Publication Ethics Statement

Darunnajah in Education (DIE) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal adheres to internationally recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing and expects all parties involved in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—to uphold principles of honesty, transparency, fairness, confidentiality, accountability, and respect for intellectual property.

This publication ethics statement applies to all manuscripts submitted to and published by Darunnajah in Education (DIE).

1. Ethical Principles

DIE is committed to ensuring that the publication process is conducted with:

• Academic integrity and honesty;
• Originality and responsible attribution;
• Transparency and accountability;
• Fair and unbiased editorial decisions;
• Confidentiality throughout the review process;
• Appropriate disclosure of conflicts of interest;
• Responsible research and reporting practices; and
• Respect for copyright and intellectual property.

The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, manipulation of data, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, citation manipulation, or other forms of academic misconduct.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality, accuracy, integrity, and ethical conduct of their research and manuscript.

Authors must:

1. Submit only original work that has not been published previously and is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.
2. Ensure that all sources, ideas, data, quotations, and other intellectual contributions from others are appropriately acknowledged and cited.
3. Report research findings honestly and accurately and must not fabricate, falsify, manipulate, or selectively omit research data.
4. Clearly describe the research methodology and provide sufficient information to support the credibility and reproducibility of the research where applicable.
5. Obtain appropriate ethical approval, informed consent, or other required permissions when the research involves human participants, personal data, institutions, or other ethically sensitive materials.
6. Ensure that all individuals listed as authors have made substantial contributions to the research and manuscript.
7. Obtain approval from all authors for the final version of the manuscript and its submission.
8. Disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest.
9. Disclose all relevant sources of funding and research support.
10. Cooperate with the editorial office in responding to questions concerning the integrity or accuracy of the manuscript.
11. Correct significant errors discovered after publication by promptly notifying the editorial office.

3. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be based on substantial contributions to the conception or design of the research, data collection or analysis, interpretation of findings, drafting or critical revision of the manuscript, and approval of the final version.

Individuals who have contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria should be appropriately acknowledged where relevant.

The following practices are considered unethical:

• Guest authorship: listing individuals who have not made a substantial contribution;
• Ghost authorship: excluding individuals who made substantial contributions;
• Gift or honorary authorship: adding individuals solely because of their position, status, or relationship with the authors.

Any change in authorship after submission must be justified and approved by all affected authors and the editorial office.

4. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors of Darunnajah in Education (DIE) are responsible for ensuring that editorial decisions are based on the academic quality, originality, relevance, methodological rigor, and contribution of the manuscript.

Editors must:

1. Evaluate manuscripts fairly and objectively without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, institutional affiliation, religion, political views, or other personal characteristics.
2. Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and related information.
3. Select appropriate and qualified reviewers.
4. Manage the peer-review process fairly and independently.
5. Avoid conflicts of interest in relation to manuscripts under consideration.
6. Not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for personal research or advantage.
7. Take appropriate action when ethical concerns or allegations of misconduct arise.
8. Ensure that editorial decisions are not influenced by commercial, personal, institutional, or political interests.
9. Provide authors with clear and professional communication regarding editorial decisions.
10. Maintain the integrity of the journal's academic record.

The Editor-in-Chief retains final responsibility for editorial and publication decisions.

5. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play an essential role in maintaining the scholarly quality of the journal.

Reviewers must:

1. Evaluate manuscripts objectively, constructively, and confidentially.
2. Assess manuscripts based on academic quality, originality, methodological rigor, relevance, clarity, and contribution.
3. Identify relevant published work that has not been appropriately cited where necessary.
4. Notify the editor of any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data manipulation, or other ethical concerns.
5. Decline a review assignment when there is an actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest.
6. Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe or promptly inform the editor if an extension is required.
7. Treat manuscripts and all information obtained during the review process as confidential.
8. Not use unpublished information or ideas obtained through peer review for personal or professional benefit.
9. Not attempt to identify the authors or disclose their own identity under the journal's double-blind review system.

6. Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher supports the editorial team in maintaining the integrity, independence, and sustainability of the journal.

The publisher is responsible for:

• Supporting the journal's editorial independence;
• Providing appropriate publishing infrastructure;
• Supporting the preservation and accessibility of published content;
• Respecting copyright and licensing arrangements;
• Supporting the editorial team in addressing publication-ethics concerns; and
• Taking appropriate action when serious publication misconduct is identified.

The publisher does not interfere with editorial decisions concerning the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts.

7. Plagiarism and Similarity

All submitted manuscripts may be screened using an appropriate similarity-detection system.

The editorial team evaluates similarity reports contextually. A similarity score alone does not automatically determine whether plagiarism has occurred.

Where inappropriate similarity or plagiarism is identified, the journal may:

• Request clarification from the authors;
• Require appropriate correction;
• Reject the manuscript; or
• Take further action where misconduct is confirmed.

For published articles, confirmed plagiarism or serious ethical violations may result in correction, retraction, or other appropriate editorial action.

8. Fabrication, Falsification, and Data Manipulation

DIE considers the following serious forms of research misconduct:

• Fabrication of research data or results;
• Falsification of data, methods, or research records;
• Manipulation of images or research materials in a misleading manner;
• Selective reporting intended to misrepresent findings; and
• Misrepresentation of research procedures or results.

If credible concerns arise, the editorial team may request supporting documentation or clarification from the authors and may take appropriate action based on the available evidence.

9. Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals.

Substantial duplication of previously published work without appropriate disclosure and justification is considered unethical.

If redundant or duplicate publication is identified after publication, the journal may issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction depending on the seriousness of the case.

10. Conflicts of Interest

All authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that could influence the research, review, or editorial decision.

Conflicts may include financial, professional, institutional, personal, or academic relationships.

When no conflict exists, authors should state:

“The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.”

11. Research Ethics and Human Participants

Research involving human participants must comply with applicable ethical principles and institutional or national requirements.

Where applicable, authors should obtain approval from an appropriate research ethics committee or institutional review board before conducting the research.

Authors should also ensure informed consent and appropriate protection of participant privacy, confidentiality, and personal information.

12. Informed Consent and Privacy

Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants.

Where identifiable information, photographs, recordings, interviews, or other personal materials are included, appropriate consent should be obtained when required.

Authors should avoid including unnecessary personally identifiable information in published articles.

13. Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI

DIE recognizes the use of artificial intelligence and generative AI technologies as emerging tools in research and scholarly communication.

Authors may use AI-assisted tools for appropriate purposes such as language improvement, organization, or technical assistance, provided that such use does not compromise research integrity or originality.

AI systems cannot be listed as authors.

Authors remain fully responsible for the content, accuracy, originality, citations, interpretation, and integrity of their manuscripts. Any substantive use of generative AI in manuscript preparation should be transparently disclosed in accordance with the journal's AI policy.

14. Citation Ethics

Authors must cite sources accurately and appropriately.

The journal does not support:

• Excessive self-citation without scholarly justification;
• Citation stacking or coordinated citation practices;
• Manipulation of citations to increase citation metrics;
• Irrelevant citations intended solely to influence editorial or reviewer decisions; or
• Deliberate omission of relevant prior scholarship.

Reviewers and editors must also avoid requesting citations solely to increase personal, institutional, or journal citation metrics.

15. Corrections and Retractions

DIE is committed to maintaining an accurate and reliable scholarly record.

When significant errors are identified after publication, the journal may publish an appropriate correction or clarification.

A published article may be retracted when there is strong evidence of serious problems such as:

• Fabrication or falsification;
• Major plagiarism;
• Serious methodological or ethical violations;
• Duplicate publication;
• Unreliable or fundamentally invalid findings; or
• Other circumstances that substantially undermine the integrity of the published work.

Retractions will be clearly identified and linked to the original publication to preserve the transparency of the scholarly record.

16. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

Allegations of publication or research misconduct will be taken seriously and investigated fairly.

The editorial office may:

1. Conduct an initial assessment of the allegation;
2. Request clarification or supporting information from the authors;
3. Consult editors, reviewers, institutions, or independent experts where appropriate;
4. Request an institutional investigation when necessary;
5. Take editorial action based on the available evidence; and
6. Issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when warranted.

The journal will maintain confidentiality throughout the investigation to the extent reasonably possible.

17. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal an editorial decision when they believe that a significant factual error, misunderstanding, or procedural irregularity has affected the decision.

Appeals must provide clear and substantive reasons and relevant supporting information.

Complaints concerning editorial procedures, publication ethics, or journal practices may be submitted to the editorial office and will be handled fairly and confidentially.

18. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently based on scholarly and ethical considerations.

Neither commercial interests, sponsorship, institutional relationships, nor other external pressures should determine whether a manuscript is accepted or rejected.

Darunnajah in Education (DIE) is committed to protecting the integrity and independence of its editorial and peer-review processes.

19. Commitment to Academic Integrity

Through this publication ethics policy, Darunnajah in Education (DIE) seeks to maintain a trustworthy, transparent, and responsible scholarly publishing environment.

All authors, editors, reviewers, and publishing partners are expected to uphold the principles of honesty, originality, transparency, accountability, confidentiality, fairness, and respect for academic integrity throughout the research and publication process.