with internationally accepted ethical standards and relevant institutional and national regulations.

Authors conducting research involving students, teachers, parents, educational staff, or other human participants must:

  • Obtain approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB), Ethics Committee, or equivalent authority where required;

  • Include details of ethical approval in the manuscript;

  • Ensure voluntary participation and informed consent;

  • Protect participant privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity;

  • Comply with applicable data protection and privacy regulations.

The editorial office may request supporting documentation regarding ethical approval and participant consent at any stage of the review process.

10. Confidentiality

All manuscripts submitted to IJEP are treated as confidential documents. Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must not disclose manuscript content, reviewer reports, or author information to unauthorized individuals.

Confidential information obtained through the peer review process must not be used for personal, academic, or commercial purposes.

11. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a detailed explanation to the Editor-in-Chief. Appeals will be reviewed carefully and independently where appropriate.

Complaints relating to editorial processes, peer review conduct, publication ethics, or conflicts of interest will be handled in accordance with the procedures and principles established by COPE.

12. Publication Ethics and Research Integrity

IJEP adheres to the principles and best-practice guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and is committed to promoting honesty, transparency, accountability, and integrity in scholarly publishing.

Authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers share responsibility for maintaining ethical standards throughout the submission, review, and publication process.

References

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). (2019). COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers. Available at: https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines-new/cope-ethical-guidelines-peer-reviewers

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). (2021). COPE Core Practices. Available at: https://publicationethics.org/core-practices

Crossref. (2024). Similarity Check Powered by iThenticate. Available at: https://www.crossref.org/services/similarity-check/

International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). (2024). Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. Available at: https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/

Wager, E., & Kleinert, S. (2011). Responsible research publication: International standards for editors. In T. Mayer & N. Steneck (Eds.), Promoting Research Integrity in a Global Environment (pp. 317–328). World Scientific.

Eysenbach, G., & Till, J. E. (2001). Ethical issues in qualitative research on internet communities. BMJ, 323(7321), 1103–1105. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7321.1103