Research Ethics Policy

The International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research (IJCER) regards scientific integrity, research transparency, and ethics-based publishing as essential components of academic responsibility. This policy outlines the journal’s framework for research involving human and animal subjects, clinical studies, sensitive data, and ethical reporting practices in accordance with international standards such as those of the Declaration of Helsinki (2024 version) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Human Subject Research
All studies involving human participants must be conducted in compliance with recognized ethical principles. Manuscripts reporting such research must include the following information and meet these minimum requirements:
• Ethics committee approval must be obtained before the start of the study. The name of the approving institution, approval number, and date must be clearly stated in the Methods section.
• Informed consent must be obtained from all participants, covering both participation and the publication of identifiable data (e.g., photographs, case details).
• For participants under 18 years of age, written consent from parents or legal guardians is mandatory.
• When working with vulnerable groups (such as individuals with mental health conditions, refugees, or incarcerated persons), authors must explicitly describe how voluntariness and ethical justification were ensured.
• Participant confidentiality and data privacy must be maintained at all stages of the research. Identifiable information should only be shared with explicit consent and under ethically justified conditions.
• In accordance with the TR Dizin criteria (updated April 2022), ethics committee approval is also required for studies involving surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, experiments, or any research method that collects data directly from human participants. This requirement also applies to studies conducted on humans or animals for experimental purposes, clinical research, or retrospective analyses involving personal data. For case reports, an Informed Consent Form must be obtained and stated within the manuscript.
Clinical Trial Registration
To ensure transparency and accountability, IJCER requires that all clinical trials be registered in publicly accessible registries such as ClinicalTrials.gov or the EU Clinical Trials Register before the study begins. The registration number must be included in the manuscript, preferably in the abstract. If retrospective registration is unavoidable, a justified explanation should accompany the submission. All clinical trial reports should comply with the CONSORT guidelines for reporting randomized controlled trials.
Neutral and Inclusive Language
IJCER supports the use of inclusive, respectful, and non-discriminatory language in all publications. Authors are encouraged to use terminology that reflects sensitivity toward diversity in gender, age, ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic status, and cultural background. The SAGER guidelines (Sex and Gender Equity in Research) are recommended as a reference for gender and sex reporting.
Ethical Misconduct and Investigation
Any allegations or evidence of ethical misconduct—including plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, unethical research methods, or failure to obtain required approvals—will be investigated according to COPE procedures. Depending on the findings, the following actions may be taken:
• Rejection of the manuscript or retraction of a published article;
• Notification of the authors’ affiliated institutions;
• Publication of a correction, clarification, or expression of concern as appropriate.
Editorial and Peer Review Responsibilities
Editors and reviewers are expected to carefully assess the ethical compliance of all submitted manuscripts. When ethical concerns arise, they must request clarification or additional documentation from authors. All evaluations and communications must be conducted with objectivity, fairness, and strict confidentiality.
Compliance and Contact
IJCER is dedicated to maintaining a trustworthy, transparent, and ethically responsible publication environment that fully respects human and animal rights. This policy defines the journal’s binding minimum standards for ethical research and reporting practices. For further information or inquiries regarding research ethics, please contact the IJCER Editorial Office at editor@ijcer.net 

Update: 27.10.2025