Publication Ethics

ASEAN Journal of Education (AJE) upholds the highest ethical standards in academic publishing. Authors submitting manuscripts must adhere to rigorous ethical practices, and the journal strictly prohibits the following actions:

             Submitting manuscripts that contain plagiarism
             Submitting manuscripts with fabricated, falsified, or manipulated data
             Submitting manuscripts that are currently under revision elsewhere
             Submitting manuscripts that have been previously published
             Manipulating citations for academic or personal gain

All manuscripts submitted to AJE will undergo a similarity examination, and the overall similarity index must not exceed 25%, excluding references and standard methodological descriptions.

AJE is firmly committed to preventing all forms of research misconduct. Any suspected instance of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism will be treated seriously. If plagiarism is detected at any stage of the review process, the editorial team will immediately halt the evaluation and return the manuscript to the author(s), regardless of the extent of the issue.

Plagiarism refers to the unacknowledged use of ideas, text, or data from published or unpublished work, whether intentional or unintentional. Self-plagiarism occurs when authors resubmit, either partial or entire material that has already been published, attempting to present it as new and original work.

All participants in the publication process share responsibility for maintaining ethical standards. Their roles are outlined as follows:

Editor’s Regulations

  1. Manuscripts addressing topics related to education in ASEAN countries must be given appropriate consideration by the editors. All editorial decisions must be based solely on the scholarly merit of the manuscript. Decisions must not be influenced by the authors’ ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, political views, or religious beliefs.
  2. All information concerning submitted manuscripts must be kept strictly confidential. Editors may disclose manuscript-related information only to the authors, reviewers, and authorized members of the AJE editorial team.
  3. Editors must ensure that no authors, reviewers, or associated organizations possess any material conflict of interest that could affect the editorial decision making process.
  4. Each submission must be evaluated by at least three qualified reviewers in education or a related field. Editors and editorial staff must also be vigilant in handling cases involving plagiarism, data fabrication, or copyright infringement. Before rejecting a submission due to ethical concerns, the editor must conduct a formal investigation and gather supporting evidence.
  5. If there is reason to suspect that a submitted manuscript has been previously published, the editor must initiate an investigation before making any decision regarding rejection.
  6. Any indication of unethical publication practices must be addressed with seriousness. Appropriate actions should be taken even if further evidence emerges later in the editorial process. 

Reviewer’s Regulations

  1. Reviewers must provide professional and constructive feedback and recommendations. Inappropriate or overly harsh criticism should be avoided.
  2. Reviewers must notify the editorial staff if the manuscript falls outside their area of expertise.
  3. Reviewers may not disclose or share any part of the manuscript with anyone other than the editorial staff.
  4. Reviewers are required to inform the editorial staff if they identify any work within the manuscript that is not properly cited or attributed.
  5. Reviewers must report any potential conflicts of interest to the editorial staff. If the reviewer believes they can still provide an unbiased evaluation, the final decision rests with the editors.

Author’s Regulations

  1. Authors must prepare an academic manuscript focused on education in ASEAN countries. The manuscript should demonstrate a sound methodology, appropriate background information, APA 7th edition–compliant citations, reliable results, and a well-reasoned discussion.
  2. Authors must strictly adhere to all journal guidelines.
  3. Any section expressing an “opinion” or “perspective” must be clearly identified as such.
  4. Authors must recognize that providing misleading information or omitting essential details constitutes unethical behavior.
  5. Authors must be prepared to provide research data upon the editor’s request.
  6. Authors must properly acknowledge and cite all referenced works. Every contribution incorporated into the manuscript must be clearly attributed.
  7. Authors must affirm that the manuscript has not been previously published and is not under consideration by any other journal.
  8. To qualify for authorship, an individual must have made substantial contributions to the manuscript, participated in its revision, provided meaningful content, and approved the final version for publication. Individuals not meeting these criteria should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section.
  9. Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could influence the data or its interpretation.
  10. Authors must respond constructively to all reviewer comments and recommendations to ensure an effective revision.
  11. Authors must immediately notify the editors if they discover any errors in their published or submitted work that require correction.

Procedure for Handling Research Misconduct Allegations

AJE is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards to ensure integrity in both research and publication. Allegations of research misconduct, including data falsification, inappropriate citation practices, and plagiarism are taken very seriously, and all responses adhere strictly to established ethical principles.

  • Upon receiving an allegation, the Editor-in-Chief and the editorial board will conduct a careful and thorough investigation based on the available evidence and in accordance with ethical guidelines.
  • The accused author(s) will be given the opportunity to respond to or contest the allegations.
  • If misconduct is confirmed, appropriate actions will be taken in line with ethical standards. These actions may include issuing a retraction, correction, or an expression of concern.
  • If the allegations are unsubstantiated or unsupported, all involved parties will be informed of the investigation’s outcome.

AJE strives to maintain the trust of authors, reviewers, and readers by preventing and addressing research misconduct promptly and responsibly. All participants are encouraged to report any concerns or possible violations through the designated channels, and the journal will respond to such reports with fairness, confidentiality, and integrity.

Ethical Concern Reporting Section      

AJE is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in academic publishing. We encourage authors, reviewers, and readers to report any ethical concerns or suspected misconduct they may encounter. Your input is essential for maintaining the integrity and quality of our publication process.

If you have concerns related to research ethics or wish to report possible misconduct, please use our Ethical Concern Reporting Form. This form is designed to collect key details such as a description of the issue, information about the related manuscript or publication, and any supporting evidence or documentation to facilitate a thorough and efficient review.

To submit a report, please download the form provided below. All information shared will be treated with strict confidentiality, and every report will be reviewed with professionalism and sensitivity. Our editorial team will conduct a careful investigation of each case and take appropriate actions when necessary.

We sincerely appreciate your commitment to maintaining ethical standards in academic publishing. By working together, we help strengthen the transparency and trustworthiness of our research community. For general inquiries or further correspondence, please use the contact channels listed on our website.

  • AJE Ethical Concern Reporting Form | .docx | .pdf

Ethical Guidelines for Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Academic Writing

Using Artificial Intelligence in Article Composition
Authors are required to be transparent about any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools during the manuscript preparation process. All AI tools employed must be clearly acknowledged, including details specifying the stage(s) and purpose(s) for which they were used (e.g., enhancing language clarity, improving grammar, or formatting references).

ASEAN Journal of Education (AJE) strictly prohibits the use of AI or AI-assisted tools for data analysis, paraphrasing, or text generation. Furthermore, AI tools and their developers cannot be credited as authors, as authorship entails responsibilities and contributions that only humans can fulfill.

Authors bear full responsibility for ensuring that all content within the manuscript adheres to the journal’s guidelines and complies with ethical publishing standards. This includes carefully reviewing any text modified with the assistance of AI, as such tools may introduce inaccuracies, biased or fabricated information, overly authoritative language, or unintended instances of plagiarism.

Using Artificial Intelligence in Image and Figure Alterations and Generation
ASEAN Journal of Education (AJE) prohibits the use of AI or AI-assisted tools to modify any manuscript images or figures that are not originally created by the author. This includes AI-based image enhancement, image alteration, or any process in which AI modifies an existing image or figure.

AI-generated images or figures are allowed only when they are part of the research design or methodology. Any AI-generated image or figure must be clearly disclosed and reproducible. Authors must indicate the use of AI by adding a parenthetical note after the figure title. For example:

"Figure 1 [Image Name] (Generated by [AI Tool])"

Approval for the use of AI-generated images or figures is at the discretion of the editorial team and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.