Author Guidelines

International Journal of Education and Social Science Studies (BEACON) applies publication ethics guidelines based on the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). These ethical standards are intended to guide authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers involved in the publication process.

Authorship

Authors are expected to adhere to the following ethical principles:

  1. Authors must provide accurate, complete, and reliable information regarding the research conducted.
  2. Authors must ensure the originality and authenticity of their work and avoid fabrication, falsification, or fraudulent data.
  3. Manuscripts submitted must not have been previously published or simultaneously submitted to another journal.
  4. Authors must ensure that the manuscript does not contain unlawful statements or inappropriate content.
  5. Authors must comply with all copyright and infringement policies of the journal.

Editorship

Editors are responsible for evaluating manuscripts fairly and objectively without discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, institutional affiliation, or political beliefs.

  1. Editors must evaluate all submitted manuscripts within a reasonable timeframe.
  2. Editors are responsible for accepting or rejecting manuscripts based on academic merit and reviewer recommendations.
  3. Editors must ensure that author identities and personal information remain confidential during the review process.
  4. Editors must not disclose information about submitted manuscripts to unauthorized parties.
  5. Editors should respect authors’ requests regarding reviewer exclusions when reasonable justification is provided.
  6. Editors must follow COPE guidelines in all editorial decisions.

Reviewer Process

All submitted manuscripts are reviewed by at least two anonymous reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript topic. Manuscripts may be accepted, revised, or rejected based on scientific quality and suitability for the journal.

Reviewer comments and editorial decisions will be communicated to authors for revision if necessary. Revised manuscripts should generally be returned within eight weeks.

Reviewers are expected to:

  1. Evaluate manuscripts objectively and professionally.
  2. Treat manuscripts as confidential documents.
  3. Maintain anonymity unless otherwise decided by the editor.
  4. Complete reviews within the specified review period.
  5. Provide clear and constructive feedback.
  6. Inform editors immediately if ethical concerns or risks to public safety are identified.

Conflict of Interest Policy

Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

  1. Authors should clearly disclose all financial support and funding sources.
  2. Editors with conflicts of interest regarding a manuscript must delegate editorial responsibility to another editor.
  3. Reviewers who identify conflicts of interest should decline the review process immediately.

Data and Responsibility

Guidelines regarding data availability and reporting standards are available in the Author Guidelines section.

Research Misconduct Policy

BEACON strictly prohibits all forms of research misconduct, including:

  1. Fabrication of data or research findings.
  2. Falsification or manipulation of research data or procedures.
  3. Plagiarism of ideas, texts, or research findings.
  4. Improper authorship practices.
  5. Interference with investigations related to research misconduct.
  6. Unfair evaluation or misuse of confidential research information.
  7. Other unethical practices unacceptable within the academic community.

Addressing Misconduct

Editors and publishers are ethically obligated to:

  1. Maintain the integrity and quality of the review process.
  2. Ensure the accuracy of published literature.
  3. Educate stakeholders regarding publication ethics.

If research misconduct is confirmed, the journal may:

  1. Reject or withdraw manuscripts during the review process.
  2. Publish corrections, retractions, editorial notes, or expressions of concern after publication.
  3. Restrict authors from future submissions.
  4. Inform other editors or publishers if necessary.

Ethical Oversight

All manuscripts and communications related to the publication process are treated confidentially. Personal data collected through the journal system will only be used for journal purposes.

Research involving animals or human participants must comply with institutional and national ethical standards. Authors must clearly state ethical approval and efforts to minimize harm where applicable.

Intellectual Property

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in published articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or publisher.

Copyright

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted materials used in their manuscripts.

Publishing System

BEACON uses Open Journal Systems (OJS), an open-source journal management and publishing platform developed by the Public Knowledge Project under the GNU General Public License.

Peer Review Process

The publication of articles in BEACON depends on scientific validity, originality, and clarity as assessed by editors and peer reviewers.

Initial Evaluation of Manuscripts

Editors conduct an initial screening of all submitted manuscripts. Manuscripts that are outside the journal scope, lack originality, or contain major scientific flaws may be rejected before peer review.

Types of Peer Review

Submitted manuscripts are reviewed by two or three experts using a double-blind peer review process, in which both authors and reviewers remain anonymous during the review process.