Publication Ethics

Journal Policies

Publication Ethics

 
SFREMS

Overview

 

Sapientia Filipina: Review of Education and Multidisciplinary Studies (SFREMS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. The journal recognizes that maintaining public trust in academic research requires adherence to internationally accepted principles of research ethics and responsible publication practices throughout every stage of the editorial process.

SFREMS expects authors, reviewers, editors, Editorial Board members, and publishers to conduct themselves professionally and ethically. All manuscripts are evaluated solely on their scholarly merit, originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and contribution to knowledge, regardless of the authors' nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, race, religion, political beliefs, or other personal characteristics.

The journal actively promotes responsible research practices and addresses allegations of publication misconduct fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with internationally recognized ethical standards.

 

Principles of Publication Ethics

 

SFREMS is guided by the following fundamental principles:

 
Honesty and accuracy in research reporting;
 
Originality of scholarly work;
 
Transparency throughout the editorial and publication process;
 
Accountability of authors, reviewers, and editors;
 
Fair and unbiased editorial decision-making;
 
Respect for intellectual property rights;
 
Responsible authorship and contributorship;
 
Ethical treatment of human participants and animals, where applicable;
 
Protection of the integrity of the scholarly record.

These principles apply to all disciplines represented within the journal.

 

Responsibilities of Authors

 

Authors submitting manuscripts to SFREMS are expected to:

 
Submit original and unpublished work;
 
Ensure that manuscripts are not under consideration by another journal simultaneously;
 
Accurately present research methods, data, and findings;
 
Properly acknowledge the work of others through appropriate citation;
 
Disclose all funding sources and potential conflicts of interest;
 
Obtain all required ethical approvals before conducting research involving human participants or animals;
 
Obtain informed consent where applicable;
 
Ensure that all listed authors satisfy the journal's authorship criteria;
 
Cooperate fully during editorial review and post-publication investigations when necessary.

Authors remain responsible for the accuracy and integrity of their published work.

 

Responsibilities of Editors

 

Editors are responsible for maintaining the integrity and quality of the journal.

Editors shall:

 
Evaluate manuscripts solely on scholarly merit;
 
Maintain editorial independence;
 
Preserve the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts;
 
Select qualified and independent reviewers;
 
Manage conflicts of interest appropriately;
 
Ensure a fair, timely, and unbiased peer review process;
 
Take appropriate action when publication misconduct is suspected;
 
Protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Editors must not use unpublished information obtained during editorial handling for personal research or professional advantage.

 

Responsibilities of Reviewers

 

Peer reviewers play an essential role in safeguarding the quality of published research.

Reviewers are expected to:

 
Conduct objective, fair, and constructive evaluations;
 
Maintain strict confidentiality;
 
Review manuscripts within agreed timeframes;
 
Declare any conflicts of interest before accepting review assignments;
 
Identify relevant published work not cited by the authors where appropriate;
 
Notify editors of suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, ethical concerns, or other forms of misconduct.

Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts solely on academic merit without discrimination.

 

Editorial Independence

 

Editorial decisions are made independently of:

 
Commercial interests;
 
Publication fees;
 
Institutional affiliations;
 
Political or religious beliefs;
 
Personal relationships;
 
External influence.

The Editor-in-Chief retains full authority over editorial decisions and ensures that publication outcomes are based exclusively on scholarly quality and ethical standards.

 

Research Integrity

 

SFREMS promotes responsible research practices and expects all published research to be conducted ethically and reported honestly.

Authors should ensure that:

 
Data are collected and analyzed responsibly;
 
Findings are reported accurately;
 
Conclusions are supported by evidence;
 
Limitations are disclosed appropriately;
 
Research records are retained where required.

The journal supports transparency and reproducibility whenever feasible.

 

Research Involving Human Participants and Animals

 

Research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data must comply with applicable ethical standards and institutional requirements.

Where applicable, manuscripts should include:

 
Approval from an appropriate ethics review committee or institutional review board;
 
The name of the approving institution;
 
Approval or protocol number, where available;
 
Confirmation that informed consent was obtained from participants or their legally authorized representatives;
 
Statements regarding participant privacy and confidentiality.

Research involving vulnerable populations should demonstrate additional ethical safeguards.

 

Authorship Integrity

 

All listed authors must have made substantial scholarly contributions to the work.

The journal does not tolerate:

 
Honorary authorship;
 
Gift authorship;
 
Ghost authorship;
 
Purchased authorship;
 
Misrepresentation of author contributions.

Changes to authorship after submission will be considered only under exceptional circumstances and must be approved by the Editorial Office.

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

Authors, reviewers, editors, and Editorial Board members must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence the editorial or publication process.

Conflicts may include:

 
Financial interests;
 
Institutional relationships;
 
Professional collaborations;
 
Personal relationships;
 
Political or ideological affiliations relevant to the submitted work.

Appropriate disclosures promote transparency and protect editorial independence.

 

Publication Misconduct

 

SFREMS regards the following as serious breaches of publication ethics:

 
Plagiarism;
 
Self-plagiarism or redundant publication;
 
Data fabrication;
 
Data falsification;
 
Image manipulation intended to mislead;
 
Citation manipulation;
 
Undisclosed conflicts of interest;
 
Peer review manipulation;
 
Fraudulent authorship;
 
Misappropriation of intellectual property;
 
Ethical violations involving research participants;
 
Deliberate misrepresentation of research findings.

Suspected misconduct will be investigated in accordance with the journal's established editorial procedures.

 

Handling Allegations of Misconduct

 

When concerns regarding publication ethics arise, the Editorial Office may:

 
Request clarification from the authors;
 
Review supporting documentation;
 
Consult reviewers or subject experts;
 
Seek guidance from relevant institutions where appropriate;
 
Conduct an editorial investigation;
 
Suspend editorial processing while investigations are ongoing.

Where misconduct is confirmed, the journal may:

 
Reject the manuscript;
 
Publish corrections;
 
Issue expressions of concern;
 
Retract published articles;
 
Notify affiliated institutions or funding organizations when appropriate.

Editorial actions are proportionate to the seriousness of the misconduct.

 

Post-Publication Responsibility

 

Publication ethics responsibilities continue after publication.

Authors are expected to:

 
Cooperate in correcting errors;
 
Notify the journal if significant inaccuracies are discovered;
 
Assist with investigations where necessary.

The journal remains committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record through corrections, retractions, and other post-publication actions when warranted.

 

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

 

Sapientia Filipina: Review of Education and Multidisciplinary Studies (SFREMS) is dedicated to fostering a culture of ethical scholarship, academic honesty, editorial transparency, and responsible research across diverse disciplines. By promoting integrity throughout the publication process, the journal supports the advancement of reliable, reproducible, and socially valuable research that contributes meaningfully to education and multidisciplinary knowledge at the local, national, and international levels.

 

Alignment with International Standards

 

This Publication Ethics Policy has been developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles of publication ethics, research integrity, and responsible scholarly publishing and is aligned with:

COPE

Committee on Publication Ethics

Core Practices

Guidance on publication ethics, editorial responsibility, research integrity, authorship, peer review, and handling publication misconduct.

publicationethics.org →
ICMJE

International Committee of Medical Journal Editors

Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work

Recommendations on ethical research, authorship, conflicts of interest, editorial independence, and responsible publication.

icmje.org/recommendations →
DOAJ

Directory of Open Access Journals

Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing

Requirements for publication ethics, editorial governance, research integrity, and transparent journal policies.

doaj.org/apply/guide →

SFREMS periodically reviews and updates this Publication Ethics Policy to ensure continued alignment with evolving international standards for publication ethics, editorial transparency, research integrity, and responsible open-access scholarly publishing.

Sapientia Filipina  ·  Review of Education and Multidisciplinary Studies  ·  NIRD