Publication Ethics

Journal of Inquiry into Languages and Cultures (JILC) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics to ensure integrity, transparency, and scientific rigor in all published articles. All submissions undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process. All parties involved in the publishing process, including authors, reviewers, and editors must adhere to the following ethical standards:

1. Duties of authors

Manuscript standards: Submissions to JILC must be high-quality research quality reports of original research in the fields of languages and cultures. Manuscripts must comply with submission guidelines and must not be under review or previously published elsewhere.  

Originality and plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their submission is an original work and has not been copied from any source, including their own previous works unless properly cited. All data and research findings must be presented truthfully and accurately, without distortion or fabrication. Plagiarism is a serious violation of publication ethics and is strictly prohibited. 

Authors must also ensure that any data used in the manuscript has been obtained with the explicit consent of the individuals or organizations that own it. For unpublished research cited in the manuscript, authors must provide written permission from the original researchers or institutions. 

Authorship: All individuals who have made substantial contributors to the research must be listed as co-authors. The first author is responsible for properly acknowledging the contributions of all involved individuals each (if applicable). The first author must also ensure that all co-authors have been listed and have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript before submission. 

Confidentiality: Authors must maintain confidentiality throughout the peer review process and must not use any information obtained during the review for personal purposes. 

Conflicts of interest: Authors should disclose all financial or personal relationships that could be considered potential conflicts of interest that may influence the publication process.  

Revisions and responses to reviewers’ comments: Authors are responsible for revising their manuscript based on feedback from reviewers and Editorial Board within the specified timeframe. If an author disagrees with a reviewer’ comment, they must provide clear reasons and supporting scientific evidence to justify their position. 

If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published article, they must immediately notify the Editorial Board and work with them to issue a correction or retract the article if necessary. 

2. Duties of reviewers

Objectivity and fairness: Reviewers play a crucial role in providing objective and scientific assessment of the manuscripts assigned to them. Reviewers must evaluate submissions fairly, professionally and constructively. Manuscripts under review must comply with the submission guidelines of JILC.

Confidentiality and anonymity: Reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality regarding the content of the manuscript and must not discuss with anyone without prior approval from the Editor-in-Chief. As part of double-blind peer review process, reviewers must submit their assessments anonymously. Manuscripts must only be used for the review purposes and must not be copied, stored or used for personal gain in any form.  

Review timeliness: Reviewers must complete and submit their reviews within the specified deadlines (as indicated in the review invitation letter). If a reviewer is unable to complete the review on time, they should inform the Editorial Board as soon as possible. 

Ethical responsibilities: If a reviewer suspects plagiarism, data falsification or other ethical violations, they must immediately notify the Editorial Board for further investigation. If a reviewer has a conflict of interest (e.g., recognizing the author(s) or having a prior relationship with the research), they must declare it and withdraw from the review process. 

3. Duties of the Editorial Board

Publishing decisions: The Editorial Board is responsible for making the final decision on whether to accept or reject a manuscript based on peer reviews’ recommendations and the journal policy. All decisions must be fair, impartial and based solely on the scientific quality of the manuscript. 

Transparency:  The Editorial Board is committed to ensuring a transparent peer review and publication process, strictly adhering to all required steps (initial screening, peer review, final decision and publication). Authors must be treated fairly, without discrimination based on nationality, gender or any other factor unrelated to the manuscript’s content. 

Confidentiality: The Editorial Board must maintain the confidentiality of authors, reviewers and manuscript content throughout the peer review process. 

Disclosing conflicts of interest: The Editorial Board must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and ensure all manuscripts are objectively evaluated, without personal bias. 

Quality maintenance: The Editorial Board is responsible for ensuring that all accepted manuscripts adhere to the journal’s formatting and editorial standards before publication. The Editorial Board must also collaborate with the publisher to ensure compliance with legal publishing regulations throughout the printing and distribution process.

4. Declaration of conflicts of interest

Authors must declare all potential conflicts of interest (e.g., financial or personal relationships) that might affect the publication of their manuscript. If a manuscript is accepted for publication, any declared conflicts of interest (if any) will be stated in the form of an annotation on the first page of the article. 

If a reviewer identifies a conflict of interests (e.g., recognizing the author(s) or having a personal or professional connection to the research), they must promptly notify the Editorial Board and withdraw from the review process. 

The Editorial Board must also disclose any potential conflicts of interest and ensure all manuscripts are objectively evaluated based on its quality, without personal bias. 

The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject a manuscript if an undisclosed conflict of interest is discovered or if a declared conflict poses a risk of compromising the integrity of the research.