The Journal of Technical Skills and Vocational Training is committed to upholding high standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, and responsible scholarly communication. The journal expects authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers to adhere to principles of honesty, transparency, originality, fairness, and accountability throughout the publication process.
Duties of Authors
Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are original, unpublished, and not under consideration by another journal. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their research, data, analysis, and interpretation. Plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, falsification, and misleading reporting are strictly prohibited.
Authors must properly cite all sources used in the manuscript, including prior research, textbooks, industry reports, training materials, and technical data. Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the manuscript, and all listed authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission.
Research involving human participants, industry stakeholders, or sensitive data must respect ethical standards related to informed consent, privacy, and confidentiality. Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and funding sources.
Duties of Editors
Editors are responsible for making fair, unbiased publication decisions based on the manuscript’s quality, originality, relevance, and contribution to the field of technical skills and vocational training. Editorial decisions should be made solely on the basis of the manuscript’s academic merit and should not be influenced by factors such as nationality, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, or political views.
Editors must maintain confidentiality about submitted manuscripts and avoid using unpublished materials for personal or professional advantage. Editors should take appropriate action in cases of suspected ethical violations, such as plagiarism, data manipulation, or undisclosed conflicts of interest.
Duties of Reviewers
Reviewers must provide objective, constructive, and timely evaluations of manuscripts. Reviews should focus on the manuscript’s scholarly quality, clarity, originality, relevance, and contribution to the journal’s scope. Reviewers should assess manuscripts based on the merit of the research rather than the authors’ personal characteristics or affiliations.
Reviewers must keep all manuscript materials confidential and must not use unpublished content, data, or ideas for personal or professional gain. Reviewers should decline the review invitation if they have a conflict of interest or are unable to provide a fair and unbiased evaluation.
Plagiarism and Originality
The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, or improper use of other authors' work. Manuscripts will be screened using similarity-checking tools, and manuscripts found to have significant similarity to other works may be rejected or retracted. Authors are expected to ensure their work is original and properly referenced.
Ethical Use of Data and Human Participants
Research involving human participants, sensitive industry data, or technical performance records must adhere to ethical standards. Authors must obtain appropriate ethical approvals where necessary, including institutional review board (IRB) approvals or consent from participants.
Data from vocational training systems, learners, employers, or industry stakeholders must be used responsibly, and authors should ensure that participant confidentiality and privacy are protected.
Conflicts of Interest
Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any financial, professional, or personal conflicts of interest that may influence the objectivity of the publication process. If no conflict of interest exists, authors should state: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."
Corrections and Retractions
The journal is committed to ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. Corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions may be issued when significant errors or ethical violations are found after publication. This includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, fabricated data, unreliable findings, or ethical issues related to data use or human participants.
Copyright and Licensing
By submitting a manuscript to the journal, authors grant the journal the right to publish, distribute, and archive the article. Authors retain copyright of their work, but the journal has the right to publish and disseminate the article under the journal's licensing policy. Authors must ensure they have obtained the appropriate permissions for any third-party content used in the manuscript.
Ethical Approval and Informed Consent
Authors must ensure that their research involving human participants, sensitive data, or industry collaboration complies with ethical guidelines. This includes obtaining necessary ethical approvals and informed consent from participants, as well as ensuring transparency in reporting research methods and data.
The Journal of Technical Skills and Vocational Training holds its authors, editors, and reviewers to the highest standards of academic integrity, ensuring the continued credibility and impact of the research published in the journal.