Copyright Notice
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain full copyright to their work while granting JETOL the right of first publication. The published work is simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits sharing and distribution of the material provided that proper credit is given to the authors and to JETOL as the venue of original publication.
- Authors may enter into separate, non-exclusive agreements for further distribution of the published version of their work (for example, depositing it in an institutional repository or including it in a book), as long as the publication in JETOL is clearly acknowledged in these subsequent uses.
- Authors are encouraged to make their work available online (such as in institutional repositories or personal websites) before, during, or after the submission process, as this practice may contribute to constructive academic dialogue and increased citation of the published article.
- To support academic integrity and to ensure originality, authors must provide plagiarism screening reports (iThenticate, Turnitin, or equivalent tools) prior to publication. These reports are used solely to verify the originality of the submission within JETOL’s ethical review process.
Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement
The Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning (JETOL) is a peer-reviewed academic journal committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct throughout the publication process. JETOL has developed its own publication ethics principles, which are based on the journal’s internal policies and informed by internationally recognized recommendations such as those of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). These external guidelines are not reproduced in JETOL’s policy; instead, authors and readers may consult the official websites of these organizations for the full texts of their recommendations.
JETOL requires that all submitted manuscripts comply with national and international ethical regulations and the journal’s internal standards of academic integrity. The journal strictly prohibits all forms of publication malpractice, including plagiarism, duplicate submission, data fabrication or falsification, manipulation of findings, and other unethical research or authorship practices. All individuals involved in the publication process—editors, authors, reviewers, and editorial staff—are expected to adhere to must adhere to the following ethical guidelines:
Responsibility of the Editors
- Editors are responsible for ensuring that all manuscripts are evaluated fairly and exclusively on their scholarly quality, methodological rigor, and relevance to the journal’s scope. Editorial decisions must never be influenced by authors’ personal characteristics, institutional affiliations, nationality, political views, or beliefs.
- Editors must protect the confidentiality of all submissions. Information contained in a manuscript may only be shared with individuals directly involved in the editorial process, such as reviewers or editorial staff, and only when necessary for evaluation.
- Unpublished materials or ideas obtained through the submission and review process may not be used by editors or editorial board members for personal research or professional advantage without the explicit written permission of the authors.
- Editors must withdraw from handling a manuscript if any form of conflict of interest is present. In such cases, the Editor-in-Chief assigns the submission to an alternative qualified editor to ensure impartial evaluation.
- The peer-review process must follow JETOL’s internal standards of transparency, independence, and fairness. For each submitted manuscript, the Editor-in-Chief assigns a handling editor who manages the full review process, including reviewer selection and evaluation of reviewer reports. Publication decisions are made jointly by the Editor-in-Chief and the handling editor, based on the journal’s editorial criteria, reviewer feedback, and relevant ethical and legal considerations. When necessary, additional editors or external experts may be consulted, but all decisions remain consistent with JETOL’s established editorial policies.
Responsibility of Reviewers
- The peer-review process plays a central role in ensuring the academic quality of manuscripts and supports the editors in making well-informed publication decisions. Constructive and rigorous reviewer feedback also helps authors strengthen their work.
- All manuscripts assigned for review must be treated as strictly confidential. Reviewers may not share, discuss, or use any part of the manuscript with or for others unless explicitly authorized by the handling editor.
- Reviewers should decline the review invitation if they feel unqualified to evaluate the manuscript’s content or methods, or if they are unable to complete the review within the requested timeframe.
- Reviewers are expected to provide objective, evidence-based, and constructive assessments. Comments should be clear, respectful, and aimed at improving the scholarly quality of the manuscript. Personal criticism directed at the authors is not acceptable, and all reviews must be conducted with fairness and without bias.
- Reviewers must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest (such as personal, professional, or financial relationships) and should withdraw from the process if such conflicts may compromise their impartiality.
- Reviewers should draw the editor’s attention to missing or inaccurate citations, methodological or ethical concerns, and any issues that may affect the integrity of the research.
- If reviewers recognize substantial similarity between the manuscript and previously published work, or identify arguments or findings that appear unoriginal without citation, they should inform the handling editor and provide relevant references when possible.
Responsibility of the Author
- Authors must provide a truthful, accurate, and original account of their research. Data must not be fabricated, falsified, or selectively reported. All methods and findings should be presented with sufficient clarity and detail to allow independent verification or replication. Misrepresentation or intentional omission of essential information is considered unethical and unacceptable.
- Manuscripts submitted to JETOL must be original and must not be under consideration by another journal at the same time. All sources, ideas, and prior work must be properly cited to acknowledge the contributions of others.
- Authors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, that may influence the research or its interpretation. Ethical approval from an appropriate committee and informed consent must be obtained for research involving human participants or animals.
- Authors should retain the underlying research data for a minimum of five years and be prepared to provide access upon request from the editors, while ensuring that participants’ confidentiality and privacy are fully protected.
- Authorship must reflect genuine scholarly contribution. Only individuals who have substantially contributed to the conception, design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the study should be listed as authors. Other contributors may be acknowledged appropriately, but should not be assigned authorship. The corresponding author is responsible for confirming that all listed authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and have agreed to its submission.
- All authors must clearly disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Examples include research funding, consultancies, employment, financial stakes, paid expert testimony, or involvement in patents. These disclosures should be made at the earliest possible stage and included within the manuscript for readers’ transparency.
- If authors discover an error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must promptly notify the journal and cooperate fully with the editors to issue a correction, retraction, or clarification as appropriate. If editors become aware of concerns raised by a third party, the authors must respond promptly and provide evidence supporting the accuracy of their work.
Plagiarism Policy: JETOL maintains a strict and transparent policy regarding originality and academic integrity. All submitted manuscripts are subjected to plagiarism screening through iThenticate, Turnitin, or the intihal.net platform as part of the journal’s internal evaluation procedures. Any submission found to include unattributed copying, excessive similarity, or the use of others’ ideas without appropriate citation will be carefully reviewed by the editorial team. Cases of significant plagiarism result in the immediate rejection of the manuscript, and the authors’ affiliated institutions may be informed. If plagiarism or substantial overlap is identified after publication, JETOL follows its internal correction and retraction procedures. Depending on the severity of the issue, the journal may publish a correction notice, retract the article, or take other appropriate steps to ensure the integrity of the scholarly record. Relevant parties will be notified transparently and in accordance with ethical best practices.
Data Storage and Sharing: Authors are required to retain the data, materials, and documentation underlying their research for a minimum of five years following publication. These materials should be stored securely and in a manner that preserves their integrity. Upon reasonable request from editors or qualified researchers, authors must be prepared to provide access to these data for verification purposes, provided that such sharing complies with ethical standards and legal requirements. Before any data are shared, all identifying information must be removed to ensure that participant confidentiality and privacy are fully protected. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their data management and sharing practices align with international ethical regulations.
Protection of Participants’ Rights and Interests: Authors are responsible for ensuring that all research involving human participants is conducted with full respect for their dignity, rights, and welfare. Participation must always be voluntary, and individuals must be informed that they have the right to withdraw from the study at any stage without penalty. Confidentiality and privacy must be protected throughout the research process, and any identifying information should be handled with great care or removed entirely when not essential. For studies involving groups considered vulnerable under national or institutional regulations, researchers must obtain prior approval from a recognized ethics committee. JETOL’s ethical expectations are informed by internationally recognized frameworks such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UNICEF Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Research Involving Vulnerable Populations: When research involves vulnerable groups—such as children, individuals with limited decision-making capacity, or populations requiring additional protection—authors must obtain ethics committee approval and secure informed consent from legal guardians or authorized representatives. Studies must demonstrate particular sensitivity to the welfare, rights, and autonomy of such participants and must follow the ethical requirements of the authors’ institutions and relevant international regulations. JETOL encourages the use of internationally recognized ethical guidelines, such as the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki for human research and the ARRIVE recommendations for animal studies, as external reference points.
Rules for Requesting an Erratum: If authors identify a substantive error, omission, or ambiguity in their published article, they must notify the journal without delay. Authors are expected to work collaboratively with the editorial team to determine the most appropriate course of action, which may include issuing a correction, clarification, or—in rare cases—a retraction. If concerns are raised by a third party, authors must respond promptly and provide any necessary evidence or documentation to support the accuracy of their work. JETOL follows its internal correction and retraction procedures to ensure the integrity of the scholarly record.
Advertising Policy: JETOL does not publish or promote commercial advertisements. The journal may share announcements related solely to the International Conference on Educational Technology and Online Learning (ICETOL), as the conference is directly associated with the journal’s scholarly community. These announcements are managed independently of all editorial decisions and do not influence manuscript evaluation or publication outcomes.
Direct Marketing Policy: JETOL communicates newly published issues and journal updates through its official website and social media channels. The journal does not engage in direct solicitation of manuscripts, bulk email campaigns, or targeted marketing aimed at persuading authors to submit their work. All submissions are made voluntarily by authors through the journal’s online system.