The Journal of Distance Education and Research (JDER) is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of ethical publishing, academic integrity, transparency, and accountability. The journal adheres strictly to internationally and nationally recognized ethical frameworks to ensure credibility, fairness, and scholarly excellence.
JDER’s editorial and publication practices are governed by and fully aligned with:
All stakeholders involved in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, editorial board members, and the publisher—are expected to comply with these ethical standards to promote trust, academic rigor, and responsible research dissemination.
Ethical Responsibilities and Duties
1. Responsibilities of Authors
Authors submitting manuscripts to JDER are required to adhere to the following ethical standards:
- Manuscripts must represent original, unpublished work and must not be under review or published elsewhere.
- All sources, data, ideas, and quotations must be properly cited and acknowledged.
- Authors must ensure accuracy in data reporting and avoid fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, or manipulation of data.
- Any conflict of interest, financial support, funding sources, or institutional affiliations that could influence the research must be clearly disclosed.
- The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools must be ethical, transparent, and limited to permissible academic purposes; AI tools must not be used to fabricate data, generate deceptive content, or misrepresent authorship.
- Plagiarism (including self-plagiarism), redundant publication, or unethical research practices will result in rejection, retraction, blacklisting, or reporting to relevant authorities, in accordance with HEC and COPE guidelines.
- Authorship must reflect significant intellectual contribution, and all listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript.
2. Responsibilities of Editors
Editors play a central role in maintaining ethical publishing standards and are responsible for:
- Ensuring a fair, transparent, double-blind peer-review process without bias or discrimination.
- Making editorial decisions solely based on academic merit, originality, clarity, relevance, and contribution to the field.
- Maintaining strict confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities.
- Identifying and addressing ethical concerns, allegations of misconduct, plagiarism, or conflicts of interest in accordance with HEC and COPE procedures.
- Issuing corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern, or retractions when required.
- Preventing unethical practices such as coercive citation, favoritism, or manipulation of the review process.
3. Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers are expected to uphold professional and ethical standards by:
- Treating manuscripts as confidential documents and not sharing or using unpublished material for personal advantage.
- Providing objective, constructive, and timely reviews that assist authors in improving the quality of their work.
- Declaring any conflict of interest and declining reviews when impartiality cannot be ensured.
- Avoiding the use of unauthorized AI tools or external assistance that compromises confidentiality or intellectual ownership.
- Reporting suspected plagiarism, data irregularities, or ethical concerns to the editor.
Editorial Independence & Integrity
- JDER ensures complete editorial independence, and all editorial decisions are free from discrimination based on race, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, political beliefs, or institutional affiliation.
- The Chief Editor holds full responsibility for the journal’s academic content, editorial policies, and strategic direction, ensuring compliance with JDER’s mission, HEC requirements, and international best practices.
- The journal operates free from commercial, political, or financial influence. Advertising, sponsorships, or funding sources do not affect editorial decisions, peer review outcomes, or publication priorities.
Ethical Oversight and Misconduct Handling
- Allegations of ethical misconduct—including plagiarism, authorship disputes, data manipulation, unethical research practices, or peer-review abuse—are investigated thoroughly and confidentially.
- JDER follows HEC and COPE-recommended procedures for handling misconduct, ensuring due process and fairness.
- Proven misconduct may result in rejection, retraction, publication bans, notification to authors’ institutions, or reporting to regulatory bodies, as appropriate.
Commitment to Ethical Publishing
By adhering to the ethical principles outlined by JDER, HEC Pakistan, and COPE, the Journal of Distance Education and Research reaffirms its commitment to responsible scholarship, academic integrity, and the advancement of high-quality research in distance education and related fields.