Publication Ethics
The International Journal for Research in Learning Disabilities (IJRLD) upholds a strong commitment to publication ethics and to the prevention of publication malpractice. It adheres to the standards set forth in the Code of Conduct by the Committee of Publication Ethics (COPE) and emphasizes the responsibilities of editors, authors, and reviewers, described in greater detail below.
Duties of Editors
Editors carefully evaluate manuscripts to ensure they align with the aims and scope and the submission guidelines of the IJRLD. Manuscripts that do not fall within the aims and scope and/or do not comply with the submission guidelines will be returned to the authors. If a manuscript falls within the journal's purview but requires obvious revisions for style and/or quality, the editors may request that the authors address this before peer review can begin. Manuscripts deemed suitable for the IJRLD undergo blind peer review by two members of the editorial board or expert ad hoc reviewers. The journal strives to provide a turnaround time of 10-12 weeks for completion of the peer review process. Following peer review, the editors make decisions on acceptance ("as-is," "minor revisions," "major revisions," or "reject"), notifying the first author via email. Editors may make editorial changes to the manuscript that do not significantly alter the meaning of the text. Confidentiality is maintained throughout the review process and only the editors are privy to the authors' names and institutional affilications. Publication malpractice, such as duplicate publication, falsification, plagiarism, fabrication, or research misconduct, is strictly prohibited. Honest errors or differences in interpretation are not considered misconduct. The editors will investigate suspected violations of the code of conduct and may ask for further explanation and/or original data from the study. If a violation is confirmed, the editors reserve the right to reject or retract a paper.
Duties of Authors
Authors must affirm that their manuscripts are original, not published, or currently submitted elsewhere. They should be prepared to provide original data if requested by the editors. Authors must adhere to APA style guidelines (Publication Manual, 7th Edition). They must appropriately cite sources and disclose any funding or financial support for the study. If significant errors or inaccuracies are discovered either post-review or post-publication, authors must immediately notify the editors to rectify the issue. Each author is expected to have contributed substantially to the study, and each takes responsibility for the manuscript's content. Authors accepting authorship share responsibility for any faults or violations of the duties of authors. They are expected to retain copies of original data for at least three years after publication.
Duties of Reviewers
Reviewers are expected to conduct timely reviews and to provide objective, clear, respectful, productive, and unbiased feedback. They should identify relevant research that strengthens and/or broadens the impact of the manuscript. Reviewers who are unable to conduct timely and objective reviews must immediately inform the editors and recuse themselves from the process. They will not disclose or discuss the content of any manuscript that they have reviewed with any outside party. Conflicts of interest, including financial ties, recent or concurrent collaboration with the authors, or competition with the authors, their institutions, or any company or entity affiliated with the research under review, should be immediately disclosed to the editors.
Open Access Statement
The IJRLD is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or their institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.