Publication Ethics and Research Integrity
Last updated: 2026-01-04
Informatics in Education (INFEDU) is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and ensuring a fair, transparent, and respectful publishing process for authors, reviewers, editors, and readers.
Our core principles
- Integrity of the scholarly record: We publish research that is honest, accurate, and appropriately evidenced.
- Fairness and non-discrimination: Editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit and fit to the journal’s scope.
- Confidentiality: Submitted manuscripts and peer review materials are treated as confidential.
- Transparency: We provide clear policies on peer review, authorship, conflicts of interest, ethical oversight, and post-publication updates.
- Accountability: Authors, reviewers, and editors share responsibility for ethical behavior in publishing.
Applicable guidance
INFEDU is guided by internationally recognized standards and resources in publication ethics and open access journal transparency, including COPE-aligned practices and the “Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing” (COPE/DOAJ/OASPA/WAME).
Open access and licensing
INFEDU is a Diamond Open Access journal: readers and authors are not charged for access, submission, or publication. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
Peer review integrity
- INFEDU uses a blind peer review process.
- Editors select reviewers based on relevant expertise and expected impartiality.
- We do not tolerate peer-review manipulation, fabricated reviewer identities, or coercive citation practices.
Misconduct and questionable practices
Examples of misconduct include (but are not limited to):
- Plagiarism and inappropriate text recycling
- Duplicate or redundant publication
- Fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, or misleading presentation of results
- Image or figure manipulation that distorts meaning
- Authorship manipulation (guest, gift, ghost authorship)
- Undisclosed conflicts of interest
- Peer-review manipulation
Ethical oversight (human participants, minors, school data)
When research involves humans (including minors and school settings), authors must describe ethics approval (if applicable), informed consent/assent, and privacy/data protection safeguards. Where formal ethics review is not required, authors must explain why and what protections were used.
Use of generative AI tools
- Authors must disclose the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in writing/editing and/or analysis, and remain fully responsible for the content.
- AI tools cannot be listed as authors because authorship requires accountability.
- Reviewers and editors must not upload manuscripts, reviewer reports, or confidential editorial materials to third-party tools (including public generative AI services) unless explicitly authorised and confidentiality is protected.
Corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern
If significant issues are discovered after publication, INFEDU may publish a Correction, Expression of Concern, or Retraction. Post-publication notices will be linked to the original article and will clearly describe the reason for the update.
Complaints and appeals
INFEDU provides a mechanism for:
- Appeals of editorial decisions (when authors believe a serious procedural or factual error occurred).
- Complaints about editorial process, reviewer conduct, conflicts of interest, or publication ethics.
Complaints and appeals are handled confidentially, fairly, and without retaliation.
Contact for publication ethics matters
For questions, concerns, or allegations related to publication ethics, please contact the Editorial Office:
Email: editorial@infedu.lt