Publication Ethics

Journal of Inquiry into Languages and Cultures (JILC) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics to ensure integrity, transparency, and scientific rigor in all published articles. All submissions undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process. All parties involved in the publishing process, including authors, reviewers, and the Editorial Board, must adhere to the following ethical standards:

1. Duties of authors

• Manuscript standards and integrity: Submissions to JILC must be original research reports. Authors are responsible for the originality of their manuscripts and must ensure that any use of content, ideas, data, or research findings from other sources or from their own previously published works is properly cited and acknowledged. All data and research findings must be presented truthfully and accurately, without distortion, fabrication, or falsification.
• Rights to use data and materials: Authors must ensure that they have the necessary rights or permissions to use any data, materials, or third-party content used in the manuscript have been obtained with the explicit consent or right of use included in their manuscripts and must provide supporting documentation upon the Journal's request.
• Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): JILC does not encourage the use of AI tools or applications (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) to generate all or part of the academic content of a manuscript. The use of AI must not replace the intellectual contribution or scholarly responsibility of authors.
  • If AI is used in the preparation of a manuscript, authors are required to be fully transparent by including a statement under the section "Declaration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use" placed before the References, specifying the name of the AI tool, version, date of use, and detailed explanation of the purpose and how the tool was used.
  • Authors are fully responsible for the content of their manuscripts, including any parts generated or modified with the assistance of AI, and are accountable for any breaches of publication ethics resulting from the use of such tools. AI cannot be listed as an author or co-author.
  • Authors must verify the accuracy, existence, and academic validity of any information, data, or references provided or suggested by AI. Failure to do so or using fabricated/unverifiable references will be regarded as a breach of research ethics.
• Authorship: All individuals who have made substantial contributions to the research and the manuscript must be listed as co-authors. Individuals who do not meet the authorship requirements must not be listed as authors. The corresponding author (or first author) is responsible for properly acknowledging the contributions of all involved individuals and ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript before submission.
• Conflicts of interest: Authors must disclose all financial, personal, or professional relationships that could be considered potential conflicts of interest that may influence the publication process, in accordance with the conflict-of-interest provisions of JILC.
• Revisions and responses to reviewers’ comments: Authors are expected to address reviewers’ and editors’ comments within the specified timeframe. Where authors disagree with a comment or recommendation, they should provide a reasoned response supported by appropriate scholarly justification.
• Post-publication errors: If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published article, they must immediately notify the Editorial Board and work with them to issue a correction or retract the article if necessary.

2. Duties of reviewers

• Objectivity and fairness: Reviewers play a crucial role in providing objective, independent, and scholarly assessment of the manuscripts assigned to them. Reviewers must evaluate submissions fairly, professionally, constructively, and based on sound scholarly grounds.
• Confidentiality and anonymity: Reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality regarding the content of the manuscript and all information related to the peer review process. They must not discuss, share, or disclose manuscripts with anyone without prior approval from the Editorial Board. As part of the double-blind peer review process, reviewers must submit their assessments anonymously. Manuscripts and related materials must be used solely for review purposes and must not be shared, retained beyond the review process, or used for personal gain without authorization.
• Review timeliness: Reviewers must complete and submit their review reports within the specified deadlines. If a reviewer is unable to complete the review on time, they should inform the Editorial Board as soon as possible.
• Ethical responsibilities and conflicts of interest: If a reviewer suspects plagiarism, data falsification, fabrication, or other ethical violations, they must immediately notify the Editorial Board for further investigation. Reviewers must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest to the Editorial Board and decline or withdraw from the review process if the conflict could compromise their impartiality.

3. Duties of the Editorial Board

• Publishing decisions and fairness: The Editorial Board is responsible for reviewing manuscripts and peer-review results, and making recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief regarding the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts. All decisions must be fair, impartial, objective, and based on the scholarly quality, relevance, and ethical integrity of the manuscript.
• Transparency and non-discrimination: The Editorial Board is committed to ensuring a transparent peer review and publication process, strictly adhering to all required steps. Authors must be treated fairly, without discrimination based on nationality, gender, or any other factor unrelated to the manuscript’s scientific content.
• Confidentiality: The Editorial Board must maintain strict confidentiality concerning authors, reviewers, and manuscript content throughout the peer review process in accordance with JILC regulations.
• Disclosing conflicts of interest: Editorial Board members must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and ensure all manuscripts are objectively evaluated without personal bias. Any member with a conflict of interest related to a manuscript must not participate in its handling, evaluation, or recommendation.

4. Declaration and Management of Conflicts of Interest

• Definition: A conflict of interest refers to financial, personal, professional, or other relationships that might affect objectivity, independence, or integrity in the research, peer review, and publication processes.
• Authors: Authors must declare all potential conflicts of interest at the time of submission. If a manuscript is accepted for publication, declared conflicts of interest will be disclosed in the published article in accordance with JILC regulations.
• Reviewers and Editorial Board members: Reviewers and Editorial Board members must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interests. Individuals with conflicts that could compromise their impartiality must not participate in the review or editorial decision-making process for the manuscript concerned.
• Editorial Leadership: If the Editor-in-Chief or a Deputy Editor-in-Chief is an author or has a conflict of interest involving a manuscript, they must recuse themselves from its handling and decision-making. The manuscript shall be handled by an appropriately designated editor without conflicts of interest, in accordance with JILC regulations.
• Violations: The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject a manuscript or take appropriate measures if an undisclosed conflict of interest is discovered, or if a declared conflict poses a risk of compromising the integrity and objectivity of the publication process.