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Policies

Contents

Open Access Policy

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (IJ-SoTL) is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of all 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.

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Ethical Guidelines

IJSoTL is committed to publishing work of the highest integrity. Toward that end, we provide the following requirements and offer some suggestions for authors.

Ethical and Scholarly Standards for Publication
Principle Description and Expectations
Originality
  • Submissions must represent your own original work and must not have been published previously in any form or language (partially or in full).
  • If your article expands upon earlier work, this must be clearly stated and justified.
  • Any reuse of your own previously published material must be properly disclosed within the manuscript to avoid self-plagiarism.
  • All quotations, paraphrases, and summaries from other sources must be appropriately cited both in-text and in the References section.
Integrity
  • Research findings must be presented clearly, honestly, and without misrepresentation.
  • Manuscripts containing manipulated data, selective reporting, or analyses inconsistent with the findings will be rejected.
  • Authors must ensure accuracy in data presentation, including avoidance of statistical or image manipulation that could mislead readers.
Unity
  • Each submission should represent a complete, coherent study rather than fragmented sections of a single project.
  • Manuscripts must not be divided into multiple parts to increase publication counts.
  • Exceptions may be granted for legitimate follow-up studies or short reports describing the foundation of an ongoing project.
  • Reviewers and editors will assess the manuscript as an integrated scholarly whole.
Disclosures
  • All sources of funding and institutional or external support must be disclosed.
  • Authors must declare any potential conflicts of interest—financial or non-financial.
  • For studies involving human participants, a statement on ethical approval and informed consent is required.
  • Transparency should guide all disclosures to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
  • AI-Assisted Technologies: IJ-SoTL maintains a Generative AI policy governing the ethical use of AI-assisted tools in authorship, peer review, and editorial processes, emphasizing transparency, accountability, integrity, confidentiality, and human oversight. Click here for our full AI policy

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Submission Policies

Policy Area Description and Expectations
Sole Submission
  • IJ-SoTL accepts manuscripts that are not under consideration by any other publication.
  • Simultaneous submission to multiple journals is not permitted.
  • If a manuscript under review by IJ-SoTL is submitted elsewhere, the editorial process will be immediately terminated.
Author Responsibility
  • Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their manuscripts.
  • Any false statements, ethical violations, or failure to comply with journal guidelines may result in rejection or withdrawal of the submission.
Alignment with SoTL Scholarship
  • Manuscripts must explicitly engage with existing Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) literature and discourse.
  • Submissions should build upon, extend, or contribute to current conversations within the SoTL community.

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Plagiarism Policy

IJ-SoTL may use Similarity Check, a multi-publisher initiative, to selectively screen article submissions for originality. Similarity Check uses the iThenticate software, which checks submissions against millions of published research papers (the Similarity Check database), documents on the web, and other relevant sources. These submitted papers are not retained in the Similarity Check system after they have been checked. Read more at Crossref's Similarity Check page.

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Initial Screening Policy

All submissions to the IJ-SoTL undergo an initial editorial screening prior to external peer review. At this stage, the editorial team evaluates whether manuscripts align with the journal's scope and meet the following criteria:

  1. Relevance and Alignment with SoTL: The manuscript falls within the field of the SoTL and meaningfully engages with its core values: systematic inquiry into teaching and learning, reflective practice, public sharing, and peer review.
  2. Focus on Improving Student Learning: The study provides clear evidence of systematic investigation into teaching or learning with the goal of improving student outcomes and/or includes substantive reflection on the author's own teaching practice.
  3. Integration of SoTL Frameworks: The manuscript explicitly or implicitly connects to one or more SoTL principles or frameworks, such as inquiry orientation, community or collegial engagement, reflexivity, and accessibility or impact.
  4. Higher Education Context: The study is situated in a higher education context and addresses issues relevant to faculty, students, or institutions.

Only manuscripts that meet these initial screening criteria will proceed to the double-blind peer-review process. Submissions that fall outside the journal’s scope or fail to demonstrate a clear SoTL focus may be returned to authors without external review.

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Peer-review Policy

  1. After passing the initial screening by co-editors, submissions are sent out to members of the editorial board for blind peer review. Each reviewer will give a recommendation about publication of a manuscript according to the following list of options:
    1. Accept
    2. Accept with Minor Revisions
    3. Major Revisions Required for Acceptance
    4. Reject
  2. Each reviewer may include specific and narrative comments for the author of the submission about its content, argumentation, research methodologies, data, conclusions, etc. These comments will be given to the author, without identifying the reviewers.
  3. If the reviews' recommendations are substantially different, the editors may ask 1-2 additional editorial board members to read and evaluate the submission. The timeframe of the review process varies from as short as three months to six months or more based upon review timeline.
  4. When all reviews have been received by the editors, a decision will be made regarding publication, and authors will be contacted.

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Criteria for Review of SoTL Articles

Research articles are first pre-screened by the editors for suitability before being sent for blind review by three members of the Editorial Review Board. During pre-screening, the editors may reject an article if it is deemed unsuitable for the journal or otherwise unacceptable for further review. Reviewers will consider the general criteria for any authentic scholarship as described in Scholarship Assessed: Evaluation of the Professoriate by Glassick, Huber and Maeroff (1997).

Criterion Guiding Questions for Evaluation
Clear Goals
  • Does the scholar state the basic purposes of the work clearly?
  • Are the objectives realistic and achievable?
  • Does the work identify important or emerging questions in the field?
Adequate Preparation
  • Does the scholar demonstrate understanding of existing scholarship in the field?
  • Does the scholar bring the necessary skills and expertise to the work?
  • Are relevant resources and data effectively used to move the project forward?
  • Does the manuscript explicitly engage with existing SoTL literature and related discourses?
Appropriate Methods
  • Are the methods appropriate to the stated goals?
  • Are the methods applied effectively and transparently?
  • Does the scholar adapt methods in response to context or emerging findings?
Significant Results
  • Are the stated goals achieved?
  • Does the work make a meaningful contribution to the field?
  • Does the study open new directions or questions for future inquiry?
Effective Presentation
  • Is the work clearly organized and well written?
  • Does the scholar use appropriate venues or formats to reach the intended audience?
  • Is the message presented with clarity, coherence, and integrity?
Reflective Critique
  • Does the scholar critically evaluate their own work?
  • Does the critique draw upon appropriate evidence and perspectives?
  • Is reflection used to strengthen and improve future scholarly efforts?

Further, the board members review articles with the following questions in mind:

  • Relevance for SoTL
    • Does the paper focus sufficiently on a SoTL question or inquiry?
    • Does the paper have a purpose and provide knowledge applicable to the teaching and learning process?
    • Does the paper give evidence of significant and ethical SoTL research?
  • Content
    • Are the paper's conclusions valid based upon the evidence systematically gathered and upon the argumentation provided?
    • Does the paper provide new knowledge or otherwise advance the scholarship of teaching and learning?
    • Does the paper have originality of approach or questions pursued, or a unique perspective on familiar approaches or questions?
  • International Significance & Relevance
    • Is the paper on a topic that would be of value for an international readership?
    • Is the paper intellectually accessible for college faculty in various countries and higher education systems?
    • Does the paper serve to promote international knowledge, conversations or collaborations about the topic, or about SoTL in general?

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Publication Ethics and Malpractice

IJ-SoTL is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all necessary measures to prevent publication malpractice. We adhere to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing

Authorship and Contributorship

To ensure transparency and credit, IJ-SoTL requires that all listed authors meet specific authorship criteria. We adhere to the definition that an "author" is someone who has made a substantive intellectual contribution to the published study. Authorship credit should be based on substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work, and agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Complaints and Appeals

IJ-SoTL has a clear procedure for handling complaints against the journal, its staff, or the editorial board.

  • Process: Complaints or appeals regarding editorial decisions, peer review processes, or publication ethics should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief.
  • Resolution: All complaints will be acknowledged within a reasonable timeframe. The Editor-in-Chief (or a designated Editorial Board member if the Editor is conflicted) will investigate the claim objectively, following COPE guidelines, and provide a written resolution to the complainant.

Allegations of Research Misconduct

IJ-SoTL takes all allegations of misconduct seriously, both pre- and post-publication. Misconduct includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, citation manipulation, and data falsification/fabrication. If misconduct is suspected or alleged, the journal will follow the relevant COPE Flowcharts. The Editor will seek a response from the accused parties. If the response is unsatisfactory, the journal may contact the author's institution or funding body to request an investigation.

Data Sharing and Reproducibility

IJ-SoTL encourages authors to make the data underlying their findings accessible to verify results and facilitate reproducibility. Authors are encouraged to include a Data Availability Statement in their manuscript indicating where the data can be found (e.g., a public repository) or explaining why it cannot be shared (e.g., privacy of human participants).

Ethical Oversight

For research involving human participants, IJ-SoTL requires strict adherence to ethical standards.

  • IRB Approval: Authors must confirm that appropriate ethical approval was obtained from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or ethics committee.
  • Consent: A statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from all human participants must be included in the manuscript.
  • Vulnerable Populations: Particular care must be taken in research involving vulnerable groups, ensuring their rights and anonymity are protected.

Post-Publication Discussions

We recognize the importance of post-publication debate within scientific discourse. IJ-SoTL welcomes scholarly discussion through "Letters to the Editor" or commentaries regarding published articles. These contributions are subject to editorial review. If acceptable, they will be published and linked to the original article. Authors of the original work will be given an opportunity to reply.

Corrections and Retractions

To maintain the integrity of the academic record, IJ-SoTL issues corrections or retractions when necessary, in accordance with COPE Retraction Guidelines.

  • Corrections: Issued for significant errors that do not invalidate the study's main conclusions.
  • Retractions: Issued if the findings are unreliable (due to misconduct or honest error), if the findings have been previously published elsewhere without cross-referencing, or in cases of plagiarism.
  • Expressions of Concern: May be published if there is inconclusive evidence of misconduct or if an investigation is ongoing.

Ensuring the Integrity of the Scholarly Literature

IJ-SoTL systematically safeguards the integrity of its content through the following measures:

  • Citation Manipulation: Editors review reference lists to ensure citations are relevant and not added merely to increase citation counts of a specific journal or author.
  • Data Falsification/Fabrication: Reviewers are instructed to assess the plausibility of data. Any concerns regarding the authenticity of data will be investigated immediately.

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