Publishing Ethics
Introduction
1.1.The publication of materials in peer-reviewed journals is not only a simple means of scientific communication but also makes a significant contribution to the development of the respective field of knowledge. Therefore, it is important to establish ethical behavior standards for all parties involved in the publication process, namely: Authors, Journal Editors, Reviewers, Publishers, and the academic community for the Journal of Education and Research of Uzbekistan
1.2.The editorial policy of the journal is based on the traditional ethical principles of Uzbek scientific periodicals, supports the Code of Ethics for Scientific Publications formulated by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and is built in accordance with the ethical standards for the work of editors and publishers as outlined in the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors and the Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers, developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
1.3.The Publisher assumes the responsibility for strict oversight of scientific materials. The journal's programs represent an impartial "report" on the development of scientific thought and research. The editorial board recognizes its responsibility for the proper presentation of these "reports," particularly in terms of the ethical aspects of publications outlined in this document.
Duties of Editors
2.1. Publication Decision
The editor of the Journal of Education and Research of Uzbekistan bears personal and independent responsibility for deciding which submissions will be published, taking into account the views of the academic community. The decision to publish is always based on the validity of the work under consideration and its significance to the scientific community. In their work, the editor is guided by the policies of the editorial board of the Journal of Education and Research of Uzbekistan, taking into account current legal requirements regarding copyright, legality, and plagiarism. The editor may consult with other editors and reviewers (or officers of the academic community) when making the publication decision.
2.2. Fairness
The editor must evaluate manuscripts solely on their intellectual content, regardless of the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
2.3. Confidentiality
The editor and the editorial board of the Journal of Education and Research of Uzbekistan are obligated not to disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisors, and the publisher, as appropriate.
2.4. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
2.4.1. Unpublished data disclosed in submitted manuscripts must not be used in the editor's own research without the express written consent of the author. Information or ideas obtained during peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.
2.4.2. Editors should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts (i.e., request a co-editor or collaborate with other members of the editorial board to review and make decisions instead of personally handling the manuscript) when they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors or organizations related to the manuscript.
2.5. Oversight of Publications
2.5.1. An editor who identifies convincing evidence that the statements or conclusions presented in a publication are erroneous must inform the publisher (and/or the relevant academic community) to ensure prompt publication of corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or other appropriate statements.
2.5.2. The journal reserves the right to retract articles if significant ethical violations, including plagiarism or data falsification, are identified. Retracted articles will be accompanied by relevant notices in the journal explaining the reasons for the retraction.
2.6. Involvement and Cooperation in Research
2.6.1. The editor, in cooperation with the publisher (or academic community), takes appropriate action in the event of ethical complaints concerning submitted manuscripts or published materials.
2.6.2. The journal applies strict measures against unethical practices, including citation manipulation and redundant publication. Suspected violations will be reviewed at the editorial level with the involvement of external experts.
Duties of Reviewers
3.1. Influence on Editorial Decisions
Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and, through collaboration with the authors, helps to improve the quality of their work. Peer review is an essential component of formal scholarly communication, lying at the heart of the scientific method. The publisher shares the view that all scholars wishing to contribute to publications must fulfill their fair share of reviewing duties.
3.2. Promptness
Any selected reviewer who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that it will be impossible to complete the review in a timely manner should notify the editor of the Journal of Education and Research of Uzbekistan and excuse themselves from the review process.
3.3. Confidentiality
Any manuscript received for review must be treated as a confidential document. It must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.
3.4. Standards and Objectivity
Reviewers must conduct their reviews objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly and with supporting arguments.
3.5. Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers should identify any relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument has been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. Reviewers should also bring to the editor’s attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published work they have personal knowledge of.
3.6. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
3.6.1. Unpublished data disclosed in submitted manuscripts must not be used in a reviewer's own research without the express written consent of the author. Information or ideas obtained during peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.
3.6.2. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts if they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the papers.
3.7. Responsibility for the Quality of Review
Reviewers should strive to make their feedback constructive, objective, and clearly articulated. Reviewers are obligated to inform the editorial office of any suspicions of plagiarism, data falsification, or other ethical violations identified during the review process. They should avoid overly harsh or personal remarks that may be offensive.
4.1. Manuscript Requirements
4.1.1. Authors must present only genuine research results based on facts and must not engage in data fabrication or falsification.
4.1.2. Scientific reviews and articles must be accurate and objective.
4.2. Access to Data and Data Storage
Authors are required to provide access to raw data, methodology, and other materials that may be necessary for reproducing the research. This must be indicated in the manuscript, and the data must be available in an appropriate repository. Repositories should be publicly accessible, with the link provided in the article to ensure the possibility of verification and reuse in future research.
4.3. Originality and Plagiarism
4.3.1. Authors must submit original work, and when using the statements and/or works of others, they must properly cite and reference them according to accepted standards.
4.3.2. Plagiarism in all forms (from presenting someone else's work as one's own, copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of someone else's work without attribution, to claiming credit for the results of others' research) is considered unethical and unacceptable behavior.
4.4. Multiple, Redundant, and Concurrent Publications
4.4.1. An author should not submit the same manuscript describing the same research (or part of it) as an original publication to more than one journal. Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals is a violation of ethics.
4.4.2. In general, an author should not submit a previously published article to another journal for consideration.
4.4.3. The publication of certain types of articles (e.g., translations) in different journals is ethical if the authors and editors of the concerned journals agree on secondary publication under the condition that the same data and interpretations as in the original work are maintained. The bibliography of the original work must be included in the secondary publication. More detailed information on acceptable forms of secondary (repeat) publications can be found on the www.icmje.org website.
4.5. Acknowledgment of Sources
The contribution of others to the author’s research must always be acknowledged through citations to scientific sources that influenced the execution and results of the work submitted for publication. Information obtained privately, such as in conversation, correspondence, or discussions with third parties, must not be used or reported without the express written permission of the source. Information obtained from confidential sources, such as manuscript reviews or grant applications, must also not be used without the express written permission of the authors of the work related to these confidential sources.
4.6. Authorship of the Publication
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research. All co-authors must review and approve the final version of the article before its publication. All co-authors must give their approval and consent to the content of the article before submitting it for publication.
4.7. Risks Associated with Research and Research Subjects
4.7.1. If the work involves procedures or equipment that may pose any unusual risks, the author must clearly indicate this in the manuscript.
4.7.2. If the work involves the participation of human subjects, the authors must ensure that the manuscript states that all stages of the research comply with relevant legislation and institutional guidelines and have been approved by the appropriate bodies. The manuscript must clearly state that informed consent has been obtained from all human subjects involved in the research. The rights to privacy of the research participants must always be respected.
4.8. Disclosure Policy and Conflicts of Interest
4.8.1. Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation of the research results. Non-financial conflicts of interest may include personal, professional, or academic relationships that could affect the objectivity or perception of the research results.
4.8.2. Examples of potential conflicts of interest that must be disclosed include employment, consultancy, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications or registrations, grants, and other financial support.
4.8.3. Authors are required to disclose all information about the financial support received during the research, including sponsors, to eliminate potential influence on the results or interpretation of the study.
4.9. Significant Errors in Published Works
If an author discovers significant errors or inaccuracies in a publication, the author must inform the editor and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the publication promptly. If the editor or publisher learns from a third party that a publication contains significant errors, the author must promptly retract or correct the errors.
4.10. Protection of Personal Data
Authors must ensure that the collection, processing, and storage of personal data of research participants are conducted in strict compliance with applicable data protection laws.
5.1. The publisher must adhere to principles and procedures that support the ethical responsibilities of editors, reviewers, and authors of the Journal of Education and Research of Uzbekistan in accordance with existing general requirements.
5.2. The publisher must support the editors of the Journal of Education and Research of Uzbekistan in addressing ethical issues related to published materials and assist in interacting with other journals and/or publishers if this aids in fulfilling the editors’ responsibilities.
5.3. The publisher must promote good research practices and implement appropriate standards to improve ethical guidelines, retraction procedures, and error correction.
5.4. The publisher must provide appropriate specialized legal support (consultations or opinions) to editors when necessary.
5.5. The publisher must ensure the safe and long-term storage of all materials related to publications, including raw data and metadata, to ensure their future accessibility.