Ethical Principles

The Intelligent Learning and Management Transformation (ILMT) journal is fully committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in all stages of publication. The journal upholds integrity, transparency, and academic honesty as the cornerstones of its editorial and publication processes. The principles outlined below are based on the internationally recognized guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

The ethical responsibilities described herein apply to authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers, ensuring that all stakeholders contribute to a trustworthy, rigorous, and responsible scholarly communication environment.

1. General Principles of Publication Ethics

  • ILMT ensures that every manuscript submitted to the journal undergoes an ethical, transparent, and objective evaluation process, free from any form of discrimination, bias, or conflict of interest.

  • The editorial team guarantees confidentiality, impartiality, and the independence of the peer-review process.

  • Any form of scientific misconduct, including plagiarism, falsification or fabrication of data, duplicate publication, redundant publication, authorship manipulation, and citation manipulation, is strictly prohibited.

  • Ethical issues are handled according to COPE’s best practice flowcharts and, when necessary, in consultation with the relevant institutions or ethics committees.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting to ILMT must adhere to the following ethical standards:

2.1. Originality and Plagiarism

  • Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original and properly cite all sources, data, ideas, or words borrowed from others.

  • The journal uses iThenticate software to detect plagiarism. Submissions with significant text overlap or unacknowledged use of others’ work will be rejected.

  • Authors are responsible for avoiding self-plagiarism (reusing large portions of their own previously published work without citation).

2.2. Authorship Criteria

  • Authorship must be limited to those who have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.

  • All persons who made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors; those who provided assistance but not intellectual input (e.g., technical help, data collection, financial support) should be acknowledged separately.

  • The corresponding author bears responsibility for ensuring that all co-authors have approved the final manuscript and consented to its submission.

  • Changes to authorship (addition, removal, or order changes) after submission must be approved by all authors and the editor-in-chief.

2.3. Data Accuracy and Transparency

  • Authors must present accurate, verifiable, and reproducible data. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data constitutes serious ethical misconduct.

  • Authors may be asked to provide raw data or supplementary materials for editorial review and should retain data for at least five years after publication.

  • Statistical analyses must be conducted using accepted scientific methods and reported transparently.

2.4. Ethical Approval and Research Involving Humans or Animals

  • Research involving human participants or animals must comply with relevant ethical standards and include a statement of institutional ethics committee approval and informed consent from participants, where applicable.

  • Authors should follow the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (2013) and ensure participant privacy and data protection.

2.5. Conflict of Interest

  • Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could be perceived to influence the results or interpretation of their research.

  • If there are no conflicts to declare, this should be explicitly stated.

2.6. Redundant or Duplicate Publication

  • Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently is unethical and prohibited.

  • Authors must not publish the same or substantially similar research in more than one journal or publication outlet.

2.7. Corrections and Retractions

  • If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are obligated to promptly notify the editor-in-chief and cooperate in issuing an erratum, corrigendum, or retraction as necessary.

3. Responsibilities of Editors and the Editorial Board

The editorial team of ILMT upholds integrity, fairness, and confidentiality throughout the editorial and peer-review process.

3.1. Editorial Independence

  • Editors are responsible for making publication decisions solely based on the academic merit of manuscripts (importance, originality, validity, clarity, and relevance).

  • Editors must not be influenced by commercial interests, institutional affiliations, or personal relationships.

3.2. Confidentiality

  • The editor-in-chief, associate editors, and editorial staff must maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts, disclosing information only to corresponding authors, reviewers, or editorial advisors as appropriate.

3.3. Conflict of Interest

  • Editors must recuse themselves from decisions on manuscripts where they have any conflict of interest (e.g., personal, financial, or professional relationship with the author).

  • Manuscripts authored by editorial board members undergo the same double-blind peer-review process to ensure impartiality.

3.4. Fair and Impartial Review

  • Editors ensure that all manuscripts are evaluated objectively and fairly, without bias related to authors’ nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, or beliefs.

  • Editors are responsible for preventing unethical research or inappropriate publication practices from entering the scientific record.

3.5. Handling Misconduct

  • Editors follow COPE guidelines for investigating suspected misconduct, including plagiarism, data manipulation, and authorship disputes.

  • When misconduct is confirmed, appropriate actions include retraction, correction, expression of concern, and notification to relevant institutions.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play a vital role in maintaining the quality and credibility of the journal. Their responsibilities include:

4.1. Confidentiality

  • All manuscripts received for review are confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, discuss, or use the information for personal advantage.

4.2. Objectivity and Constructive Feedback

  • Reviews should be conducted objectively, fairly, and respectfully. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate.

  • Reviewers should provide clear, evidence-based comments aimed at improving the manuscript’s quality.

4.3. Acknowledgement of Sources

  • Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors.

  • If the reviewer suspects plagiarism or data fabrication, they must report it confidentially to the editor.

4.4. Conflict of Interest

  • Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts in which they have any conflict of interest (e.g., competitive, collaborative, or personal relationships with the authors).

4.5. Timeliness

  • Reviewers should complete their evaluations within the agreed deadline. If unable to do so, they must promptly inform the editor.

5. Responsibilities of the Publisher

As the publisher of Intelligent Learning and Management Transformation, the editorial office ensures that all published materials are handled according to ethical publishing standards.

  • The publisher supports the editors in managing ethical misconduct, retractions, and corrections following COPE procedures.

  • The publisher ensures that all published research is archived, indexed, and made permanently accessible.

  • The publisher does not interfere with editorial independence and decision-making.

  • The publisher guarantees transparency in the Article Processing Charge (APC) policy and prevents any financial influence on editorial outcomes.

6. Misconduct Handling and Sanctions

ILMT treats every allegation of misconduct seriously. The process for addressing ethical issues includes:

  1. Initial Investigation: The editor-in-chief and ethics committee examine the claim, gathering evidence (e.g., similarity reports, data, correspondence).

  2. Communication with Authors: Authors are given an opportunity to respond to the allegations.

  3. Ethical Decision: If misconduct is confirmed, actions may include:

    • Rejection of the manuscript (if under review),

    • Retraction of the published article,

    • Publication of an explanatory note or editorial expression of concern,

    • Notification of the author’s affiliated institution, and

    • Possible restriction on future submissions.

All decisions are documented and reported transparently according to COPE flowcharts.

7. Ethical Oversight and Human Rights

ILMT promotes the responsible use of knowledge and data in ways that uphold human dignity, privacy, and sustainability. The journal encourages ethical discussions around AI, data governance, and intelligent learning systems, ensuring that published research aligns with broader societal and human values.

Authors must guarantee that their research:

  • Does not cause harm to individuals or communities.

  • Respects participants’ rights, anonymity, and informed consent.

  • Avoids bias, discrimination, or unethical data exploitation.

8. Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern

  • Retraction: Articles are retracted if major ethical violations or unreliable findings are discovered after publication. A retraction notice is issued and linked to the original article, which remains available but marked as retracted.

  • Correction: Minor errors that do not affect the overall validity are corrected through errata or corrigenda.

  • Expression of Concern: If an ethical investigation is ongoing but unresolved, an editorial notice is issued to alert readers.

These actions are carried out transparently to preserve the integrity of the scientific record.

9. Compliance with International Standards

ILMT adheres to the following international ethical standards:

  • COPE Core Practices (2017)

  • ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work

  • WAME Policy Statements

  • DOAJ Best Practice Principles for Open Access Journals

All contributors—authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers—are expected to familiarize themselves with these ethical principles and follow them in all scholarly communications associated with the journal.