Ethical Guidelines for Authors
Educational Extracts — A Peer-Reviewed Journal of St. Thomas College of Teacher Education, Pala
These guidelines set out the ethical standards that authors are expected to uphold when submitting a manuscript to Educational Extracts. They are intended to safeguard the integrity of the research record and to ensure a fair and transparent publication process for all contributors.
1. Originality and Plagiarism
Manuscripts must represent authors' own original work, written entirely in their own words.
Where the work or words of others have been used, this must be appropriately cited or quoted.
Authors must submit a plagiarism report along with their manuscript, as specified in the submission guidelines.
Self-plagiarism (reuse of an author's own previously published material without acknowledgement) is not permitted.
2. Simultaneous and Redundant Submission
Manuscripts must not be submitted simultaneously to more than one journal.
Authors must declare that the paper has not been published previously and is not under consideration elsewhere.
Publishing the same research findings in more than one journal, without proper justification and cross-referencing, is considered a breach of publishing ethics.
3. Authorship
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.
All those who have made substantial contributions should be listed as co-authors, and all listed authors should have approved the final version of the manuscript.
The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included and that no inappropriate co-authors are included.
4. Data Integrity and Accuracy
Authors must present an accurate account of the work undertaken, along with an objective discussion of its significance.
Underlying data should be represented accurately, without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation.
Authors should be prepared to provide raw data or supporting materials for editorial review, if reasonably requested.
5. Ethical Conduct in Research
Where research involves human participants, authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained and that appropriate ethical approval was secured from a relevant institutional or ethics review body.
The privacy, dignity, and confidentiality of research participants must be respected at all times.
Any potential risk or harm to participants arising from the research must have been appropriately mitigated.
6. Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could be perceived to influence, or bias, the research or its interpretation.
Sources of funding or sponsorship for the research should be acknowledged in the manuscript.
7. Acknowledgement of Sources
Authors must appropriately acknowledge the work of others that has informed or influenced their research.
All sources of information, including personal communications, should be properly cited using APA style, in line with the journal's referencing requirements.
8. Copyright and Permissions
Authors retain copyright of their work but must grant Educational Extracts the right to publish the accepted manuscript.
Where copyrighted material (e.g. figures, tables, or extended quotations) from other sources is used, authors are responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions prior to submission.
9. Peer Review Cooperation
Authors are expected to respond constructively and promptly to reviewers' and editors' comments.
Reviewer feedback should be treated as confidential and used solely for the purpose of improving the manuscript.
10. Errors, Corrections, and Retractions
If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are obliged to notify the journal's editor promptly and to cooperate in issuing a correction or retraction, as appropriate.
The journal reserves the right to retract a published article where serious ethical violations are identified after publication.
11. Reporting Misconduct
Any suspected case of research or publication misconduct, whether identified before or after publication, should be reported to the Editor-in-Chief for investigation.
The journal will address such concerns in accordance with recognised international standards of publication ethics (e.g. those set out by the Committee on Publication Ethics, COPE).
For queries regarding these guidelines, please contact the Editor-in-Chief, Dr Pratheesh Abraham, at educationalextracts@gmail.com.