Publication Ethics

IJEFA is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. This statement is based on the principles and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and serves as a guideline for editors, reviewers, authors and the publisher.

Responsibilities of Editors

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board make publication decisions based solely on scholarly merit, including originality, scientific contribution, methodological rigor, clarity and relevance to the journal’s scope, without discrimination regarding race, gender, religion, nationality, institutional affiliation or political philosophy. Editors ensure a fair, objective and confidential double-blind review, preserve the confidentiality of manuscripts, do not use unpublished material without the author’s written consent, and address ethical concerns, corrections and retractions.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers conduct reviews objectively, constructively and within the agreed period, supporting comments with clear academic arguments. They keep manuscripts confidential, identify relevant uncited work, report substantial similarity with other publications, and decline assignments where a conflict of interest exists.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submit original research that accurately reflects the work performed, cite all sources properly, and do not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal. Authorship is limited to those who made significant contributions, and all co-authors must approve the final version. Authors disclose funding sources and conflicts of interest, and promptly notify the editor of any significant error in their published work.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher supports editorial independence, ensures decisions are free from commercial influence, and works with the editors to investigate allegations of misconduct and take appropriate action, including corrections, expressions of concern or retractions.

Ethical Oversight

Research involving human participants, organizations, surveys, interviews or sensitive data must be conducted ethically and in accordance with applicable regulations. Authors may be required to provide evidence of ethical approval or informed consent.

Conflicts of Interest

Editors, reviewers and authors must disclose any financial, institutional or personal relationships that may influence their decisions or the interpretation of research findings.

Publication Misconduct

IJEFA does not tolerate any form of publication misconduct, including but not limited to:

•    Plagiarism and self-plagiarism
•    Duplicate or redundant publication
•    Data fabrication and data falsification
•    Citation manipulation and image manipulation
•    Undisclosed conflicts of interest
•    Unethical research practices
•    Improper authorship attribution

When misconduct is suspected, the Editorial Board will investigate following internationally recognized ethical procedures. Confirmed misconduct may lead to rejection, correction, retraction, notification of the author’s institution or other necessary measures.