Publication Ethics

Contemporary English Teaching and Linguistics is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethics in research and scholarly publishing. The journal follows the COPE Core Practices and other international best practices in academic integrity to ensure that all published work is conducted and reported responsibly, transparently, and ethically. By maintaining rigorous ethical standards, the journal seeks to protect the credibility of scholarship, the integrity of the academic record, and the dignity of all participants involved in research.

General Principles

All manuscripts submitted to the journal must represent original, unpublished work and must not be under review elsewhere. Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to demonstrate honesty, accountability, fairness, respect, and transparency throughout the entire publication process. In addition, any research involving human participants, educational institutions, or communities must comply with established ethical guidelines and demonstrate respect for individual rights, cultural contexts, and institutional protocols.

Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors bear primary responsibility for ensuring the integrity of their research and writing. Submissions must be original and free from plagiarism, self-plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification. To safeguard originality, all manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software such as Turnitin or iThenticate. If preliminary findings have been disseminated previously, for example in conference proceedings or preprints, this must be clearly acknowledged in the submission.

Authorship should reflect substantial scholarly contributions, including conceptualization, design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or manuscript writing. All listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and consent to submission. Individuals who contributed but do not meet authorship criteria should be appropriately acknowledged. 

Authors must also ensure transparency and reproducibility in data handling. Data, instruments, and materials should be reported accurately and made available for verification where possible, while respecting confidentiality agreements. Any manipulation of images, datasets, or results that misrepresents findings constitutes unethical conduct. 

For studies involving human participants, teachers, students, or institutional data, authors must provide evidence of ethical approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent authority. Informed consent must be obtained, and procedures must safeguard anonymity, confidentiality, and cultural sensitivity. Participants’ dignity, rights, and values must be protected throughout the research process. 

Authors are further required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest, whether financial, institutional, or personal, and to acknowledge all funding sources, grants, and institutional support that contributed to the research. 

Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining scholarly quality and integrity. All manuscripts under review must be treated as confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviews should be objective, constructive, and delivered within a reasonable timeframe. Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest that could compromise impartiality and decline review invitations if such conflicts exist. 

Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are accountable for ensuring a fair, transparent, and unbiased review process. Editorial decisions are made solely on academic merit, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope, independent of the authors’ nationality, gender, religion, or institutional affiliation. Editors are required to maintain confidentiality and to take prompt, transparent, and corrective action if instances of plagiarism, data fabrication, or other ethical breaches are identified. They must also avoid handling manuscripts where personal or institutional conflicts of interest are present. 

Ethical Considerations in Linguistics and Language Education Research

In line with the journal’s disciplinary focus, authors conducting studies in English teaching, linguistics, and applied linguistics must take particular care in handling research involving people, classrooms, and communities. This includes respecting the rights, identities, and cultural values of participants; obtaining explicit consent for classroom observations, recordings, and discourse data; and ensuring the anonymity of teachers, students, and institutions. Pseudonyms or anonymized identifiers should be used to safeguard participant confidentiality in transcripts, case studies, or institutional analyses. 

Post-Publication Ethics

The journal remains committed to ethical oversight after publication. Where errors, misconduct, or ethical breaches are identified, the journal will issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern, following COPE guidelines. Allegations of plagiarism, data falsification, or authorship disputes will be formally investigated. The journal also welcomes post-publication dialogue, such as commentaries or responses, provided they adhere to academic integrity. 

Compliance and Sanctions

Failure to comply with ethical standards may result in rejection of the manuscript, retraction of the published article, or formal reporting to the authors’ institution or funding bodies. In serious cases of misconduct, authors may be subject to sanctions, including temporary or permanent bans on future submissions.

Ethical Oversight and Policy Review

 The journal is committed to ongoing monitoring and refinement of its ethical standards. Authors may be asked to provide supporting documentation, including IRB or ethics committee approval, participant consent forms, data availability statements, or conflict of interest declarations. Ethical policies will be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect evolving international standards in scholarly publishing.