Ethics Policy

 

The Journal of Digital Pedagogy subscribes to the principles of publication ethics as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Cases of plagiarism, data fabrication, or other breaches of publication ethics will be addressed according to COPE guidelines.

Authors

Originality: Authors must guarantee that the submitted manuscript was originally written by them. The work must not have been published previously and must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. If the work and/or words of others are included, they must be appropriately cited and quoted. Authors must make a clear statement about the originality of their work.

Editors will scan each submitted manuscript with the plagiarism detector software; in the event of fraud or misconduct, the submission will be rejected.

Data access and citation: Authors may be requested to provide raw data relevant to their paper for editorial review and must be prepared to provide public access to such data in accordance with open science principles. All data must be cited using standard academic citation formats and included in the reference list. Data sharing should comply with applicable privacy and ethical standards.

Acknowledgement of sources: The authors should properly acknowledge any work in the manuscript that has been contributed by others, including artificial intelligence tools. Authors retain full copyright to their work while granting the journal appropriate publication licenses as detailed in the Copyright Policy.

Declaration and conflicts of interest: Authors may be requested to provide disclosure of all relationships that could be viewed as presenting a potential conflict of interest.

Reporting standards: Authors of original research papers should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance.

Human rights: For research that includes experiments involving humans, a statement of compliance is required to show that procedures were followed in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national).

Research ethics: The research must comply with local and international standards, policies and regulations.

Technology and artificial intelligence ethics: Authors must disclose the use of AI tools in research design, data collection, analysis, or writing. Any AI-generated content must be clearly identified and appropriately attributed. Research involving AI systems or digital technologies must consider ethical implications for learners, educators, and educational institutions.

Authors’ ethical statement: Authors are accountable for all aspects of their work (including full data access, data integrity, and the accuracy of the data analysis) in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Technology and Artificial Intelligence Ethics (Authors)

Authors may utilize artificial intelligence tools and technologies to assist in various aspects of manuscript preparation, including but not limited to writing assistance, data analysis, literature review, translation, formatting, and research support. When employing AI technologies in their research and writing process, authors must:

  • Provide transparent disclosure of any AI tools used in the preparation of their manuscript, including the specific tools, their application, and the extent of their usage
  • Ensure that the use of AI does not compromise the originality and integrity of their work
  • Maintain full responsibility and accountability for all content in their manuscript, regardless of AI assistance
  • Verify the accuracy and reliability of any AI-generated content, including citations, data analysis, and factual claims
  • Comply with institutional guidelines and ethical standards regarding AI use in academic research
  • Respect copyright and intellectual property rights when using AI tools that may process copyrighted materials
  • Ensure that any data processed by AI systems complies with relevant data protection regulations and privacy requirements
  • Acknowledge that AI-generated content cannot be listed as an author or co-author of the manuscript

Authors should use AI technologies as supportive tools while preserving the fundamental principles of academic integrity, original scholarship, and responsible research conduct. The human author remains solely responsible for the scientific validity, ethical compliance, and overall quality of the submitted work.

Reviewer responsibilities:

Only review papers that are relevant to their own expertise.
Read the papers with appropriate care and attention, using their best efforts to be constructively critical.
Regard the work being reviewed as confidential – will not discuss it with others and will keep their identity confidential from authors.
Review submitted work in a timely manner.
Report any suspected ethical misconduct which appears in the work.
Avoid any offensive language in their appraisals of the papers.
Agree to review future versions of the work and provide follow up advice.
Seek advice from the editor if anything is unclear at any time during the review process or if there is any possible conflict of interest.
Communicate with the editor in a timely fashion.
Treat all papers reviewed fairly without any favour of prejudice.

Technology and Artificial Intelligence Ethics (Reviewers)

Reviewers may utilize artificial intelligence tools and technologies to assist in various aspects of the peer review process, including but not limited to manuscript analysis, literature verification, statistical review, language assessment, and preparation of review reports. When employing AI technologies in their review activities, reviewers must:

  • Maintain absolute confidentiality of manuscript content and ensure that AI tools used comply with strict data protection and privacy standards
  • Never input confidential manuscript content into public or unsecured AI systems that may store, learn from, or redistribute the data
  • Use only AI tools that guarantee data security, confidentiality, and compliance with academic publishing ethics
  • Retain full professional judgment and responsibility for all review conclusions and recommendations, with AI serving only as an analytical support tool
  • Disclose to the editor any significant use of AI technologies in their review process when transparency is warranted
  • Ensure that AI assistance does not compromise the thoroughness, objectivity, or quality of their peer review
  • Verify and validate any AI-generated insights, suggestions, or analyses before incorporating them into their review
  • Comply with institutional and professional guidelines regarding AI use in scholarly activities
  • Respect the original work of authors and avoid using AI in ways that could lead to inappropriate extraction or replication of unpublished research

Reviewers must exercise the same level of professional responsibility and ethical conduct when using AI tools as they would in traditional peer review, ensuring that confidentiality, integrity, and scholarly rigor remain paramount throughout the review process.

Editorial responsibilities:

Conduct comprehensive plagiarism screening using detection software before any content analysis, maintaining the journal’s zero-tolerance policy.
Treat all submissions fairly without any favour of prejudice.
Only authorise for publication content of the highest quality.
Ensure that a thorough, objective and blind peer review is conducted for original article submissions.
Be transparent with regards to the review and publication process with appropriate care that individuals will not be identified when it is inappropriate to so do.
Provide advice to the authors during the submission process when necessary.
Provide the right to appeal any editorial decision.
Be attentive to the possibility of third party material being included in papers for which there may not be sufficient permission.
Be prepared to publish errata when necessary.
Communicate with both the reviewer(s) and the author(s) in a timely manner.

Technology and Artificial Intelligence Ethics (Editorial Responsibilities)

Editors may utilize artificial intelligence tools and technologies to assist in the editorial and peer review processes, including but not limited to manuscript screening, plagiarism detection, language assessment, and administrative tasks. When employing AI technologies, editors must:

  • Ensure full compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and all applicable data protection laws
  • Maintain strict confidentiality of manuscript content and author information
  • Use AI tools only from reputable providers that guarantee data security and privacy protection
  • Retain ultimate editorial judgment and responsibility for all decisions, with AI serving only as an assistive tool
  • Disclose the use of AI technologies when transparency is required or when it materially affects the review process
  • Ensure that any data processed by AI systems is handled according to the journal’s privacy policy and data retention guidelines
  • Regularly assess and audit AI tool usage to ensure compliance with ethical standards and data protection requirements

The use of AI technologies by editors should enhance the efficiency and quality of the editorial process without compromising the integrity, confidentiality, and human oversight essential to scholarly publishing.

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Updated on May 9th, 2025

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Related policies:
– Copyright policy: https://digital-pedagogy.eu/copyright-policy/
– Peer Review Policy policy: https://digital-pedagogy.eu/peer-review-policy/
– Open Access Statement: https://digital-pedagogy.eu/open-access-statement/
– Submission guidelines: https://digital-pedagogy.eu/submission/

This Ethics Policy should be read in conjunction with the Journal’s Copyright Policy and Submission Guidelines. The journal maintains consistent standards across all policies, with ethics considerations taking precedence in cases of potential conflict.

Contact information

For inquiries regarding ethics policy matters, please contact:
office@iEdu.ro / olimpius.istrate@unibuc.ro

Journal of Digital Pedagogy
54 Dr. Louis Pasteur str., Bucharest 050536, Romania
https://digital-pedagogy.eu/