Editorial Ethics

Educational Regent Multidisciplinary Journal (ERMJ) takes as its reference the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), which are internationally recognised in matters of academic integrity, editorial transparency, scientific responsibility, and good practices in knowledge dissemination.

Authorship and Contribution

Authors and reviewers must use the journal’s official submission and evaluation system. If inconsistencies are detected between the credentials provided and the identity declared by an author or reviewer, a formal verification procedure will be initiated. When the person’s identity cannot be clearly and reliably documented, the editorial process will be suspended. If irregularities are identified after publication, the article may be subject to a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the seriousness of the case.

The authorship criteria are defined in the Instructions for Authors. Only individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the work will be recognised as authors. Each author must have participated significantly in the conception or design of the study; the collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; the development of tools or software, where applicable; or the drafting or critical revision of the manuscript. All authors must approve the final version submitted and accept responsibility for their contributions and the integrity of the work.

Individual contributions must be explicitly declared using the CRediT taxonomy. The declaration must clearly specify the roles performed by each author. Only those who have effectively contributed to the manuscript may be listed as authors.

Before submitting the work, authors must appropriately acknowledge previous academic contributions through relevant citations. The manuscript must be original, must not have been previously published—except as an authorised preprint—and must not be under simultaneous consideration by another journal. All authors must approve the submission and hold the rights required to authorise its publication under ERMJ’s Open Access licence. Third-party material must have the corresponding permissions. The information, data, and materials presented must be accurate, complete, and obtained in accordance with applicable legal, ethical, and scientific standards.

The names, affiliations, and academic identifiers required for publication will form part of the article’s metadata. Other personal information will be handled in accordance with the journal’s privacy statement.

Any changes to the author list, including changes in order or the addition or removal of authors, will require the written consent of all individuals involved. In the event of an authorship dispute, the editorial process may be suspended until the matter has been clarified.

Research Ethics Statement

All submitted research must comply with the ethical standards applicable to the corresponding discipline. Studies involving humans or animals must state, in the Methodology section, the approval granted by an ethics committee or competent institutional body. When no formal ethical review mechanism exists, authors must explain how the applicable ethical principles were upheld. Informed consent from human participants is mandatory, except in duly justified circumstances.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors must declare any financial, professional, academic, or personal interest that could influence, or reasonably be perceived as influencing, the research or the interpretation of its results. These declarations must be submitted at the time of submission. If undeclared conflicts are identified during the evaluation, the process may be suspended until they are clarified. When detected after publication, corrective measures or, where appropriate, retraction may be implemented.

Disclosure of Financial Support and Funding Sources

All funding sources associated with the research must be transparently disclosed. The statement must include the full names of the funding bodies, project numbers where applicable, and the role played by the funders in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or decision to publish.

When no external funding has been received, this must be explicitly stated.

The funding declaration is intended to ensure academic transparency and does not imply any influence over editorial decisions. In accordance with its current policy, Educational Regent Multidisciplinary Journal does not charge Article Processing Charges (APCs). Editorial decisions are made independently and are based on scientific and ethical criteria.

The omission or falsification of funding information will be considered an ethical breach.

Acknowledgement of Non-Author Contributions

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet the authorship criteria must be mentioned in the Acknowledgements section. Such contributions may include technical assistance, methodological advice, or preliminary manuscript review. Consent must be obtained before including an individual’s name. This section must be presented appropriately and concisely.

Data and Reproducibility

The journal promotes scientific transparency and reproducibility. Manuscripts must describe the data, methods, and procedures in sufficient detail to allow their verification. When public databases are used, authors must provide the information required to reproduce the analyses. When original data are generated, their deposit in trusted digital repositories is recommended, unless duly justified ethical or legal restrictions apply.

Ethical Oversight

All research must comply with the ethical and regulatory frameworks in force in the country where it was conducted. Particular attention will be paid to studies involving vulnerable populations. Authors must protect the rights, privacy, and confidentiality of participants. In cases of potential non-compliance, the journal may initiate a review process, allow authors to provide clarification, and adopt proportionate measures according to the circumstances.

Preprints

The dissemination of preliminary versions (preprints) through institutional repositories or recognised academic preprint servers is permitted. Such dissemination will not be considered prior publication and will not prevent subsequent evaluation by the journal. Authors must declare the existence of the preprint during submission and update its record with the DOI and link to the published version.

Roles and Responsibilities

Reviewer Profile

Reviewers must have a demonstrable academic background in the journal’s subject areas, advanced qualifications, and relevant scientific experience. They must act independently, objectively, and confidentially and declare any conflicts of interest.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts critically and constructively, protect confidentiality, declare conflicts of interest, issue well-founded reports within the established deadlines, report potential ethical irregularities, and refrain from using generative artificial intelligence tools for the substantial preparation of their review reports.

Authors

Authors must guarantee the originality of the manuscript, meet the authorship criteria, declare their contributions in accordance with the CRediT taxonomy, ensure data integrity, comply with ethical standards, disclose conflicts of interest and funding, obtain the necessary permissions, respond appropriately to editorial comments, and assume full responsibility for the content.

Editors and Editorial Board

Editors and members of the Editorial Board must act with academic independence and a commitment to scientific quality. Their responsibilities include ensuring rigorous review processes, making decisions based on scientific criteria, selecting appropriate reviewers, protecting confidentiality, monitoring ethical compliance, managing potential cases of misconduct, and preserving editorial independence.

Allegations of Misconduct

Allegations of possible misconduct will be handled confidentially and in accordance with COPE guidance. Each case will be assessed individually and may result in rejection of the manuscript, publication of corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, or notification of the relevant institutions.

Communications must be sent to: educationalregent@gmail.com

Complaints

Complaints concerning editorial decisions or review processes will be examined impartially and in accordance with current ethical standards. When a complaint is found to be justified, the necessary corrective action will be taken.

Formal complaints must be sent to: educationalregent@gmail.com

Permanence, Retractions, and Post-Publication Corrections

Published articles form part of the permanent scholarly record and will not be modified except in duly justified exceptional circumstances. When necessary to preserve the accuracy of the scientific record, corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions may be published. Retracted articles will remain accessible and will be clearly identified as such.

The journal encourages post-publication academic discussion. Comments or discussions may be evaluated editorially and, where appropriate, submitted for peer review.