Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

EQUALS: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Matematika is committed to maintaining the integrity, objectivity, transparency, and quality of scholarly publishing. This publication ethics policy applies to all parties involved in the journal's editorial and publication processes, including authors, editors, reviewers, and journal management.The journal expects all parties to uphold academic integrity, act responsibly, maintain confidentiality, disclose relevant conflicts of interest, and comply with applicable research and publication ethics standards. Suspected violations are handled fairly and objectively, with due consideration given to the available evidence and the opportunity for relevant parties to respond.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their submitted work. Authors must ensure that:

The manuscript is original, has not been previously published, and is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.
Research methods, data, results, and conclusions are reported accurately and transparently.
All sources, ideas, data, and materials obtained from other works are appropriately acknowledged and cited.
All listed authors have made appropriate scholarly contributions, approved the final manuscript, and agreed to its submission.
Funding sources, relevant conflicts of interest, and research ethics approval or participant consent, where applicable, are disclosed appropriately.
The manuscript complies with the journal's Author Guidelines and other applicable editorial policies.

Authors must respond professionally to editorial and reviewer comments. If a substantive error is identified in a published article, the authors should promptly notify the editorial office and cooperate in determining appropriate corrective action.

Detailed requirements concerning plagiarism and originality screening are provided in the journal's separate Plagiarism Policy.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for maintaining the quality and integrity of the journal's editorial process. Editors must:

Evaluate manuscripts based on scholarly merit, relevance to the journal's focus and scope, and compliance with editorial policies and publication ethics.
Make editorial decisions objectively and without discrimination based on authors' identity, institutional affiliation, personal characteristics, or beliefs.
Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and information obtained during the editorial process.
Disclose relevant conflicts of interest and transfer manuscript handling to another editor when their independence may be compromised.
Ensure that editorial decisions are made fairly and are supported by appropriate scholarly considerations.
Follow up on credible allegations of research or publication misconduct and take reasonable steps to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.
Consider appropriate corrective measures when errors or ethical concerns are identified in published articles.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers contribute to maintaining the quality and integrity of scholarly publications through independent and constructive evaluation. Reviewers must:

Evaluate manuscripts objectively, professionally, and on the basis of scholarly evidence.
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of a manuscript and provide constructive recommendations relevant to its quality and suitability for publication.
Maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and refrain from disclosing or distributing unpublished material without authorization.
Avoid using unpublished information obtained during peer review for personal or professional advantage.
Identify relevant published work that has not been appropriately cited, where necessary.
Inform the editor of suspected ethical concerns or potential research misconduct identified during the review process.
Disclose potential conflicts of interest and decline a review assignment when a conflict could compromise the independence or objectivity of their assessment.

Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

EQUALS: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Matematika recognizes that generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies may be used to support scholarly research and manuscript preparation. Such technologies must be used responsibly and transparently and must not replace human judgment, scholarly integrity, or accountability.
Authors are responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and scholarly quality of their manuscripts, including content generated or assisted by AI tools. AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors, as they cannot assume responsibility for the work or fulfill the journal's authorship requirements.
Authors must transparently disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in accordance with the journal's Author Guidelines. The guidelines provide the requirements for disclosure, including the information to be reported and the placement of the declaration in the manuscript.
Editors and reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, reviewer reports, and other non-public information. Confidential or unpublished materials must not be entered into public or unapproved AI services in ways that could compromise confidentiality, data security, or intellectual property. The use of AI-assisted technologies must not replace the independent professional judgment and accountability of editors and reviewers.
Any concerns regarding undisclosed AI use, inappropriate reliance on AI-generated content, or the use of AI in ways that compromise research or publication integrity will be assessed in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies.

Allegations of Research and Publication Misconduct

EQUALS does not tolerate research or publication misconduct. Concerns that may require investigation include, but are not limited to:

Fabrication or falsification of research data, results, or evidence.
Manipulation of images, analyses, or research findings that misleads readers.
Undisclosed duplicate or redundant publication.
Authorship misconduct, including the inappropriate inclusion or omission of authors.
Manipulation of the peer review or editorial process.
Violations of research ethics, including failure to obtain required ethical approval or informed consent.
Concealment of material information that affects the reliability or integrity of a published work.

Allegations of plagiarism and similarity screening are addressed in the journal's separate Plagiarism Policy. Allegations involving multiple forms of misconduct may also be considered under this statement.

Reporting and Investigation

Authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and other parties with relevant information may report suspected misconduct to the editorial office through the journal's Contact page or by email at [email protected].

Reports should identify the manuscript or published article concerned, describe the alleged issue, and provide supporting evidence or references where available. Anonymous reports may be considered when sufficient information is provided to permit a meaningful assessment.

The editor or an appropriate designated representative will assess the information and determine whether further investigation is warranted. Depending on the circumstances, the investigation may involve:

Requesting an explanation from the authors or other relevant parties.
Examining available documents and evidence.
Consulting independent experts or other editors.
Contacting the relevant institution or authority when necessary.

Relevant parties should be given a reasonable opportunity to respond before a decision is made, where appropriate. The journal will avoid making conclusions that are not supported by the available evidence. Depending on the findings and the seriousness of the issue, actions may include requesting clarification, requiring revisions, rejecting a manuscript, issuing a correction, publishing an expression of concern, retracting a published article, or referring the matter to the relevant institution or authority. Actions will be proportionate to the evidence and the impact of the issue on the integrity of the scholarly record.

Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when financial or non-financial interests could influence, or could reasonably be perceived to influence, the objectivity of research, peer review, or editorial decision-making.

Authors must:

Disclose relevant financial and non-financial interests, including funding relationships, professional affiliations, personal relationships, or other interests that could be perceived as affecting the research or its interpretation.
Include a conflict-of-interest statement in the manuscript.
State explicitly when no relevant conflict of interest exists.

Reviewers must:

Inform the editor of any relationship or interest that could affect the independence of their assessment.
Decline or withdraw from a review assignment when a conflict cannot be adequately managed.

Editors must:

Disclose relevant conflicts of interest.
Refrain from making or influencing editorial decisions when their interests or relationships could compromise impartiality.
Transfer the manuscript to an independent editor when necessary.

Disclosure of a conflict of interest does not automatically make a manuscript unsuitable for publication. The purpose of disclosure is to ensure transparency and enable appropriate measures to protect editorial independence.

Post-Publication Discussion

EQUALS welcomes constructive scholarly comments, questions, and criticisms concerning articles that have already been published. Post-publication discussion allows readers and researchers to raise questions about research methods, interpretations, findings, or conclusions and contributes to the continuing evaluation of scholarly work. Comments may be submitted through the journal's Contact page or by email at [email protected].

Submissions should:

Identify the article concerned, preferably through its title and DOI or article URL.
Explain the scientific or scholarly issue being raised.
Provide supporting evidence or references where appropriate.
Disclose any relevant conflicts of interest.

The editorial team will assess whether a submission is relevant, sufficiently supported, and appropriate for scholarly discussion. Where warranted, the authors of the original article may be invited to respond. The journal may consider publishing a comment, letter to the editor, or author response through its editorial process.

Personal attacks, discriminatory language, defamatory statements, unsupported allegations, and comments unrelated to the scholarly content will not be accepted for publication.

If a post-publication comment raises a credible concern about the accuracy, reliability, or integrity of an article, the matter may be investigated under the journal's research misconduct, correction, and retraction procedures.

Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

EQUALS is committed to maintaining an accurate and reliable scholarly record. When errors or concerns are identified after publication, the editor will assess their nature, seriousness, and effect on the article to determine the appropriate action.

Correction

A correction may be issued when an error in a published article requires amendment but does not invalidate the principal findings or conclusions. The correction notice should identify the affected article, clearly describe the error and the amendment, and be linked to the original publication.

Expression of Concern

An expression of concern may be published when credible information raises serious questions about an article but the available evidence is insufficient to reach a conclusive decision, or an investigation is still ongoing. The notice informs readers that the article's reliability or integrity is under examination.

Retraction

Retraction may be considered when there is reliable evidence that an article's findings or conclusions are substantially unreliable because of serious error, data fabrication or falsification, major research ethics violations, unjustified duplicate publication, peer review manipulation, or other misconduct that materially compromises the integrity of the publication.

Retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record and alert readers that the article should no longer be relied upon as originally published. It is not intended solely as a punitive measure against authors.

Procedures for Corrections and Retractions

Concerns about a published article may be reported by authors, readers, reviewers, editors, or other relevant parties through the journal's Contact page or editorial email.

The editor will assess the available evidence and may request explanations, supporting documents, or independent advice as necessary. Relevant parties should be given an appropriate opportunity to respond. Decisions are made on the basis of the evidence, the seriousness of the problem, and its effect on the reliability of the article.

Correction, expression of concern, and retraction notices must clearly identify the affected article, explain the reason for the action, and link to the original publication. Retracted articles will normally remain accessible with a clear retraction notice so that the publication record and the reason for retraction remain transparent, unless exceptional legal or ethical circumstances require otherwise. Withdrawal of an unpublished manuscript is handled as a manuscript withdrawal and is distinct from the retraction of an article that has already been published.

Complaints and Editorial Appeals

Complaints concerning editorial procedures, alleged breaches of journal policies, or the conduct of editorial participants may be submitted through the journal's Contact page or by email at [email protected]. Complaints should describe the issue clearly and include supporting information where available. They will be considered objectively by an editor or another appropriate person who does not have a conflict of interest in the matter. If a complaint directly concerns the editor responsible for the case, it may be referred to an independent editor or an authorized journal representative. Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision must provide clear scholarly or procedural grounds for the appeal. Appeals will be considered in accordance with the journal's editorial procedures, but submission of an appeal does not guarantee that the original decision will be changed.