1. Ethical Standards

All parties involved in the publication process are expected to uphold honesty, objectivity, confidentiality, transparency, and respect for intellectual property. Research submitted to GEE must be conducted responsibly and reported accurately. Any form of academic misconduct is unacceptable.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to GEE must:

• Ensure that the submitted manuscript is original and has not been published previously or submitted simultaneously to another journal.
• Provide accurate and honest descriptions of research methods, data, findings, and conclusions.
• Acknowledge all sources, ideas, and contributions appropriately through proper citation and referencing.
• Avoid plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, and other forms of research misconduct.
• Ensure that all individuals listed as authors have made significant scholarly contributions to the research.
• Obtain appropriate ethical approval and informed consent when research involves human participants, where required.
• Disclose relevant funding sources and potential conflicts of interest.
• Respond to editorial and reviewer comments professionally and make corrections when necessary.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors of GEE are responsible for:

• Making editorial decisions based on the manuscript's academic quality, originality, relevance, and contribution to the field of elementary education.
• Ensuring that all manuscripts are evaluated fairly and objectively, without discrimination based on the authors' personal or institutional backgrounds.
• Maintaining the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and all information related to the review process.
• Selecting qualified reviewers with relevant expertise and managing potential conflicts of interest.
• Taking appropriate action when ethical concerns or allegations of misconduct arise.
• Ensuring that corrections, retractions, or other necessary editorial actions are handled transparently and responsibly.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

• Evaluate manuscripts objectively, fairly, and constructively.
• Maintain the confidentiality of all manuscripts received for review.
• Identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors.
• Inform the editor of any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other ethical concerns.
• Decline review invitations when they have conflicts of interest or lack the appropriate expertise.
• Submit their evaluations within the agreed review period.

5. Plagiarism and Research Misconduct

GEE does not tolerate plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, duplicate publication, or other forms of research misconduct. All submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software.

Manuscripts found to contain significant plagiarism or other forms of misconduct may be rejected. If misconduct is identified after publication, the journal may issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the nature and seriousness of the case.

6. Conflict of Interest

Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any financial, professional, personal, or institutional relationships that could influence their judgment or decisions regarding a manuscript. Individuals with conflicts of interest should withdraw from the relevant editorial or review process to ensure fairness and objectivity.

7. Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving students, teachers, children, or other human participants must be conducted in accordance with applicable ethical standards and institutional regulations. Authors are responsible for obtaining informed consent and, where required, approval from an appropriate research ethics committee. Particular attention must be given to the protection of children and other vulnerable participants, including privacy, confidentiality, and the responsible use of research data.

8. Authorship and Acknowledgment

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, implementation, analysis, or interpretation of the research and the preparation of the manuscript. All authors must approve the final version and agree to its submission. Contributions from individuals who do not meet the authorship criteria should be appropriately acknowledged.

9. Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Authors who use generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in preparing their manuscripts must ensure that the use of such tools is transparent and does not compromise the accuracy, originality, or integrity of the work. AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the content, data, citations, and conclusions presented in their manuscripts. The use of AI must comply with the journal's specific policy on the use of generative AI.

10. Corrections and Retractions

GEE is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. Corrections may be published when errors are identified in published articles. Retractions may be issued when there is clear evidence of serious research misconduct, unreliable findings, or significant ethical violations. All such actions will be handled transparently by the editorial team.

11. Complaints and Appeals

Authors may submit complaints or appeals concerning editorial decisions or alleged breaches of publication ethics through the journal's official editorial communication channels. All complaints and appeals will be considered fairly, confidentially, and objectively by the editorial team.

12. Publisher's Responsibility

The publisher supports the editorial team in maintaining publication quality and ethical standards. Editorial decisions are made independently based on academic considerations and are not influenced by commercial interests or external pressure.