Editorial Policies

Editorial Policies

Focus and Scope

IJELR: International Journal of Education, Language, and Religion is a scientific journal published biannually in November and May. IJELR seeks to develop knowledge and practice in the three domains of its title and the relations between them. It welcomes research articles, literature reviews, and position papers dealing with any languages, educational disciplines, and religions. However, the articles should be written in English.

 

Section Policies

Articles

Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed
 

Peer Review Process

Articles submitted to IJELR will go through a peer-review, at least by 1 (one) reviewer. The accepted articles will be available online following the journal peer-reviewing process. The language used in this journal is English.

Peer review is designed to assess the validity, quality and often the originality of articles for publication. Its ultimate purpose is to maintain the integrity of science by filtering out invalid or poor quality articles.

From a publisher's perspective, peer review functions as a filter for content, directing better quality articles to better quality journals and so creating journal brands.

Running articles through the process of peer review adds value to them. For this reason, we will ensure that the peer review is robust.

 

Archiving

This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration. More...

 

Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics Statements

IJELR: International Journal of Education, Language, and Religion is a peer-reviewed electronic international journal. This statement clarifies ethical behavior of all parties involved in the act of publishing an article in this journal, including the author, the chief editor, the Editorial Board, the peer-reviewer and the publisher (Language Center of Universitas Teuku Umar). This statement is based on COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Allegations of Misconducts

The Editorial Board will investigate the truth of allegations of midconduct when it is brought to the attention of the Chief Editor. If there is a concern about a lack of ability or a conflict of interest, the Chief Editor will advise the Head of the Office of Research and Community Service at Universitas Teuku Umar to establish an independent committee to investigas the allegation. If the allegation is proven based on the result of the investigation, the Chief Editor will take further action including (but not limited to) article amendement, article retraction, author removal from authorship, and assignment of additional reviewers.

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. IJELR encourages full transparency in author contributions. Authors are required to submit a declaration form detailing each author’s specific role(s) in the research and writing process. Examples include conceptualization, methodology, data analysis, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing, supervision, and project administration. 

Any changes in authorship (additions, deletions, or rearrangement of author names) after submission must be approved by all co-authors and explained in writing to the editor. Requests must include a clear reason for the change and a written confirmation from all authors, including those being added or removed. The change in authorship will not be entertained after the final revision is submitted unless it can be clearly justified to be reviewed attentively. A final revision is the revised version based on which the paper is accepted to be published. 

IJELR strictly prohibits guest authorship (inclusion of individuals withouth substantial contribution), ghost authorship (exclusion of individuals who made a significant contribution), and honorary authorship (inclusion based solely on position or affiliation). Suspected misconduct in authorship will be investigated following COPE guidelines, and appropriate actions will be taken, including retractions or corrections if necessary.

Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria but provided support (e.g., technical help, writing assistance, or general supervision) should be acknowledged with their permission.

Complaints and Appeals Policy

Complaints may pertain to a range of issues, including but not limited to alleged editorial misconduct or bias, undue delay in the peer review or publication process, perceived unfair rejection of a manuscript, authorship disputes, plagiarism, or other breaches of ethical standards. All complaints must be submitted in writing, clearly stating the nature of the issue and supported with relevant documentation or evidence.

Authors or other parties wishing to file a complaint should contact the Chief Editor using the official email address provided on the IJELR website. Submissions should include the complainant’s full name and contact details, the title and ID of the manuscript involved (if applicable), a detailed description of the concern, and any supporting materials. Upon receiving a complaint, the editorial office will acknowledge it within five working days and conduct an initial assessment to determine its relevance and seriousness.

If the complaint falls within the journal’s scope, a thorough and confidential investigation will be undertaken, which may involve consultation with editors, reviewers, or members of the editorial advisory board. IJELR aims to respond with a resolution or update within four to six weeks, depending on the complexity of the issue. All complaints are handled sensitively and impartially, and complainants will not face any form of retaliation.

Authors who believe that an editorial decision was unfair or made in error may file an appeal. Appeals must be submitted in writing within 30 days of receiving the decision and should clearly explain the grounds for appeal, including any relevant responses to reviewer comments or new supporting evidence. The appeal will be reviewed by the Chief Editor or a senior editorial member not involved in the original decision-making process. Appeals may result in the original decision being upheld, a reassessment by the same or new reviewers, or acceptance of the manuscript if a serious oversight is identified. The final decision on an appeal is considered binding.

When necessary, IJELR may consult or follow COPE’s recommended procedures to ensure that complaints and appeals are resolved in accordance with best practices in scholarly publishing. This commitment to ethical standards reflects the journal’s ongoing dedication to fairness, accountability, and trust in academic communication.

Conflict of Interest

IJELR requires all participants in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, and editors—to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation, review, or publication of a manuscript.

A conflict of interest may be financial, personal, institutional, professional, or political in nature. Examples include, but are not limited to, financial ties such as funding, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, or paid expert testimony; as well as personal relationships, academic competition, or intellectual beliefs that may affect objectivity. Disclosure of such interests does not necessarily indicate wrongdoing, but it ensures transparency and helps maintain trust in the scholarly record.

Authors are required to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission. This includes any funding sources that supported the research or publication, as well as any affiliations or relationships that may be perceived to influence the work. Reviewers must also declare any conflicts of interest that might prevent them from providing an unbiased review. If a reviewer believes they cannot provide an impartial evaluation due to a personal or professional relationship with the authors, or due to any competing interests, they should immediately notify the editor and decline the review invitation. Editors are responsible for ensuring that reviewers with competing interests are not assigned to relevant manuscripts.

Editors and editorial board members are likewise required to recuse themselves from handling submissions in which they have a conflict of interest. This includes, but is not limited to, manuscripts submitted by colleagues from the same institution, current collaborators, or family members. Such submissions will be reassigned to another qualified editor with no conflicting interests.

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may result in corrective actions, including editorial expressions of concern, retraction of published work, or other measures consistent with COPE guidelines. IJELR remains dedicated to ethical publishing practices and expects all contributors to uphold these standards to preserve the integrity and credibility of the journal.

Data and Reproducibility 

In alignment with the COPE Core Practices, IJELR expects authors to provide clear, honest, and detailed reporting of their research methods and data to allow others to verify and replicate the findings, where applicable.

Authors must ensure that all data presented in their submissions are accurate, original, and appropriately cited. The use of AI must be disclosed. Any fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation of data constitutes a breach of ethical standards and may result in rejection, retraction, or other corrective measures. When applicable, authors are encouraged to include full details of their methodology and analytical procedures to support reproducibility. This includes specifying instruments, software, coding procedures, data sources, and sampling techniques used in the study.

Wherever possible, authors are encouraged to make their data publicly accessible through reliable data repositories or institutional archives. When data cannot be shared publicly—for example, due to privacy concerns, ethical restrictions, or confidentiality agreements—authors must clearly state the reasons for the restriction and indicate whether the data may be made available upon reasonable request. IJELR supports open data practices where feasible, in order to promote openness and integrity in academic scholarship.

Authors must also disclose any limitations in their data or methodology that may affect the interpretation or generalizability of their results. Editors and reviewers will evaluate the completeness and clarity of data reporting as part of the peer review process. In cases where data integrity is called into question, IJELR may request access to raw data to verify the findings prior to or after publication.

IJELR believes that a culture of data transparency and methodological rigor strengthens scholarly communication. As such, the journal upholds reproducibility as a key standard for publication and encourages all contributors to embrace responsible data practices in accordance with ethical and disciplinary norms.

Ethical Oversight

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research complies with all applicable ethical standards and institutional guidelines. For studies involving human participants, authors must confirm that the research received approval from a recognized ethics review board or institutional review committee. This includes studies in the fields of education, language, religion, and related social sciences where participant interaction, surveys, or interviews are involved. A statement of ethical approval, including the name of the approving body and approval number (where applicable), should be included in the manuscript. Where ethical approval is not required, authors must provide a clear justification.

In all cases, authors must ensure that participants have provided informed consent, particularly where personal data, identifiable information, or sensitive topics are involved. Special consideration must be given to vulnerable populations, including minors and individuals in institutional or religious settings. Authors should take care to anonymize data where appropriate and avoid publishing information that could compromise confidentiality or cause harm.

IJELR also expects transparency in the handling of potential ethical issues such as plagiarism, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, and research misconduct. All submissions are subject to plagiarism screening, and the editorial team may investigate any concerns raised during or after the review process. The use of AI must be disclosed. In cases of suspected ethical violations, IJELR will follow COPE’s recommended procedures for investigation and resolution, which may include contacting authors' institutions, issuing corrections or retractions, and notifying readers of concerns.

Editors and reviewers share responsibility for upholding ethical standards. They must report any suspected ethical breaches to the editorial office and recuse themselves from handling submissions where they have a conflict of interest. IJELR is committed to handling all ethical matters fairly, confidentially, and with due diligence.

Intellectual Property

IJELR ecognizes the importance of respecting the ownership of ideas, data, and creative work, and requires that all submissions reflect a clear acknowledgment of original sources, proper attribution, and full compliance with copyright and licensing standards. Authors submitting to IJELR must ensure that their work is original and has not been previously published or simultaneously submitted to another journal. All content—whether textual, graphical, or data-based—must be the intellectual property of the authors or used with explicit permission from the rightful owners. Any use of previously published material, including quotations, images, figures, or tables, must be accompanied by appropriate citations and, where necessary, documented permissions from the copyright holders.

Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism or the unauthorized use of others' work, is considered a serious breach of academic integrity. All manuscripts submitted to IJELR are screened for originality using plagiarism detection tools, and any instances of suspected plagiarism or intellectual property infringement will be investigated according to COPE guidelines. Such cases may result in the rejection of the manuscript, retraction of published work, and notification to the authors' institutions.

Information obtained from any source needs to be appropriately cited. The similarity index allowed is 20%, but intentional use of texts from other sources without proper citation is not allowed, although the overall similarity index is under 20%. This percentage includes the use of AI.

The intellectual property rights for published articles remain with the authors unless otherwise stated in a licensing agreement. IJELR typically publishes content under open access terms, and authors may retain copyright while granting the journal a license to publish and distribute their work. The specific license terms are based on Creative Commons Attributions 4.0 International License and will be clearly stated upon publication. Authors are encouraged to consult the journal’s copyright and licensing policies during submission.

Editors and reviewers are also expected to respect intellectual property by maintaining confidentiality, not using unpublished material for personal or professional advantage, and avoiding any form of misappropriation of ideas encountered during the review process. The editorial team is responsible for responding promptly and transparently to any concerns about intellectual property violations.

Journal Management

IJELR is not a member of COPE. However, IJELR follows COPE Core Practices on authorship, contributorship, peer review processes, and publication process. The journal also follows COPE Core Practice in responding to suspected ethical breaches by authors, reviewers, and editors. In addition, the journal has an open access policy following DOAJ guidelines and adheres to the principle of transparency.

Peer Review Processes

All manuscripts submitted to IJELR undergo an initial screening by the Chief Editor or a designated editorial board member to determine their relevance, originality, and adherence to the journal’s scope and ethical guidelines. Submissions that meet these criteria are then assigned to qualified reviewers with subject-matter expertise for formal peer review. The journal typically follows a double-blind review process, in which both reviewers and authors remain anonymous to ensure objectivity and minimize potential bias.

Reviewers are expected to evaluate manuscripts based on scholarly merit, clarity, methodological soundness, originality, and the significance of the contribution to the fields of education, language, and religion. Reviewers are also encouraged to offer constructive feedback to help authors improve the quality of their work. All review comments are treated as confidential and are shared only with the editorial team and the authors.

IJELR expects reviewers to declare any conflicts of interest that could affect their impartiality. If a conflict exists, they must recuse themselves from the review process. Reviewers are also expected to complete their evaluations within the agreed timeframe and to uphold the confidentiality and integrity of the peer review system.

Final decisions regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection are made by the Editor-in-Chief or assigned editors, taking into account the reviewers’ recommendations and the journal’s editorial standards. Authors are notified of editorial decisions along with anonymized reviewer comments to support transparency and improvement.

IJELR is committed to continually improving its peer review practices. The editorial team monitors the quality of reviews and may provide feedback to reviewers or offer training resources as needed. In cases of suspected misconduct or ethical concerns identified during peer review, the journal will follow COPE’s established guidelines for investigation and resolution.

Post-Publication Discussions

IJELR welcomes comments, critiques, and scholarly dialogue related to published articles. Readers, researchers, and other stakeholders are encouraged to contact the editorial office with any observations or concerns about the content, accuracy, or ethical aspects of published work. Constructive post-publication commentary may be submitted as letters to the editor or formal responses and, if appropriate, may be published in the journal following editorial review.

When an error, omission, or inaccuracy is identified in a published article—whether by the authors, editors, or readers—IJELR will assess the issue in consultation with relevant parties. If a correction is warranted, the journal will publish an appropriate notice (e.g., a correction, erratum, or corrigendum) linked to the original article to ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the academic record.

In more serious cases, such as suspected research misconduct, data falsification, or ethical breaches, IJELR will initiate an investigation in line with COPE guidelines. This may involve communication with the authors, peer reviewers, and the authors’ affiliated institutions. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the journal may issue a retraction, expression of concern, or other corrective statement to inform readers of the situation.

All post-publication updates, including corrections and retractions, are made freely accessible to ensure that readers are aware of any significant changes or issues affecting the published content. The editorial team is committed to responding promptly and transparently to all post-publication inquiries and to preserving the accuracy, reliability, and credibility of the journal.


 

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

 

Publication Fees

This journal charges the following author fees.

Article Submission: 0.00 (IDR)
Authors are NOT required to pay an Article Submission Fee.

Article Processing: IDR 750,000.00 (IDR) for Indonesian authors or USD 45.00 for international authors

If this paper is accepted for publication, you will be asked to pay an Article Processing Charge (APC). You have to send the APC via:

Bank transfer for Indonesian authors to
Bank BSI
Bank Account Number: 7262402031
Bank Account Holder: Endah Anisa Rahma
 
or PayPal for international authors
 
To confirm payment, please fill in the attached LINK.

If you do not have funds to pay such fees, you will have an opportunity to waive each fee. We do not want fees to prevent the publication of worthy work.