Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

CyTED Journal: Cyberlearning, Technolinguistics, and Edu-Games Research is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity. This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher. CyTED applies ethical principles aligned with internationally recognized best practices, including the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The journal promotes transparency, fairness, originality, and accountability to ensure that the scholarly record remains trustworthy. Any form of research misconduct is taken seriously and will be handled using a structured and evidence-based procedure.

Duties of Editors

Publication Decisions

Editors are responsible for deciding which manuscripts are accepted for publication. Decisions are based on the manuscript’s scholarly merit, relevance to the journal’s scope, originality, methodological rigor, clarity, and contribution to knowledge. The editorial team ensures that manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer-review process and that final decisions are not influenced by commercial interests, sponsorship, or external pressure.

Fair Play

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on academic content. No discrimination is permitted based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, political philosophy, or institutional affiliation.

Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must protect the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts. Manuscript details, author identities, reviewer identities, and editorial decisions must not be disclosed to anyone except those directly involved in the editorial and review process.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Editors must declare and avoid conflicts of interest, whether financial, professional, or personal. Editors should not handle manuscripts in which they have conflicts and must assign such manuscripts to an appropriate editor. Unpublished materials from submitted manuscripts must not be used in an editor’s own research without explicit written consent from the author(s).

AI Generative Usage by Editors

Editors must not upload, share, or process unpublished manuscripts using third-party AI tools or Large Language Models (LLMs). Manuscripts are confidential intellectual property, and sharing them with external systems violates confidentiality, privacy, and ethical standards.

Management of Ethical Misconduct

Allegations of misconduct (including plagiarism, duplicate submission, data fabrication, falsification, unethical research practices, authorship manipulation, or citation misconduct) will be investigated by the editorial team. When necessary, CyTED may issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern, and may communicate with relevant institutions or research bodies to resolve serious cases.

Duties of Authors

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. Proper citation is required for any use of others’ ideas, words, data, or images. The journal may use similarity checking tools to screen for plagiarism. Manuscripts containing unethical overlap, unattributed text, or plagiarism may be rejected or retracted.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Publishing substantially similar work in multiple outlets without proper justification and cross-referencing is unethical.

Reporting Standards

Research reports must be accurate, complete, and presented transparently. Authors should describe methods, procedures, instruments, data sources, and analyses clearly enough for readers to understand and evaluate the work. Where appropriate, authors should provide sufficient detail to enable replication.

Data Access and Retention

Authors may be asked to provide raw data or supporting materials for editorial review. Authors should retain research data for a reasonable period after publication and, when applicable, are encouraged to deposit datasets in reputable repositories to support transparency and secondary analysis.

Authorship and Contribution

Authorship should reflect substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for the work. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Authors must acknowledge all sources that influenced the work. Private information obtained through confidential services (e.g., peer review) must not be used without explicit written permission.

Conflicts of Interest and Funding Disclosure

Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the research. All funding sources and sponsorships must be clearly stated in the manuscript.

Research Involving Humans, Minors, or Sensitive Data

Research involving human participants (including minors) must comply with institutional ethical standards and relevant regulations. Authors must state that informed consent was obtained and that participant privacy and confidentiality were protected. For studies involving sensitive data (e.g., biometric data, learning analytics, classroom recordings), authors must clarify ethical approvals and data protection measures.

Image Integrity

Images, figures, and visual data must not be manipulated in a way that misleads readers. Adjustments for clarity are permitted only if they do not alter the meaning or interpretation of the data. Editors may request original files when needed.

AI Usage in Manuscript Preparation

Authors may use AI tools for language improvement (e.g., grammar, clarity, readability), but must disclose such use in the manuscript. AI tools must not be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content, including any text, code, or analysis influenced by AI tools. Failure to disclose AI use, or overreliance on AI-generated content that compromises scholarly contribution, may result in rejection or retraction.

Corrections and Retractions

Authors must notify the editor promptly if a significant error is discovered in their published work. Authors are expected to cooperate with the editorial team in issuing corrections, retractions, or clarifications when needed.

Duties of Peer Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Reviewers provide critical input to editorial decisions by evaluating the manuscript’s quality, rigor, originality, and contribution. Reviews should be constructive and aimed at improving the manuscript.

Promptness

Reviewers who feel unqualified to review a manuscript or cannot complete the review within the assigned timeframe must notify the editor immediately.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, distribute, store in public systems, or upload manuscripts to external services.

Objectivity

Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers 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 substantial similarity between the manuscript and other works should be reported to the editor.

Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must declare conflicts of interest and decline review assignments when conflicts could bias their evaluation.

AI Generative Usage by Reviewers

Reviewers must not use AI tools or LLMs to analyze, summarize, translate, or evaluate confidential manuscripts. Doing so violates confidentiality obligations and may compromise the integrity of the peer-review process.

Publisher’s Responsibilities

The publisher supports the editorial team in maintaining ethical standards, preserving editorial independence, and ensuring that commercial considerations do not compromise scholarly integrity. The publisher also supports long-term digital preservation and access to journal content.