Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statements

Maintaining academic integrity and ethical publishing standards is crucial for ensuring the credibility and reliability of research. Voices of English Language Education Society (VELES) adheres to internationally recognized guidelines, particularly those established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). These standards apply to all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher. VELES ensures fair and transparent research dissemination, prevents academic misconduct, and promotes responsible authorship and peer review. In the case of publication malpractice, including plagiarism, data falsification, or unethical authorship, VELES will take appropriate action, such as retraction or correction of the article. Violations of ethical standards may result in sanctions for those involved to protect the integrity of the scholarly community.

 Research Integrity and Misconduct

Editors at VELES are responsible for making impartial and informed decisions regarding which submissions are suitable for publication. These decisions are based on the manuscript’s academic value, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope, while also considering legal considerations such as defamation, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. In maintaining fairness, editors assess all submissions without bias or discrimination based on authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnicity, citizenship, or political ideology.

Confidentiality is a fundamental obligation for editors and editorial staff. Information regarding submitted manuscripts is kept strictly confidential and only shared with individuals directly involved in the review and publication process. Editors must also avoid any conflicts of interest; they are prohibited from using unpublished material for their own research and must withdraw from handling any submission in which they have a personal or professional conflict.

 Peer Review Responsibilities

Peer review depends on the commitment of reviewers to fairness, professionalism, and ethical conduct. Reviewers who are not qualified to assess a manuscript or cannot complete the review on time should notify the editorial team promptly and decline the invitation so that alternative reviewers can be chosen. Manuscripts under review must be treated as confidential. They should not be shared or discussed with others without the explicit permission of the Editor-in-Chief, even if the reviewer decides not to participate. Reviews should be objective, offering clear and reasoned feedback to help authors improve their work. Personal attacks on the authors are inappropriate. Reviewers should also point out relevant sources the authors may have missed and inform the editors if there is any significant overlap between the manuscript and other known works, whether published or unpublished. Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest—whether personal, financial, or professional—before agreeing to review. They should decline the assignment if they believe they cannot provide an impartial review. Finally, any information obtained during the peer review process should be kept confidential and not used for personal gain or in the reviewer's research without the authors' written consent.

 Authorship and Manuscript Originality

Authorship must be based on meaningful contributions to the research, including its design, execution, analysis, or interpretation. Only those actively participating in the study should be credited as authors, while others who contributed in a more limited capacity should be appropriately acknowledged. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all listed co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript before submission. Submissions must represent original work produced by the authors themselves. Any use of content, ideas, or data from other sources must be appropriately cited or quoted to avoid plagiarism. VELES maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism. Additionally, authors are prohibited from submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously or republishing content already appearing elsewhere, as redundant or concurrent submission violates ethical publishing standards.

Plagiarism Policy

To uphold academic integrity and ensure the originality of published content, VELES conducts a mandatory plagiarism screening for all manuscripts before the peer review process. The journal uses reliable detection tools (e.g., Turnitin or iThenticate) to evaluate text similarity. Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 20%—excluding properly cited references, direct quotations, and standard expressions—will either be returned to the author for revision or rejected outright, depending on the severity and context of the overlap.

VELES maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism and the unacknowledged use of content generated by AI tools. Authors must ensure that all borrowed ideas, data, or text are properly cited, and that the manuscript reflects genuine scholarly contribution. If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the journal reserves the right to retract the article, notify affiliated institutions, and inform indexing databases. Authors are fully responsible for the integrity and originality of their submissions.

 Accuracy, Transparency, and Source Acknowledgement

Authors are expected to present their research findings honestly, accurately, and clearly, providing an objective analysis of their study's significance. All data included must faithfully represent the results, and manuscripts should contain sufficient detail and proper references to allow replication by other researchers. Any form of data fabrication, falsification, or intentional misrepresentation is a serious ethical violation. Authors may be required to submit raw data during the editorial process and should retain these materials for a reasonable period after publication for potential verification. Furthermore, it is essential to acknowledge all sources that have influenced or supported the work. This includes citing published literature and giving appropriate credit to any data, funding, or assistance received. Personal communications or information obtained in confidential contexts must not be disclosed or used without the explicit written consent of the source.

 Research Ethics Involving Human Subjects and Vulnerable Populations

Research submitted to the Voices of English Language Education Society (VELES) journal that involves human subjects must comply with internationally accepted ethical standards. Authors must obtain prior approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent ethics committee before conducting the study. This approval must be clearly stated in the manuscript, including the name of the approving body and reference number, if applicable.

Written informed consent must be obtained from all participants after they have been fully informed about the purpose, procedures, potential risks, and their rights, including the right to withdraw without penalty. For research involving minors (participants under 18), written consent must be obtained from a parent or legal guardian and assent from the child when appropriate. Authors must ensure strict confidentiality and anonymity of participants, and no personally identifiable information should be published without explicit written permission. VELES is strongly committed to upholding these ethical principles to protect all research participants' dignity, rights, and welfare.

 Ethical Use of AI in Manuscript Writing

At VELES, we closely monitor the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and update our policies to uphold high academic and ethical standards. We recognize the value of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, which support authors in generating ideas, enhancing clarity, and streamlining editing. These tools, however, must be used in accordance with the principles of academic integrity and responsible authorship. VELES does not recognize AI tools or large language models (LLMs) as authors, as they cannot assume responsibility for the content they generate. Human oversight remains essential to ensure the accuracy and integrity of published work.

We distinguish between assistive AI tools, such as Grammarly and LanguageTool, which refine content without generating original material, and generative AI tools, like ChatGPT and DALL·E, which create substantial content independently. Assistive tools do not require disclosure, but any AI-generated content must be disclosed at submission. Authors are responsible for verifying the accuracy and appropriateness of AI-generated content, as LLMs can produce biased or inaccurate information. Proper citation of AI-generated material is required, and authors must ensure their work is free from plagiarism and copyright infringement.

AI-generated content must be clearly acknowledged, and authors must be transparent about AI technology's limitations. Generative AI must not be used to alter or fabricate research data; sensitive information should never be shared with AI tools. Editors and reviewers are prohibited from using generative AI tools to maintain confidentiality and integrity in the peer review process.