Ethical Principles

The Journal of Cognition, Behavior, Learning (JCBL) is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical behavior at all stages of the publication process. We adhere to the guidelines and best practices set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure the integrity, transparency, and credibility of academic publishing. The following publication ethics outline the responsibilities and expectations of all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to adhere to the highest ethical standards when submitting manuscripts to JCBL. The following guidelines apply:

1. Originality and Plagiarism

  • Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original and has not been published elsewhere in any form.
  • Proper citations must be provided for all sources and ideas derived from other works.
  • Manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software (iThenticate) to identify any unethical overlaps or similarities. Submissions with significant plagiarism will be rejected.

2. Authorship

  • Authorship should be limited to individuals who have significantly contributed to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research.
  • All contributors who meet these criteria must be listed as co-authors. Individuals who provide general assistance (e.g., technical editing or data collection) should be acknowledged appropriately in the manuscript.
  • The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors agree on the manuscript's final version and its submission to JCBL.

3. Data Integrity

  • Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research data is accurate, valid, and reproducible.
  • Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data is strictly prohibited.
  • Authors may be asked to provide raw data for editorial or peer-review purposes and should retain such data for a reasonable period after publication.

4. Multiple Submissions

  • Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Submitting the same work to multiple journals constitutes unethical publishing behavior.
  • If significant parts of the work have been published previously, this must be disclosed at the time of submission, and proper permissions must be obtained.

5. Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

  • Authors must disclose any financial, personal, or other conflicts of interest that could influence the research or its interpretation.
  • All sources of funding for the research should be disclosed.

6. Corrections and Retractions

  • If authors discover significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work, they are obligated to promptly notify the journal and cooperate with editors to issue a correction or retraction.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the quality and integrity of JCBL. They are expected to adhere to the following ethical guidelines:

1. Confidentiality

  • Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share or discuss the manuscript with anyone other than the editorial team.

2. Objectivity

  • Reviews should be conducted objectively and without personal bias. Constructive feedback should be provided to help authors improve their work.

3. Acknowledgment of Sources

  • Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been cited by the authors.
  • If reviewers identify substantial similarities or overlaps between the submitted manuscript and any other published work, they must inform the editors.

4. Timeliness

  • Reviewers should complete their reviews within the agreed timeline. If a reviewer cannot meet the deadline or feels unqualified to review the manuscript, they should notify the editorial office promptly.

5. Conflict of Interest

  • Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that could compromise their objectivity and recuse themselves if necessary.

Responsibilities of Editors

The editorial team of JCBL is dedicated to ensuring the ethical management of the publication process. Their responsibilities include:

1. Fairness

  • Editors must evaluate manuscripts based solely on their academic merit, originality, and relevance to the journal's scope, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, or political beliefs.

2. Confidentiality

  • Editors must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and members of the editorial board.

3. Decision-Making

  • Editors are responsible for making publication decisions based on the reviewers' reports and their own judgment of the manuscript’s quality and significance.
  • Editors must ensure that all manuscripts undergo a fair and unbiased peer-review process.

4. Handling Misconduct

  • Editors must take appropriate action when ethical concerns or allegations of misconduct arise. This includes investigating issues such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or authorship disputes and taking steps to resolve them in accordance with COPE guidelines.

5. Conflicts of Interest

  • Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their decision-making process and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where such conflicts exist.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher of Journal of Cognition, Behavior, Learning is committed to ensuring that the editorial process operates smoothly and ethically. The publisher’s key responsibilities include:

  • Supporting the editorial team in managing ethical issues and upholding the journal’s integrity.
  • Ensuring that all published content is preserved and accessible through appropriate archiving methods.
  • Providing transparent policies regarding fees, access, and licensing.

Ethical Oversight and Allegations of Misconduct

1. Addressing Ethical Concerns

  • JCBL is committed to investigating all allegations of unethical behavior or misconduct promptly and fairly.
  • Allegations may be reported by authors, reviewers, editors, or third parties.

2. Investigation and Resolution

  • The editorial team will follow COPE guidelines when handling ethical concerns.
  • For minor issues, corrections may be issued. In cases of severe misconduct, the journal may retract the article and notify relevant parties, including the authors’ institution and funding agencies.

3. Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern

  • Retractions are issued for articles with severe ethical breaches (e.g., fabrication, plagiarism).
  • Corrections are published for errors that do not compromise the article's overall findings.
  • Expressions of concern may be issued while investigations are ongoing.

Plagiarism and Duplicate Submission Policy

JCBL takes plagiarism seriously and screens all submissions for potential overlaps using iThenticate. The journal considers the following actions unethical:

  • Plagiarism: Copying or reproducing others' work without proper attribution.
  • Self-Plagiarism: Republishing significant portions of one’s own previously published work without proper citation.
  • Duplicate Submission: Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously.

Submissions found to violate these policies will be rejected, and the authors’ institutions may be notified.

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

The Journal of Cognition, Behavior, Learning is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the academic record. By adhering to these ethical guidelines, we strive to foster trust and accountability in the scientific community. All parties involved in the publication process are expected to uphold these principles to ensure the dissemination of high-quality and ethically sound research.