Publication Etics
EduDak: Journal of Early Childhood Education is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal published by the Research and Community Service Institute (LPPM) of STAI Al-Andina Sukabumi. This publication ethics statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, editorial board members, and the publisher.
This statement is developed in accordance with the principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure the integrity, quality, and credibility of scholarly publishing.
Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication
The publication of articles in a peer-reviewed journal is a fundamental component of the advancement of scientific knowledge. Published articles reflect the quality of research conducted by authors and the institutions supporting them. Therefore, all parties involved in the publication process are expected to adhere to high ethical standards and professional conduct.
As the publisher of EduDak: Journal of Early Childhood Education, LPPM STAI Al-Andina Sukabumi is committed to maintaining the integrity of the publication process at every stage. Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by commercial interests, advertising, sponsorship, or other external considerations.
Duties of Editors
Publication Decisions
The Editor-in-Chief and editorial team are responsible for determining which submitted manuscripts are suitable for publication. Decisions are based on the manuscript’s scholarly merit, originality, significance, relevance to the journal’s scope, and the recommendations of peer reviewers. Editors must also comply with applicable legal requirements concerning copyright, plagiarism, and defamation.
Fairness and Impartiality
Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on their academic content and intellectual merit without discrimination based on race, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, political beliefs, or institutional affiliation of the authors.
Confidentiality
Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts. Information concerning a manuscript may only be shared with the corresponding author, reviewers, editorial advisors, and the publisher when appropriate.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Editors must not use unpublished information disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research or personal advantage without the explicit written consent of the author.
Duties of Reviewers
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer reviewers play a vital role in assisting editors with publication decisions and helping authors improve the quality of their manuscripts through constructive feedback.
Promptness
Reviewers who feel unqualified to assess a manuscript or are unable to complete the review within the requested timeframe should promptly notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.
Confidentiality
Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They should not be shared with or discussed with others without authorization from the editor.
Objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively, fairly, and professionally. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate. Reviewers should provide clear, evidence-based comments and recommendations.
Acknowledgement of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been cited by the authors. They should also notify the editor of any substantial similarity, overlap, or potential plagiarism involving the manuscript under review.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Information obtained through the peer-review process must remain confidential and must not be used for personal benefit. Reviewers should decline to review manuscripts when conflicts of interest exist due to competitive, collaborative, financial, or other relationships with the authors or institutions involved.
Duties of Authors
Reporting Standards
Authors must present an accurate, honest, and objective account of their research. The manuscript should provide sufficient detail and references to enable replication by other researchers where appropriate. Fabrication, falsification, or deliberate misrepresentation of data constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable.
Data Access and Retention
Authors may be requested to provide the raw data supporting their research for editorial review. They should retain such data for a reasonable period after publication and make it available when appropriate and feasible.
Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure that their manuscripts are entirely original. Any use of the work, ideas, or words of others must be properly cited or quoted in accordance with accepted academic standards.
Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
Authors should not submit the same manuscript or substantially similar research to more than one journal simultaneously. Duplicate publication is considered unethical and unacceptable.
Acknowledgement of Sources
Authors must appropriately acknowledge all sources that have contributed to the reported research and provide accurate citations for relevant literature.
Authorship of the Manuscript
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the study. All contributors who meet authorship criteria should be listed as co-authors. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission.
Fundamental Errors in Published Works
If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are obligated to promptly inform the journal editor and cooperate in correcting or retracting the publication when necessary.
Research Involving Human Participants
Research involving human participants, human data, interviews, surveys, observations, or other forms of human involvement must be conducted in accordance with recognized ethical standards and applicable regulations.
Authors must obtain approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB), ethics committee, or equivalent authority whenever required by institutional, national, or international regulations. Details of the approval, including the approval number, date, and name of the approving body, should be provided in the manuscript.
All participants must provide informed consent before participating in the study. Participants should be informed about the purpose of the research, the use of collected data, potential risks, and measures taken to protect privacy and confidentiality.
For non-interventional studies, such as questionnaires, surveys, educational observations, and social media research, participants must be adequately informed regarding the study procedures and data usage. Where ethical approval is not required, authors should provide a statement explaining the exemption and cite the relevant regulations or approval authority.
