Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

American Journal of STEM Education: Issues and Perspectives (Online ISSN: 3065-1190) and its publisher are committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. We adhere to the COPE Code of Conduct for Journal Editors, the Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers, and the ethical guidelines established by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the American Psychological Association (APA).

We take all forms of publication malpractice seriously. Unethical behavior, including plagiarism, data manipulation, or duplicate submission, is not tolerated. Authors must certify that all manuscript contents are original, not under consideration elsewhere, and correctly attributed.

We comply with the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing in the following areas:

Peer Review Process

All submissions undergo double-blind peer review. No guarantees are made regarding acceptance or turnaround time. The review process is explained transparently on our website.

Ownership & Governance

An academic editorial team (advisors, editorial assistants, research associate, editors, and reviewers) manages the journal under the oversight of an educational publisher, Star Scholars Press. Editorial board and advisory body affiliations are listed publicly.

Contact Information

Dr. Cherryllynn Williams (contact@starscholars.org), Dr. Karla Bailey (research@starscholars.org), or Dr. Bo Zhang (publications@starscholars.org)

Copyright & Licensing

Articles are published under Creative Commons licenses (e.g., CC BY 4.0). Authors retain copyright. Licensing and reuse terms are stated clearly on all published works.

Author Fees

Any submission, review, or publication charges are disclosed on the website. If no fees apply, that is also explicitly stated.

Archiving

We partner with long-term digital preservation networks such as PKP PN, LOCKSS, or institutional repositories to ensure access continuity.

Access

This is a peer-reviewed open-access journal. All content is available free of charge under a permissive reuse license. Currently, there is no APCs for authors.

Revenue Sources

Revenue comes from editorial grants or institutional support. Financial considerations never influence editorial decisions.

Advertising & Marketing

We accept advertising only in line with our mission. Direct marketing is appropriate, targeted, and never misleading.

Duties and Ethical Guidelines

Responsibilities of Editors / Copy Editors

Publication Decisions: Based on blind peer review and editorial merit, without regard to race, gender, affiliation, or beliefs.
Review Oversight: Editors screen all manuscripts for originality using plagiarism detection tools.
Fair Review: Submissions are judged solely on intellectual merit.
Confidentiality: All materials are kept strictly confidential.
Disclosure: Editors will not use unpublished content for their own work.
Errata & Corrections: Editors ensure the timely publication of corrections or retractions.
Ethical Compliance: All published content must meet international ethics standards.
Accountability: Editors participate in quarterly virtual meetings, guide journal policy, suggest special issues, and mentor contributors.

Benefits for Editorial Board Members

Visibility: Recognition on published articles and website; reviewer certificates
Professional Development: Gain editorial experience and build a scholarly reputation.
Project Engagement: Participate in initiatives such as STAR Scholars programs, awards, and scholarships
Grant Access: Eligibility for Humane Letters Grants to support personal publication efforts.
Networking: Connect with global scholars and thought leaders.

Duties of Authors

Originality: Submissions must be original and not under consideration elsewhere.
Submission Policy: Follow author guidelines and complete the submission checklist.
Authorship: All listed authors must have contributed substantially.
Data Integrity: Authors must retain and be ready to submit raw data.
Human Subjects: IRB approval is required for human-related studies.
Errors & Corrections: Authors must promptly report and correct significant errors.
Conflict of Interest: Must be disclosed upon submission.
Participation: Authors are expected to respond to reviewer feedback in a professional manner.

Duties of Reviewers

Confidentiality: Treat all submissions as confidential.
Objectivity: Reviews should be unbiased, constructive, and respectful.
Timeliness: Notify editors of any review delays.
Detection: Report suspected plagiarism or data issues to the editor.
Conflicts of Interest: Avoid reviewing if personal or institutional conflicts exist.
Supporting Evidence: Back comments with scholarly reasoning.
Annual Service: Reviewers attend two meetings per year and support the strategic goals.

Duties of Advisory Board Members

Act as ambassadors of the journal.
Guide journal vision, scope, and special topics.
Help identify reviewers and authors.
Participate in 1–2 virtual meetings per year to contribute ideas and provide feedback.

Research Misconduct and Retractions

The journal and publisher follow COPE guidelines in investigating and resolving any case of:

Plagiarism
Data fabrication
Image manipulation
Undisclosed conflicts of interest
Misuse of AI tools in authorship or review

When misconduct is confirmed, appropriate actions—including corrections or retractions—will be taken and documented publicly.

AI Use Policy

The journal allows the use of AI tools for language editing only, not for content generation, image manipulation, or peer review. Disclosure is required. Editors, authors, and reviewers must not upload confidential manuscripts into AI platforms.

For full AI policy, visit here https://ojed.org/STEM/ai-policies

Access and Archiving

All journal content is permanently archived and freely available through open-access platforms. The journal is committed to long-term accessibility even if publication ceases.