PUBLICATION ETHICS

EDITORIAL PRINCIPLE

The Journal of Foundational Learning and Child Development (Childdev)  is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. The ethical principles adopted in this journal are based on COPE's Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. 

Ethical Principles and Responsibilities of Editors:

We fervently encourage journal editors to comply with the directives outlined in the COPE Code of Conduct for Journal Editors.

• Publication Decisions: According to the evaluation report provided by the editorial board, the editor possesses the authority to either accept, reject, or solicit revisions to the manuscript. The assessment of the work in question, alongside its significance to both researchers and readers, must consistently inform these determinations. The editors may be influenced by the guidelines established by the journal's editorial board and may be subject to applicable legal obligations pertaining to defamation, infringement of copyright, and acts of plagiarism. In arriving at this decision, the editors may consult with fellow editors or reviewers. Editors are obligated to assume accountability for all published content and should implement procedures and policies to guarantee the quality of the material they disseminate while upholding the integrity of the published record..
• Review of Manuscripts: The Editor is obligated to guarantee that each manuscript undergoes an initial evaluation for originality by the editor. Furthermore, the editor is responsible for organizing and implementing the peer review process in a manner that is both equitable and judicious. It is incumbent upon editors to elucidate their peer review procedures in the author guidelines and to explicitly indicate which sections of the journal are subject to peer review. The Editor should engage suitably qualified peer reviewers for manuscripts under consideration for publication by selecting individuals with the requisite expertise while avoiding those who may have conflicts of interest.
• Fair Play: The editor is required to ascertain that every manuscript submitted to the journal is assessed for its intellectual merit without regard to the authors' sex, gender, race, religion, citizenship, or other personal characteristics. A significant aspect of the obligation to render fair and impartial decisions is the adherence to the principle of editorial independence and integrity. Editors occupy a position of considerable power in determining publication outcomes, which underscores the necessity for this process to be conducted in the most fair and unbiased manner possible.
• Confidentiality: The editor must uphold the confidentiality of all information pertaining to manuscripts submitted by authors. Editors should meticulously evaluate any potential violations of data protection and confidentiality concerning patient information. This obligation encompasses the requirement of obtaining properly informed consent for the research presented, as well as consent for publication when applicable.
• Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: The editor of the Journal shall not utilize unpublished materials revealed in a submitted manuscript for personal research endeavors without the explicit written consent of the author. Editors should refrain from participating in decisions regarding manuscripts in which they possess a conflict of interest.

Reviewer’s Ethical Principles and Responsibilities:

We strongly advocate for the imperative that journal reviewers adhere to the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers as deemed appropriate.

• Confidentiality: Information pertaining to manuscripts submitted by authors is to be regarded as confidential and treated as privileged. Such manuscripts must not be displayed to or discussed with any other individuals except as expressly authorized by the editor.
• Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers are obligated to verify that authors have duly acknowledged all sources of data utilized in the research. Reviewers should identify pertinent published works that authors have failed to cite. Any assertion indicating that an observation, derivation, or argument has been previously reported should be accompanied by the appropriate citation. Reviewers are to alert the journal immediately should they encounter any irregularities, harbor concerns regarding the ethical dimensions of the work, be aware of significant similarities between the manuscript and a concurrent submission to another journal or a published article, or suspect that misconduct may have transpired during any phase of the research, writing, or submission of the manuscript; however, reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of their concerns and refrain from personal investigation unless the journal solicits further information or guidance.
• Standards of Objectivity: RThe review of submitted manuscripts must be conducted with objectivity, and reviewers should articulate their perspectives clearly, supported by logical arguments. Reviewers are expected to adhere to the journal's guidelines concerning the specific feedback required of them unless compelling reasons exist to deviate from this expectation. Reviewers should adopt a constructive approach in their evaluations, providing feedback designed to assist authors in enhancing their manuscripts. The reviewer should delineate which proposed additional investigations are indispensable for substantiating claims made in the manuscript under review and which merely serve to augment or extend the work.
• Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Information or ideas obtained through the peer review process must be treated as confidential and not exploited for personal gain. Reviewers should refrain from evaluating manuscripts in which they possess conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other affiliations or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the papers. In instances of double-blind review, should the reviewer suspect the identity of the author(s), they must notify the journal if such knowledge presents any potential conflict of interest.
• Promptness: Reviewers are expected to respond within a reasonable timeframe. Reviewers agree to undertake the review of a manuscript only if they are reasonably confident in their ability to return a review within the proposed or mutually agreed timeframe, promptly informing the journal should they require an extension. If a reviewer determines that it will not be feasible to complete the review of the manuscript within the prescribed timeframe, this information must be communicated to the editor, enabling the manuscript to be reassigned to another reviewer.

Author-Guiding Principles:

• Reporting Standards: It is imperative that authors furnish a precise representation of the original research conducted, alongside an impartial discourse regarding its relevance. Researchers are obligated to present their findings with integrity, devoid of any fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation of data. A manuscript must encapsulate adequate detail and references to enable others to replicate the study. Any fraudulent or deliberately inaccurate statements are deemed unethical conduct and are wholly unacceptable. Manuscripts must adhere to the submission guidelines stipulated by the journal.
• Originality and Plagiarism: Authors are required to ensure that their work is wholly original. The manuscript should not be submitted to multiple publications simultaneously unless consent for co-publication has been obtained from the editors. Relevant prior works and publications, authored by both other researchers and the authors themselves, ought to be duly acknowledged and referenced. Where feasible, primary literature should be cited. Any original phrasing directly sourced from works of other researchers must be enclosed in quotation marks and accompanied by appropriate citations.
• Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publications: It is generally expected that the author refrain from submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time. Furthermore, the author should not publish redundant manuscripts or those that describe identical research across multiple journals. The submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently is regarded as unethical publishing practice and is unacceptable. Instances of multiple publications derived from a singular research project must be distinctly identified as such, with reference made to the primary publication.
• Acknowledgment of Sources: Authors are mandated to acknowledge all sources of data utilized in the research and to cite publications that have significantly influenced the nature of the reported work. Proper acknowledgment of the contributions of others must perpetually be accorded.
• Authorship of the Paper: The attribution of authorship in research publications should accurately reflect the contributions of individuals to the work and its reporting. Authorship should be confined to those who have made a substantial contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. Individuals who have made significant contributions must be listed as co-authors. In instances where major contributors are designated as authors, those who have made lesser or purely technical contributions to the research or publication should be acknowledged in a separate acknowledgment section. Authors must also ensure that all co-authors have reviewed and consented to the submitted version of the manuscript and their designation as co-authors.
• Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors are required to explicitly disclose in their manuscript any financial or substantial conflicts of interest that could be perceived as influencing the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project must be disclosed.
• Fundamental Errors in Published Works: Should the author identify a significant error or inaccuracy in the submitted manuscript, it is the author's duty to promptly inform the journal editor or publisher and to collaborate with the editor in retracting or rectifying the paper.

AUTHORSHIP & CONTRIBUTORSHIP

This policy ensures that individuals who have rendered substantial intellectual contributions to a manuscript are accorded the appropriate recognition, and that contributors fully understand their obligations and responsibilities pertaining to the published content. The Childdev Journal  acknowledges and delineates contributors in three discrete manners:

• Authorship – we present a list of authors at the commencement of the manuscript in a byline ) Authors’ Contribution: A – Study design; B – Data collection; C – Statistical analysis; D – Manuscript Preparation; E – Funds Collection). 
• Contributions – At the conclusion of the manuscript, we shall present a detailed statement of contributions, clarifying the distinct roles assumed by each individual in the planning, execution, and reporting of the research. This statement will encompass all author contributors and may additionally include non-author contributors.
• Acknowledgements at the conclusion of the manuscript – Furthermore, we incorporate a statement of acknowledgements at the conclusion of the manuscript, delineating those individuals who provided assistance during the research process yet have not been acknowledged as contributors, while also conveying our sincere gratitude.

Authorship ought to be restricted to individuals who have made a noteworthy contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study presented. All individuals who have made significant contributions should be acknowledged as co-authors. Should others have contributed to the manuscript in any meaningful manner, they ought to be recognized in the acknowledgments section. The corresponding author is the sole individual who assumes primary responsibility for communication with the journal throughout the entirety of the manuscript submission, peer review, and publication processes. The corresponding author typically guarantees that all administrative responsibilities of the journal, including the provision of authorship information, ethics committee approval, documentation of clinical trial registration, and disclosure of relationships and activities, are adequately fulfilled and accurately reported, although these responsibilities may be delegated to one or more co-authors. The corresponding author must ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included in the manuscript while excluding any ineligible co-authors, and that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and have consented to its submission for publication.
The authors collectively bear responsibility for the work. Each author is accountable for ensuring that inquiries pertaining to the accuracy or integrity of any aspect of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

COMPLAINTS & APPEALS

This protocol is pertinent to grievances related to content, procedures, or policies for which the editorial team of Childdev Journal is accountable. Complaints possess the potential to act as a catalyst for improvement; hence, we strive to respond in a timely, respectful, and constructive manner. The procedure outlined below aims to guarantee equity for both the complainant and the organization against whom the complaint is filed. Grievances ought to be submitted via electronic mail directly to complaints@igiinsight.com and will be handled with the highest degree of confidentiality. Complaints directed to Childdev Journal are overseen by the complaints team, with each individual grievance being attended to by the most appropriately qualified staff member, permitting escalation should resolution prove unattainable. All complaints shall receive formal acknowledgment within three business days. Whenever feasible, a thorough response will be provided within a span of two weeks. Should such a response not be feasible, an interim reply will be issued within the same timeframe. Additional interim responses will persist until the grievance is resolved to satisfaction.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

All authors are required to disclose in their manuscript any financial and personal affiliations with individuals or organizations that may be perceived as potentially exerting undue influence (bias) on their scholarly endeavors. All channels of financial support relevant to the execution of the research and/or the formulation of the article must be revealed, along with the involvement of the sponsor(s), if applicable, in the design of the study; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the drafting of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication. In instances where the funding source(s) possess no such involvement, this fact must be explicitly articulated. Illustrations of potential conflicts of interest that must be disclosed include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, compensated expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other financial assistance. Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed at the earliest practicable opportunity.

DATA & REPRODUCIBILITY

The data sharing policy of the journal fervently promotes the immediate accessibility of the data generated by your research, which underpins your article, as soon as it becomes feasible. We earnestly implore you to disclose as much of the foundational data from your article as is practicable (without jeopardizing the privacy of participants), albeit at a minimum, the crucial data required to replicate the findings delineated in the accompanying article. Although data sharing is not mandated within our journal, we reserve the right to request confidential access at any time to any primary data essential for the reproduction of the article, thus permitting the verification of the reported results. The journal encourages authors to cite publicly available research data within their reference lists. Citations to datasets must include persistent identifiers. We advocate for research data to be disseminated under an open license that promotes unrestricted reuse.

ETHICAL OVERSIGHT

The Editorial Board functions in accordance with the principles delineated in the Declaration of Helsinki and requires unwavering adherence to these tenets in all research endeavors involving human subjects. 

Human-subjects Reasearch

As a scholarly publication that has explicitly expressed its commitment to the Recommendations delineated by the ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors), the Childdev Journal  fervently supports the policy pertaining to the Safeguarding of Research Participants.
The authors of scholarly articles concerning research involving human subjects are obligated to ascertain that the study detailed in their submission, along with the dissemination of their manuscript, adheres to all relevant regulations within their jurisdiction. 
Prior to the submission of scholarly articles, authors of manuscripts that encompass research involving human subjects are required to obtain evaluation and approval (or review and waiver) from their respective Institutional Review Board (IRB). Authors of research articles conducted across multiple sites must secure authorization from the IRB of each participating institution. Upon request, documentation confirming the IRB status must be readily available. In instances where no institutional review boards or committees are established, the authors are obligated to conduct their research in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, as revised in 2013. The Materials and Methods section must incorporate a declaration of IRB approval or waiver (along with the rationale for the waiver) or a statement affirming adherence to the Declaration of Helsinki (or, for shorter article types, such as announcements or short form papers, at the conclusion of the text).
Informed consent for publication is not required if the patient cannot be discerned from any materials within a manuscript. Identifiable attributes such as patient initials, exact dates, specific geographical exposures, or any other identifying factors (including anatomical features in figures) should be omitted in the absence of informed consent; however, this must not alter the scientific essence. Crucial information pertinent to the scientific meaning should be articulated in a manner that ensures the patient remains unrecognizable, for instance, by referring to a season instead of a specific date or a region instead of a city. Should there exist a possibility of a patient being recognized from the content of a manuscript, every effort must be made to obtain informed consent for publication from the patients or their parents/legal guardians in instances where the patient is a minor. To provide informed consent, the patient must have the ability to review the manuscript prior to its submission. It must be documented in the signed consent that either the patient has thoroughly examined the entire text or has chosen not to do so. The authors are obliged to retain a copy of the patient's consent and ensure its availability upon request. The published article should incorporate a statement confirming the receipt and safeguarding of the signed patient consent. 
For further information, kindly refer to the ORI module pertaining to research involving human subjects as well as the COPE guidelines. Should the author require assistance with the IRB form, please do not hesitate to send an email to: Irb@igiinsight.com

Plagiarism Policy

The Editorial Board of the journal considers any manifestation of plagiarism in submitted manuscripts to be unequivocally unacceptable. Plagiarism is characterized as the unauthorized dissemination, whether in written or electronic form, of research outcomes that have been procured and propagated by others, misrepresented as the original contributions of the author, or the reproduction of text that has been previously published by others without proper attribution. The articles must not encompass:

• Material that has been reproduced or disseminated by other academics, represented as if it comprises the author’s unique findings.
• Verbatim repetition of excerpts from any text (ranging from a single phrase to multiple sentences) without the necessary formatting for quotations.
• Minimally altered copied content (such as rephrased sentences, variations in word order, etc.) lacking the requisite quotation/reference formatting.
• The thoughts, ideas, or texts of others expressed in the author’s own language without the provision of appropriate references to the original sources.

Prior to the commencement of the review process, all manuscripts shall undergo a thorough examination to ensure they are devoid of any instances of plagiarism, utilizing the "iThenticate" software. Should there be any evidence of plagiarism exceeding 20%, the manuscript shall be immediately rejected. In the event that the Plagiarism Checker software identifies instances of plagiarism, the Editorial Board tasked with the review of this manuscript will convene to determine appropriate actions in accordance with the severity of the plagiarism detected within the article, in alignment with the established guidelines:

Minor Plagiarism
A brief sentence or concise paragraph extracted from another manuscript is appropriated without any substantial data or concept derived from the other scholarly works or publications.
Punishment: A formal admonition is issued to the authors accompanied by a request to amend the manuscript and adequately acknowledge the original sources.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Scholars who disseminate their scholarly works through this journal consent to the subsequent stipulations:
Copyright Notice
The Journal of Foundational Learning and Child Development (Childdev Journal) are published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

License to Publish

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
In 4.0, you must indicate if you modified the material and retain an indication of previous modifications. In 3.0 and earlier license versions, the indication of changes is only required if you create a derivative.

Under the following terms:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Author(s)' Warranties
The author affirms that the article is original, composed by the designated author(s), has not been previously published, does not include any unlawful statements, does not violate the rights of any third parties, is subject to copyright that is exclusively held by the author, and is devoid of any rights belonging to third parties; furthermore, the author(s) has obtained all necessary written permissions to quote from external sources.

User Rights
The Journal of Foundational Learning and Child Development (Childdev Journal) endeavors to disseminate published articles in a manner that is as accessible as feasible. In accordance with the Creative Commons license, Journal Childdev Journal authorizes users to replicate, distribute, exhibit, and perform the work. Users are also required to provide appropriate attribution to the authors and Journal Childdev Journal when disseminating works in the journal and other media of publication.

Rights of Authors
Authors shall maintain all rights pertaining to their published works, including (but not limited to) the subsequent rights;
1. Copyright and other proprietary rights relating to the article, such as patent rights,
2. The right to use the substance of the article in own future works, including lectures and books,
3. The right to reproduce the article for own purposes,
4. The right to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the article's published version (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in Childdev Journal.

Co-Authorship
In the circumstance that the manuscript is jointly authored by several individuals, any author presenting the manuscript certifies that he or she possesses the necessary authorization from all co-authors to agree to this copyright and license notice (agreement) on their behalf, and additionally undertakes to communicate to his or her co-authors the provisions of this policy. The Childdev Journal Journal shall not incur any liability for any issues that may arise due to internal disputes among the author(s). The Childdev Journal will solely conduct correspondence with the corresponding author.

Royalties
As an open-access journal that disseminates articles without charge in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons license, the author(s) acknowledge that the Childdev Journal confers upon the author(s) no entitlement to royalties or any other form of remuneration.

POST-PUBLICATION DISCUSSION & CORRECTIONS

Childdev Journal follows the ICMJE and COPE recommendations on Corrections, Retractions, The act of republication and the management of version control shall be under the exclusive purview of the Editor-in-Chief of the journal, who bears the ultimate responsibility for the integrity and documentation of the journal's contents and possesses the definitive authority to determine the policies regarding retraction.

Corrections for Accepted Papers
The Childdev Journall prohibits the implementation of significant or extensive modifications to manuscripts subsequent to their acceptance. It is anticipated that authors will undertake considerable revisions to their work during the revision phase, prior to acceptance.

Corrections to Published Work
Inadvertent inaccuracies represent a fundamental characteristic of the realms of science and publishing, thereby necessitating the issuance of corrections upon their discovery. We expect that authors will communicate with the journal’s Production Editor (whose contact information is available in the Contact Us section of the journal's website) regarding any factual inaccuracies they identify (or become aware of) in their manuscript following its publication. The execution of corrections will be conducted at the discretion of the journal. As a publisher, it is our responsibility to uphold the integrity of the scientific record. Consequently, minor alterations that do not influence the scientific understanding of the manuscript (such as formatting, typographical errors, or variations in wording preferences) may be rejected if submitted post-publication, in order to prevent any potential discrepancies in the future. The protocol for corrections is dependent upon:
1. The current stage of publication of the manuscript;  in all scenarios, a correction notice shall be disseminated at the earliest possible opportunity.
2. First Online Publication: The First Online (or ‘published before print’) iteration is regarded as the definitive version of record and does not serve as a venue for alterations prior to print publication. Childdev Journal will entertain the prospect of substituting this version with an updated iteration that rectifies the inaccuracies and delineates the modifications made along with the date of such changes (in a correction notice appended to the article). Previous electronic versions of articles will explicitly indicate the availability of a newer version. Correction notices will be preserved in the printed edition for archival purposes.
3. Publication in an issue: In the event that the article has already been published in an issue, the correction notice will be included in the subsequent available printed issue. The online version of the article will provide a hyperlink to the correction notice, and vice versa.
4. Should an inaccuracy be identified in an article published within a particular issue, Childdev Journal may, at the editor's discretion, contemplate rectifying the actual article online (in both XML and PDF formats). A correction notice will be appended to the conclusion of the article to elucidate the changes instituted since the initial publication, and the errata will be disseminated.

Retractions
Transgressions of professional ethical standards, including but not limited to multiple submissions, fraudulent claims of authorship, various forms of plagiarism, the use of fabricated data, or any other ethical concerns within an article, may lead to retraction. Occasionally, a retraction serves to rectify inaccuracies in submission or publication. The original article shall remain unchanged; however, a watermark will be affixed to all pages of the article PDF to signify that the article has been retracted. The retraction will be conveyed to the corresponding author via email, accompanied by a detailed elucidation and the justification for the decision to retract the article. Should the explanations provided be regarded as inadequate by the editors or if the corresponding author consents to the retraction, the article will be officially retracted. For further information, kindly consult the COPE's Retraction Guidelines.

Withdrawal of Articles
The Childdev Journal is resolutely dedicated to preserving the tenets of research integrity and ensuring the fidelity and completeness of its published works. The authority of these works is of utmost significance, and therefore, the content of published articles must be protected to the highest degree possible. In extraordinary circumstances, the journal may find it necessary to withdraw a published article from its online repository. This action shall only be taken if the article is determined to be defamatory, or if it violates the legal rights of an external entity, or if the article is, or there exists reasonable grounds to believe that it will be, the subject of a judicial order, or if the article, if acted upon, may present a serious health hazard. In such cases, while the metadata (i.e., title and author information) of the article shall be preserved, the text will be substituted with a notification indicating that the article has been withdrawn for legal or other unavoidable considerations. "Withdrawn" signifies that the article content (HTML and PDF) is eliminated and replaced with an HTML page and PDF merely stating that the article has been withdrawn in accordance with the journal's policies. It is the responsibility of authors to submit a request to the editorial office in the form of a letter signed by all authors detailing the comprehensive reasons for the withdrawal of the manuscript. In situations where the manuscript has undergone the review process for a duration exceeding six months, the publisher permits authors to withdraw the manuscript without incurring any fees. In cases where a manuscript is still undergoing peer review, the author is required to pay a withdrawal fee of $25.00 per manuscript. Conversely, if a manuscript has received acceptance for publication, the author is obligated to remit a publication fee of $50.00 per manuscript. withdrawal fine; Should the author decline to pay the fine, the author and their associates shall be prohibited from publishing in this journal; Authors should not presume that their manuscript has been withdrawn until they receive formal notification to that effect from the editorial office.