Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Journal of Digital Learning and Education (J. Dig Learn. Edu.) is an international peer-reviewed electronic journal. This statement clarifies the ethical behavior of all parties involved in the act of publishing an article in this journal, including the editorial board, editors, authors, peer reviewers and the publisher (MO.RI Publishing). This statement is based on COPE's best practice guidelines for editors of journals.

Ethical Guideline for Journal Publication

The publication of an article in a peer-reviewed JDLE is an essential element in the development of a coherent and respected network of knowledge. It directly reflects the quality of the work of the authors and the institutions that support them. The peer-reviewed articles support and embody the scientific method. It is therefore important to agree on the ethical behavior standards expected of all parties involved in the publication act: the author, the editor of the journal, the reviewer, the publisher and the society.

MO.RI Publishing as the publisher of Journal of Digital Learning and Education takes the supervisory duties on all stages of publishing extremely seriously and we recognize our ethical and other responsibilities. We are committed to ensuring that advertising, reprinting or other commercial revenues have no impact or influence on editorial decisions. In addition, publisher and the editorial board will help to communicate with other journals as well as publishers if it is useful and necessary.

Publication Decisions

The editors of the Journal of Digital Learning and Education are responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The validation of the work in question and its importance for researchers and readers must always lead to such decisions. The editors may be guided by the policies of the editorial board of the journal and constrained by the legal requirements that will then apply in respect of defamation, copyright infringement and plagiarism. In making the decision, the editors may confer with other editors or reviewers.

1. Fair play

Editors evaluate manuscripts only based on their intellectual content, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship or political philosophy of the authors.

2. Confidentiality

The editor and any editorial team shall not disclose any information on a manuscript submitted to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, prospective reviewers, other editorial advisors and the publisher, as the case may be.

3. Disclosure and conflicts of interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in any form of an editor’s own research without the written consent of the author.

Duties of Reviewers

1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions

The peer review helps the editor make editorial decisions. It can also help the author to improve the paper, through editorial communications with the author.

2. Promptness

Any chosen referee who does not feel qualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that he/she would not be able to review on time should inform the editor and apologize for the review process.

3. Privacy Policy

All manuscripts received for review should be treated as confidential documents. They must not be presented or discussed with others unless authorized by the editor.

4. Objectivity

Reviews must be carried out objectively. The personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees must clearly articulate their points of view with supporting arguments.

5. Acknowledgement of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been cited by the authors. Any statement containing an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be presented with the relevant citation. A reviewer should also draw the editor’s attention to any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published document of which they have personal knowledge.

6. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Insider information or ideas obtained through peer review should be kept confidential and not used for personal purposes. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative or other relationships or connections with the authors, corporations, or institutions related to the manuscripts.

Duties of Authors

1. Reporting Standards

Authors of original research reports must provide an accurate account of the work done and an objective discussion of its importance. The underlying data must be accurately represented in the manuscript. A manuscript should contain enough details and references to allow others to reproduce the work. Fraudulent or knowingly incorrect statements are unethical and unacceptable.

2. Data Access and Retention

The authors should give a public access to raw data (if any) in relation to the editorial review. This data should be retained even for a necessary time after publication.

3. Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must guarantee that their works are entirely original and any citations for other works and/or words in the manuscript have been properly done.

4. Multiple, Redundant or Simultaneous Publication

An author should generally not publish manuscripts containing essentially the same results in more than one primary journal or publication. Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to more than one journal is considered unethical and unacceptable.

5. Recognition of Sources

Appropriate recognition of the work of others must always be given. Authors must cite publications that have influenced the nature of the work reported.

6. Authorship

Authorship should be limited to those who have contributed significantly to the reported research results. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. If there are others involved in some of the substantive aspects of the research project, then they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author must ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included in the manuscript and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to the submission for publication.

7. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose in their manuscripts any financial or other conflicts of interest that could be interpreted as having an influence on the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.

8. Fundamental Errors in Published Works

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author's duty to promptly inform the editor or publisher of the journal and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.

Additional Ethical Policies of JDLE

9. Ownership and Management

Journal of Digital Learning and Education is owned and published by MO.RI Publishing. The editorial office address and contact details are shown in the footer of every page. The journal is managed by the Editor-in-Chief and the editorial board listed on the Editorial Team page. Financial support for the journal comes from the publisher and from the article processing charge described on the Author Fees page, which is stated openly.

10. Editorial independence

Editorial decisions are based only on the academic merit of a manuscript, its relevance to the scope of the journal, and the outcome of peer review. They are free from undue influence by the publisher, sponsors, professional communities, service providers, or commercial interests. Advertising, article processing charges, and other revenues have no influence on editorial decisions. JDLE does not promise acceptance of any manuscript, does not offer fast-track publication that guarantees acceptance, and issues a Letter of Acceptance only after a manuscript has been formally accepted.

11. Manuscripts by editors and editorial board members

Editors, members of the editorial board, and the Editor-in-Chief may publish in JDLE under the following conditions: the manuscript is processed like any other submission, the editor and the reviewers are not the authors of the manuscript, and no more than one article per year is published by the same editorial member. Editors with a conflict of interest are excluded from all decisions on the manuscript.

12. Authorship and contributions

Authorship is limited to those who made a substantial contribution to the conception, design, data collection, analysis, or writing of the work and who approved the final version. Author contributions should be stated using the CRediT taxonomy. Changes to the list or order of authors after submission need written agreement from all authors and approval by the editor. Gift, guest, and ghost authorship are not accepted.

13. Research ethics, ethical clearance and informed consent

Research involving human participants, identifiable personal data, or animals must comply with applicable ethical standards. Authors must report in the Methods section the name of the ethics committee and the approval number, or explain why approval was not required. Informed consent from participants (and from parents or guardians for minors) must be reported. Manuscripts without this information may be returned to the authors before review.

14. Data availability and reproducibility

Authors must provide a Data Availability Statement. Data, instruments, and code supporting the findings should be deposited in a public repository when possible and cited in the article. If the data cannot be shared (for example because of privacy), the authors must state the reason and the conditions under which the data can be accessed. Methods should be described in enough detail to allow replication.

15. Conflict of interest and funding

Authors must declare financial and non-financial conflicts of interest and all funding sources, including the role of the funder, or state that there are none. Reviewers and editors must withdraw from a manuscript when a conflict of interest exists.

16. Allegations of research misconduct

Anyone may report suspected misconduct (plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, manipulation of citations, or undisclosed AI use) to the editorial office by email. The Editor-in-Chief acknowledges the report, keeps the identity of the reporter confidential where possible, and asks the authors to respond. If the concern is not resolved, the case is assessed by the editorial board following the COPE flowcharts, and the authors' institution may be informed. Possible outcomes are no action, correction, expression of concern, retraction, or rejection, and a ban on future submissions in serious cases.

17. Corrections, retractions and expressions of concern

When errors are found in a published article, JDLE publishes a correction notice that is linked to the original article. An article is retracted when its findings are unreliable because of misconduct or honest error, or when it is a redundant publication, plagiarism, or an ethical violation. Retraction notices state the reason for retraction, are linked to the retracted article, and carry their own DOI. A retracted article remains accessible on the website and is clearly marked as retracted. An expression of concern may be published while an investigation is ongoing. These procedures follow the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

18. Complaints and appeals

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision may submit a written appeal to the Editor-in-Chief explaining the reasons and providing supporting evidence. Appeals are assessed by an editor who was not involved in the original decision, who may consult additional reviewers. The decision on the appeal is final. Complaints about editors, reviewers, or the publisher can be sent to the editorial office through the Contact page and are handled according to the COPE complaints procedure.

19. Use of artificial intelligence

The use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools by authors, reviewers, and editors is governed by the AI Policy.

20. Plagiarism and duplicate submission

All manuscripts are screened for similarity as described on the Plagiarism Screening page. Manuscripts with unacceptable text overlap, duplicate or simultaneous submission, or salami slicing are rejected.