Mosaic: The Journal for Language Teachers is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in scholarly publishing. We follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines to ensure integrity, transparency, and accountability throughout the editorial and publication process. This Ethics Statement outlines the responsibilities and expectations for all participants in the publication process: editors, authors, reviewers, and editorial board members.
1. Guiding Principles
• Integrity: We are committed to promoting original, high-quality scholarship grounded in rigorous research and sound ethical practices.
• Transparency: All processes, from submission to publication, will be transparent, fair, and clearly communicated.
• Accountability: Editors, authors, and reviewers are expected to act responsibly and in good faith throughout the publication process.
• Respect: We promote a respectful, inclusive environment, welcoming diverse voices and perspectives in the field of language teaching.
2. Duties of Editors
• Fair Evaluation: Editors will assess manuscripts based on scholarly merit, relevance to the journal’s aims, and originality, without discrimination.
• Confidentiality: Editors will maintain the confidentiality of all submissions and correspondence.
• Impartiality: Editors will recuse themselves from handling submissions in which they have conflicts of interest.
• Editorial Independence: Editorial decisions are made without influence from the publisher, advertisers, or any external entity.
• Misconduct: Editors will take appropriate action if ethical concerns are raised about a manuscript or published article.
3. Author Responsibilities
• Original Work: Authors must submit original work that has not been previously published or is under consideration elsewhere.
• Citation of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of all sources is required.
• Co-Authorship: All authors listed must have made a significant contribution to the work.
• Generative AI Policy:
• Authors must disclose any use of generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, image generators) in the preparation of manuscripts.
• Generative AI may not be listed as an author.
• AI-generated content must be used responsibly and must not substitute for critical scholarly analysis. Authors are fully accountable for all content submitted.
• Ethical Research: For studies involving human participants (e.g., surveys, interviews), authors must affirm that ethical standards were followed and informed consent was obtained.
• Corrections: Authors must notify the editors of any errors or inaccuracies in their published work.
4. Reviewer Responsibilities
• Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents.
• Objectivity: Reviews should be objective, constructive, and free from personal bias.
• Timeliness: Reviewers should respond promptly and complete reviews within the agreed time frame.
• Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify any relevant published work not cited by the author.
• Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and decline to review when such conflicts exist.
5. Conflicts of Interest
Conflicts of interest must be disclosed by authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members. Examples include:
• Personal, financial, or institutional relationships that may affect objectivity.
• Employment or consulting relationships with any organization connected to the subject of the work.
Failure to disclose conflicts may result in manuscript rejection or retraction.
6. Intellectual Property
• Authors retain the copyright of their work unless otherwise specified.
• Authors grant Mosaic a non-exclusive license to publish and distribute the work.
• Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited and will result in rejection or retraction.
• Authors are responsible for securing necessary permissions for copyrighted material.
7. Advertising
• Advertising is permitted but must be clearly distinguishable from editorial content.
• Advertisements must not influence editorial decisions or compromise academic integrity.
• All advertisements must be reviewed and approved by the editorial board.
8. Errors, Corrections, and Misconduct
• If an error or ethical breach (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication) is discovered after publication, the journal will investigate and take appropriate action.
• Actions may include publishing a correction, issuing a retraction, or notifying the author’s institution.
• Allegations of misconduct will be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines.
9. Post-Publication Change Policies
• Corrections: Substantive errors that do not undermine the overall findings may be corrected via a formal correction notice.
• Retractions: Articles may be retracted in cases of plagiarism, data falsification, unethical research, or other forms of serious misconduct.
• Editorial Notes: If appropriate, editorial expressions of concern may be issued while investigations are ongoing.
• All post-publication changes will be clearly labeled and linked to the original article.
By submitting to or reviewing for Mosaic: The Journal for Language Teachers, all parties agree to adhere to this Ethics Statement and uphold the values of academic integrity and responsible scholarship.