JLDHE readers deserve to read on our pages high quality and original research. To ensure the quality and integrity of our publications, JLDHE adheres to the Core Practices for Journal Editors (COPE) and the reviewers are referred to the Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers.
We expect that our authors will conduct their research ethically, with transparency and integrity. Ethical standards for publication exist to ensure trust in the validity of research, high-quality publications and that people receive credit for their work and ideas. The inclusion of ethics approval and informed consent statements is a fundamental requirement for studies involving human or animal data. Authors are asked to confirm that the necessary consents and approvals have been obtained from their institutions, and a statement of ethics approval must be included within the manuscript.
When do I need to apply for ethics?
At most HE institutions, data generation for internal course evaluations (including surveys, questionnaires, focus groups, etc.) does not require ethical approval. However, external publication of the same data, including in this journal, does. Ethical approval must be obtained before starting a project, where the participants are informed, prior to participation, of the dissemination plan and the steps taken to protect participants’ identities. Ethical approval cannot be applied retrospectively.
Intellectual property
JLDHE publishes only original research and will not consider texts that have been published elsewhere (recycled content) or that are under consideration elsewhere at the time of submission. Both must be disclosed by the authors before submission.
JLDHE will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis, as long as it is substantially re-worked and adapted to the needs of the submission format. For guidelines on how to convert a thesis into a journal manuscript, refer to helpful resources such as the APA Style. The authors must secure the appropriate permissions for materials from their thesis to be disseminated through publication, and to disclose such use in the Acknowledgements.
All material included in the submissions must have appropriate copyright clearance (e.g., where images, elements of design, excerpts from texts or databases are reproduced) and authors are responsible for securing and paying for the use of such material.
We reserve the right o reject publication of material that is unethical, libellous or unlawful.
This policy was last updated on 11 March 2024.