1. Introduction
Education Tomorrow is a peer-reviewed, open access, multidisciplinary journal committed to integrity, transparency, and rigor in scholarly publishing. This statement aligns with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and defines the responsibilities of all stakeholders.
2. Duties of Authors
- Originality and Plagiarism: Manuscripts must be original. All sources must be cited; plagiarism and self-plagiarism are prohibited.
- Data Integrity: Data must be accurate and verifiable. Fabrication or falsification is unethical. Supporting data may be requested.
- Multiple Submission: Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal is unethical.
- Authorship: Only contributors who made substantial intellectual input qualify as authors. All must approve the final version.
- Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any potential conflicts, financial or otherwise.
- Acknowledgment: All sources and influences must be properly cited.
- Corrections: Authors must promptly report significant errors for correction or retraction.
3. Duties of Editors
- Independence: Decisions are made solely on academic merit.
- Fair Review: Manuscripts undergo unbiased, double-blind peer review.
- Confidentiality: Editors must protect manuscript confidentiality.
- Conflict of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves when conflicts exist.
- Ethical Oversight: Editors must respond promptly to ethical concerns following COPE procedures.
4. Duties of Reviewers
- Contribution: Reviewers assist editorial decisions and author improvement.
- Confidentiality: Reviews and manuscripts must not be shared or used for personal gain.
- Objectivity: Reviews must be objective, evidence-based, and constructive.
- Source Verification: Reviewers should identify missing citations or plagiarism.
- Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must decline assignments with potential bias.
5. Duties of the Publisher (Kipchumba Foundation)
- Integrity: The publisher upholds academic integrity and editorial independence.
- Archiving: Ensures open access and long-term preservation (Zenodo, DOAJ, Google Scholar).
- Ethical Oversight: Allegations of misconduct are investigated and resolved in line with COPE flowcharts.
- Manuscript Administration Fee: A USD 25 MAF supports editorial administration and peer review management. It does not affect editorial independence.
6. Handling of Misconduct
All allegations of ethical misconduct are investigated under COPE flowcharts, ensuring a fair, transparent, and accountable process.
7. Contact Information
For inquiries, contact:
Education Tomorrow
Kipchumba Foundation
Email: journal@kipchumbafoundation.org
Website: https://journal.kipchumbafoundation.org