Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Aulad: Journal on Early Childhood is a peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes original research and review articles in early childhood education and development. This statement sets out the ethical behaviour expected of all parties involved in publishing an article in this journal: the authors, the editors, the reviewers, and the publisher, LPPM Universitas Pahlawan Tuanku Tambusai. It is based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices, and cases of possible misconduct are handled according to the COPE flowcharts.

Duties of Authors

  1. Reporting standards. Authors present an accurate account of the work performed and an objective discussion of its significance. Data must be reported honestly, without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation, and with enough detail for others to replicate the work.
  2. Originality and plagiarism. Authors submit entirely original work and properly cite the work and words of others, including their own previous publications. All manuscripts are screened according to the Plagiarism Policy.
  3. Multiple or redundant publication. A manuscript must not be submitted to more than one journal at the same time, nor describe essentially the same research as a paper already published elsewhere.
  4. Acknowledgement of sources. Authors acknowledge all sources of data and cite publications that influenced the work.
  5. Authorship. Authorship is limited to those who meet the Authorship Criteria. All co-authors must approve the final version and agree to its submission. Other contributors are named in the Acknowledgements.
  6. Research involving children. Studies involving children, parents, or teachers must have ethical approval or institutional permission where required, informed consent from parents or guardians, and child assent where appropriate. Children's identities must be protected in the text, tables, and images.
  7. Disclosure and conflicts of interest. Authors disclose all funding sources and any financial or personal relationships that could influence the work, as described in the Conflict of Interest policy.
  8. Use of generative AI. Authors disclose any use of generative AI tools in the manuscript. AI tools cannot be listed as authors, and authors remain fully responsible for the content.
  9. Fundamental errors in published works. If authors discover a significant error in their submitted or published work, they promptly notify the editor and cooperate to correct or retract the paper (see Corrections and Retractions).

Duties of Editors

  1. Publication decisions. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for deciding which manuscripts are published, based on their validity, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal's scope, and on the reviewers' reports. Decisions are never influenced by the payment of fees.
  2. Fair play. Manuscripts are evaluated on their intellectual content, without regard to the authors' sex, gender, race, religion, nationality, institution, or political views.
  3. Confidentiality. Editors do not disclose information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, and editorial staff as appropriate.
  4. Conflicts of interest. Editors do not use unpublished material from a submitted manuscript in their own research without the authors' written consent, and they do not handle manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest. Manuscripts by editorial team members are handled by an independent editor.
  5. Peer review. Editors ensure that each manuscript is handled through the journal's double-blind peer review process by reviewers with suitable expertise and no conflict of interest.
  6. Investigations. Editors respond to ethical complaints about submitted or published manuscripts according to the Allegations of Research Misconduct policy.

Duties of Reviewers

  1. Contribution to editorial decisions. Peer review assists the editor in making decisions and helps authors improve their manuscripts.
  2. Promptness. Reviewers who feel unqualified or unable to complete a review on time notify the editor promptly and decline the invitation.
  3. Confidentiality. Manuscripts under review are confidential documents and must not be shown to or discussed with others, or uploaded to public AI tools, without the editor's permission.
  4. Standards of objectivity. Reviews are conducted objectively. Reviewers express their views clearly with supporting arguments, and personal criticism of the authors is inappropriate.
  5. Acknowledgement of sources. Reviewers point out relevant published work that has not been cited, and alert the editor to any substantial similarity with other published or submitted work or to any suspected misconduct.
  6. Conflicts of interest. Reviewers decline manuscripts in which they have a competitive, collaborative, or other relationship with the authors or institutions, and they do not use unpublished information from a manuscript for personal advantage.

Duties of the Publisher

  1. LPPM Universitas Pahlawan Tuanku Tambusai supports the editorial independence of the journal and does not interfere with editorial decisions.
  2. The publisher provides the infrastructure for publication, DOI registration, and long-term archiving of published content.
  3. The publisher works with the editors to handle cases of misconduct and to publish corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when necessary.

Related Policies