Publication Ethics

PLJ has a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism. All submissions are screened using similarity detection software before peer review. A similarity index above 20% (excluding bibliography and properly formatted quotations) will result in the manuscript being returned to the author for revision or rejected.

Authors must properly attribute all sources, including ideas, data, and text. Paraphrased material must be cited. Direct quotations must be in quotation marks with precise citations. Self-plagiarism (reusing one's own previously published work without citation) is also prohibited.

Authors must disclose any use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the research and writing process. This includes:

• Which AI tool was used (name and version)
• The nature of its use (e.g., language editing, data analysis, literature search)
• The extent of AI-assisted content

AI tools may not be listed as authors. Authors take full responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of all content, including AI-assisted portions. Non-disclosure of AI use is considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in rejection or retraction.

• Data must be accurately reported. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data is prohibited.
• Research involving human subjects must have ethics approval from an institutional review board.
• Authors must disclose all sources of funding and potential conflicts of interest.
• Simultaneous submission to multiple journals is prohibited.
• All listed authors must have made a substantial contribution and approved the submitted version.

Reviewers are expected to:

• Maintain confidentiality of all manuscripts and review content
• Declare any conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment
• Provide objective, constructive, and respectful feedback
• Complete reviews within the agreed timeline
• Not use unpublished material from reviewed manuscripts for personal advantage

The editor-in-chief has full authority over editorial decisions, including acceptance, revision, and rejection. The publisher (PELTOS Scholastic Academy Ltd) does not interfere with editorial decisions. Editors and editorial board members must recuse themselves from decisions involving their own work or work in which they have a conflict of interest.

PLJ is an open-access journal. All published articles are freely available to read, download, and share under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. Authors retain copyright of their work. No article processing charges (APCs) are currently applied.

If a significant error is discovered after publication, a correction or erratum will be published. If research misconduct is discovered (plagiarism, data fabrication, or other ethical violations), the article may be retracted. Retractions are clearly marked and linked to the original article.

Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision should submit a written appeal to the editor-in-chief within 30 days of the decision, providing detailed reasons for the appeal. The editor-in-chief will review the appeal and may consult the editorial board. The decision on appeal is final.

For ethics complaints, contact [email protected].