The Journal of STEM Education is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in scientific publishing. Editors, reviewers, and authors must adhere to these ethical guidelines to ensure fairness, objectivity, and rigor in the publication process. By submitting to JSTEM.org, authors confirm their adherence to these principles.

1. Authorship and Contribution

All listed authors must have made substantial contributions to the research, including its conception, design, execution, or interpretation. Any individuals who contributed but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately. Ghostwriting and honorary authorship are strictly prohibited.

2. Plagiarism and Originality

Manuscripts submitted to the Journal of STEM Education must be original and free from plagiarism, including self-plagiarism. Authors must properly cite sources and ensure that their work does not violate copyright or intellectual property rights. Any use of AI—such as for text generation, image creation, data analysis, or other content—must be disclosed. Plagiarism and AI detection tools will be used to verify originality.

3. Data Integrity and Reproducibility

Authors must present accurate data and provide sufficient details to allow for replication of their work. Fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting of data is grounds for rejection or retraction.

4. Peer Review Process

All submissions go through a rigorous, double-blind peer review to ensure objectivity and scholarly quality. Reviewers must disclose conflicts of interest and provide fair, unbiased, and constructive feedback. Editors will oversee the review process to prevent bias and uphold journal standards.

5. Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest that could influence their work. The Journal of STEM Education maintains transparency to prevent undue influence on research findings and editorial decisions. If a conflict is identified post-publication, the Journal of STEM Education may issue a correction or retraction.

6. Human and Animal Research Ethics

Research involving human participants or animals must comply with ethical standards set by institutional and national regulatory bodies. Authors must provide documentation of ethics approval and informed consent where applicable.

7. Corrections and Retractions

The Journal of STEM Education is committed to correcting errors and maintaining scientific integrity. Authors must promptly notify the journal of any errors discovered post-publication. In cases of serious ethical breaches, a retraction may be issued.

8. Confidentiality and Privacy

Editors and reviewers must maintain privacy regarding submitted manuscripts and peer review discussions. Personal data collected during the course of the research must be handled and presented in compliance with relevant privacy laws and ethical guidelines.

9. Ethical Compliance and Reporting Misconduct

The Journal of STEM Education encourages reporting of suspected ethical violations. Concerns about research integrity should be addressed to the editorial board, which will investigate allegations in a fair and transparent manner.