Research and Publication Misconduct

The Journal of Information and Learning (JIL) is committed to safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record and does not accept research or publication misconduct. Ethical concerns arising before or after publication are addressed fairly and in accordance with relevant Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance.

1. Research misconductThis includes fabrication—making up data or results; falsification—manipulating research processes, data, or images, or omitting information so that the research is inaccurately represented; and plagiarism—using another person’s ideas, text, data, or work without appropriate attribution.

2. Breaches of publication ethics and related requirementsThese include simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals; undisclosed duplicate publication or inappropriate reuse of previous work; fragmentation of research findings without adequate scholarly justification; inappropriate inclusion or exclusion of authors; buying or selling authorship; manipulation of peer review or citations; non-disclosure of relevant competing interests; and failure to comply with applicable ethics approval or consent requirements.

3. Reporting and assessment of allegationsConcerns may be reported to the editorial office with relevant details and supporting evidence. The journal will assess sufficiently substantiated allegations, including anonymous reports, maintain confidentiality as appropriate, manage conflicts of interest among those handling the case, and give the parties concerned an opportunity to respond. Authors may be asked to provide underlying data or supporting documentation, subject to appropriate personal data safeguards. Where necessary, the journal may refer the matter to the relevant institution or competent authority for further investigation.

4. Editorial actionDecisions will consider the evidence, the nature and seriousness of the concerns, and their impact on the article’s reliability. Actions may include suspending consideration, rejecting a manuscript, publishing a correction, issuing an expression of concern where substantial concerns remain unresolved, or retracting an article. Post-publication notices will explain the reasons and be linked to the original article. Retracted articles will generally remain accessible and be clearly marked as retracted.

5. Honest error and author cooperationHonest errors or differences of scholarly opinion do not constitute research misconduct. Nevertheless, errors that render findings unreliable may require correction or retraction. Authors must promptly notify the journal of significant errors and cooperate with investigations and measures to correct the scholarly record.