COPE ethics
Editors, authors, and reviewers are expected to follow COPE core practices: fairness, confidentiality, disclosure of conflicts, and correction of the scholarly record. Allegations of misconduct are investigated by the Editor-in-Chief.
Plagiarism
Similarity reports from Turnitin or iThenticate are recorded on each manuscript. Unattributed copying, image recycling without permission, and redundant publication are grounds for rejection. Published articles found to contain plagiarism are retracted.
Withdrawal
Authors may withdraw a manuscript before reviewer assignment by written request to the editorial office. Withdrawal after reviews have been invited requires a reason. Repeated submission-and-withdrawal may lead to a temporary submission ban.
Retraction policy
Retractions, expressions of concern, and corrections are issued in line with COPE retraction guidelines. A retracted article remains in the archive with a clear retraction notice and DOI cross-link. Silent deletion is not practised.
Conflicts of interest
Authors, editors, and reviewers must declare financial and non-financial conflicts, including employment at the same ODL centre as the authors when that would compromise double-blind review.