Publication Ethics
International Journal of Arabic Language Teaching (IJALT) is a peer-reviewed journal. This statement clarifies the ethical behavior of all parties involved in the act of publishing an article in this journal as well as allegations of research misconduct, including the author, the chief editor, the Editorial Board, the peer-reviewer, and the publisher The Postgraduate of IAIN Metro Lampung. This statement is based on COPE's Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.
Duties for Editors
Ethical Guideline for Journal Publication
The publication of an article in a peer-reviewed International Journal of Arabic Language Teaching (IJALT) is an essential building block in the development of a coherent and respected network of knowledge. It is a direct reflection of the quality of the work of the authors and the institutions that support them. Peer-reviewed articles support and embody the scientific method. It is, therefore, important to agree upon standards of expected ethical behavior for all parties involved in the act of publishing: the author, the journal editor, the peer reviewer, the publisher, and the society.
The Postgraduate of IAIN Metro Lampung as the publisher of International Journal of Arabic Language Teaching (IJALT) takes its duties of guardianship over all stages of publishing extremely seriously, and we recognize our ethical and other responsibilities. We are committed to ensuring that advertising, reprint, or other commercial revenue has no impact or influence on editorial decisions.
Publication decisions
The editor of the International Journal of Arabic Language Teaching (IJALT) is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The validation of the work in question and its importance to researchers and readers must always drive such decisions. The editors may be guided by the policies of the journal's editorial board and constrained by such legal requirements as shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. The editors may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.
Complaints and Appeals
The International Journal of Arabic Language Teaching (IJALT) will have a clear procedure for handling complaints against the journal, Editorial Staff, Editorial Board, or Publisher. The complaints will be clarified to respected personal concerning the case of a complaint. The scope of complaints includes anything related to the journal business process, i.e., editorial process, found citation manipulation, unfair editor/reviewer, peer-review manipulation, etc. The complaint cases will be processed according to COPE guidelines.
Fair play
An editor at any time evaluates manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.
Confidentiality
The editor and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.
Disclosure and conflicts of interest
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's research without the express written consent of the author.
Duties of Reviewers
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and through the editorial communications with the author may also assist the author in improving the paper.
Promptness
Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse himself from the review process.
Confidentiality
Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.
Standards of Objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also call to the editor's attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.
Duties of Authors
Reporting standards
Authors of reports of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.
Data Access and Retention
Authors are asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data, if practicable, and should, in any event, be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication. Authors are responsible for data reproducibility.
Originality and Plagiarism
The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.
Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication
An author should not, in general, publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
Acknowledgment of Sources
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.
Authorship and Contributorship of the Article
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the paper and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.
Fundamental errors in published work
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author's obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.
Research involving human subjects and vulnerable populations
When reporting on research that involves human subjects, authors must declare that the investigations were carried out following approval from the local institutional review board (IRB) or other appropriate ethics committee, all subjects must give their informed consent for inclusion before they participated in the study, and written informed consent for publication also must be obtained. Editors reserve the right to reject any submission that does not meet these requirements. If the study reports research involving vulnerable groups (i.e., studies involving children, elderly, etc.), an additional check may be performed. The submitted manuscript will be scrutinized by the editorial office and upon request, documentary evidence (blank consent forms and any related discussion documents from the ethics board) must be supplied. Additionally, when studies describe groups by race, ethnicity, gender, disability, disease, etc., an explanation regarding why such categorization was needed must be clearly stated in the article.
Ethical Principles for Research Involving Human Participants
Research submitted to IJALT that involves human participants including: -interviews, surveys, focus group discussions, field observations, experiments, elite interviews, community-based research, and other forms of social and political inquiry- must demonstrate adherence to the following principles:
1. Respect for Human Dignity and Participant Rights
Researchers must treat all participants with dignity, fairness, and respect. Appropriate safeguards should be implemented to protect participants’ rights, autonomy, welfare, and well-being throughout the research process.
2. Risk Assessment and Harm Minimization
Researchers must identify and assess potential risks associated with the study and take reasonable measures to minimize any physical, psychological, social, political, economic, legal, cultural, or reputational harm that participants may experience. Particular attention should be given to research conducted in politically sensitive contexts, conflict-affected areas, or situations where participation could expose individuals to social or political consequences.
3. Privacy, Confidentiality, and Data Protection
Researchers must respect participants’ privacy and avoid unnecessary intrusion into their personal lives, political beliefs, affiliations, identities, or cultural practices. Personal information and research data must be handled securely and in accordance with applicable data protection regulations. Researchers should implement appropriate measures to safeguard confidential information throughout the research lifecycle.
4. Informed Consent
Participation in research must be voluntary. Researchers must obtain informed consent from participants prior to data collection. Participants should be provided with clear and accessible information regarding: the purpose and objectives of the research, the nature of their participation, research procedures and methods, potential risks and benefits, measures for confidentiality and data protection, their right to refuse participation or withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. When research involves minors or individuals with limited decision-making capacity, consent must be obtained from a parent, guardian, or legally authorized representative, in addition to assent from participants where appropriate.
5. Anonymity and Confidentiality
Researchers must protect participants’ identities whenever possible. Identifiable information should not be disclosed without explicit permission from participants. Where anonymity is promised, authors must ensure that individuals cannot be identified directly or indirectly through published information, quotations, or contextual details.
6. Fair and Equitable Treatment
Participants must not be coerced, manipulated, or exploited. Researchers should ensure equitable treatment of all participants and avoid practices that may create undue pressure or influence participation decisions.
7. Respect for Intellectual, Cultural, and Community Rights
Researchers must acknowledge and respect the knowledge, perspectives, experiences, and cultural values shared by participants and communities. Any use of participant-generated information, community knowledge, or locally derived insights must be conducted with integrity, transparency, and appropriate attribution where applicable.
8. Ethical Engagement in Political and Social Research
Given the nature of educational studies, researchers are encouraged to conduct research in a manner that promotes trust, transparency, and respect for participants and communities. Special care should be taken when engaging with politically vulnerable groups, public officials, minority communities, or populations affected by conflict, discrimination, or educational exclusion.
When reporting on research that involves human subjects, authors must declare that the investigations were carried out following approval from the local institutional review board (IRB) or other appropriate ethics committee, all subjects must give their informed consent for inclusion before they participated in the study, and written informed consent for publication also must be obtained. Editors reserve the right to reject any submission that does not meet these requirements. If the study reports research involving vulnerable groups (i.e., studies involving children, elderly, etc.), an additional check may be performed. The submitted manuscript will be scrutinized by the editorial office and upon request, documentary evidence (blank consent forms and any related discussion documents from the ethics board) must be supplied. Additionally, when studies describe groups by race, ethnicity, gender, disability, disease, etc., an explanation regarding why such categorization was needed must be clearly stated in the article.
Ethical Principles for Research Involving Human Participants
Research submitted to IJALT that involves human participants including: -interviews, surveys, focus group discussions, field observations, experiments, elite interviews, community-based research, and other forms of social and political inquiry- must demonstrate adherence to the following principles:
1. Respect for Human Dignity and Participant Rights
Researchers must treat all participants with dignity, fairness, and respect. Appropriate safeguards should be implemented to protect participants’ rights, autonomy, welfare, and well-being throughout the research process.
2. Risk Assessment and Harm Minimization
Researchers must identify and assess potential risks associated with the study and take reasonable measures to minimize any physical, psychological, social, political, economic, legal, cultural, or reputational harm that participants may experience. Particular attention should be given to research conducted in politically sensitive contexts, conflict-affected areas, or situations where participation could expose individuals to social or political consequences.
3. Privacy, Confidentiality, and Data Protection
Researchers must respect participants’ privacy and avoid unnecessary intrusion into their personal lives, political beliefs, affiliations, identities, or cultural practices. Personal information and research data must be handled securely and in accordance with applicable data protection regulations. Researchers should implement appropriate measures to safeguard confidential information throughout the research lifecycle.
4. Informed Consent
Participation in research must be voluntary. Researchers must obtain informed consent from participants prior to data collection. Participants should be provided with clear and accessible information regarding: the purpose and objectives of the research, the nature of their participation, research procedures and methods, potential risks and benefits, measures for confidentiality and data protection, their right to refuse participation or withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. When research involves minors or individuals with limited decision-making capacity, consent must be obtained from a parent, guardian, or legally authorized representative, in addition to assent from participants where appropriate.
5. Anonymity and Confidentiality
Researchers must protect participants’ identities whenever possible. Identifiable information should not be disclosed without explicit permission from participants. Where anonymity is promised, authors must ensure that individuals cannot be identified directly or indirectly through published information, quotations, or contextual details.
6. Fair and Equitable Treatment
Participants must not be coerced, manipulated, or exploited. Researchers should ensure equitable treatment of all participants and avoid practices that may create undue pressure or influence participation decisions.
7. Respect for Intellectual, Cultural, and Community Rights
Researchers must acknowledge and respect the knowledge, perspectives, experiences, and cultural values shared by participants and communities. Any use of participant-generated information, community knowledge, or locally derived insights must be conducted with integrity, transparency, and appropriate attribution where applicable.
8. Ethical Engagement in Political and Social Research
Given the nature of educational studies, researchers are encouraged to conduct research in a manner that promotes trust, transparency, and respect for participants and communities. Special care should be taken when engaging with politically vulnerable groups, public officials, minority communities, or populations affected by conflict, discrimination, or educational exclusion.
Ethical Oversight
If the research work involves chemicals, humans, animals, procedures, or equipment that have any unusual hazards inherent in their use, the author must clearly identify these in the manuscript in order to obey the ethical conduct of research using animals and human subjects. If required, Authors must provide legal, ethical clearance from an association or legal organization. If the research involves confidential data and business/marketing practices, authors should clearly justify this matter whether the data or information will be hidden securely or not.
