Publication Ethics

FUTUREd is committed to maintaining high standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct in academic publishing. The journal follows the guidelines and principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in all aspects of its publication process. All participants in the publication process — authors, reviewers, and editors — are expected to follow the principles outlined below.

Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting to FUTUREd must ensure that:

  • Their work is original and has not been published elsewhere in any form
  • All sources are properly cited and referenced
  • The manuscript does not contain plagiarism, fabricated data, or misleading information
  • All listed authors have made a meaningful contribution and approved the final version
  • Any conflicts of interest are clearly disclosed

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers play an important role in maintaining the quality of the journal. They are expected to:

  • Provide fair, constructive, and timely feedback
  • Evaluate manuscripts objectively, without personal bias
  • Maintain confidentiality of all submitted materials
  • Decline review if a conflict of interest exists

Editorial Responsibilities

The editorial team is responsible for ensuring a fair and transparent review process. Editors will:

  • Make decisions based on academic merit and relevance to the journal
  • Treat all submissions confidentially
  • Avoid conflicts of interest
  • Address ethical concerns promptly and appropriately

Use of Assistive Technology (including AI)

FUTUREd recognizes that assistive technologies (including AI tools) are increasingly used in academic work. The journal does not prohibit their use; however, it requires transparency and responsible application.

Disclosure Requirement

Authors must clearly disclose any use of assistive technology (including AI) in the preparation of their manuscript. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Text generation or editing
  • Data analysis or interpretation
  • Image or figure creation

A brief statement describing how such tools were used should be included in the manuscript (for example, in the acknowledgements or a dedicated note).

Author Responsibility

Authors remain fully responsible for the content of their submission, regardless of any assistive technology used. This includes:

  • Accuracy of information
  • Originality of the work
  • Proper citation of sources
  • Absence of plagiarism

Assistive technologies cannot be listed as authors.

Limitations of Use

Assistive technology (including AI) must not be used in ways that compromise academic integrity. In particular:

  • Generated content must not be presented as original human work without disclosure
  • Fabricated data, references, or citations are strictly prohibited
  • Confidential or sensitive data must not be shared with external tools

Editorial and Reviewer Use

Editors and reviewers may use assistive technologies in a limited and responsible way (such as for language support), but must not upload confidential manuscript content to external systems that could compromise anonymity or data security.

Plagiarism and Misconduct

FUTUREd takes all forms of academic misconduct seriously, including:

  • Plagiarism
  • Duplicate submission
  • Data fabrication or falsification

If misconduct is identified at any stage, the journal reserves the right to reject or retract the work and take appropriate action.

Corrections and Retractions

If significant errors or ethical issues are discovered after publication, FUTUREd will take appropriate steps, which may include:

  • Publishing corrections
  • Issuing retractions
  • Notifying relevant institutions if necessary

Ethical Commitment

By submitting to FUTUREd, authors agree to follow these ethical guidelines. The journal is committed to fostering a respectful, transparent, and trustworthy academic environment for all contributors.