Ethical Guidelines

GiST – Education and Learning Research Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, and editorial transparency. These Ethical Guidelines explain how GiST implements internationally recognized ethical principles throughout its editorial and publication processes, in alignment with the COPE Core Practices.

This document provides guidance for authors, reviewers, editors, and readers regarding ethical conduct before, during, and after publication. While these guidelines seek to address the most common ethical issues in scholarly publishing, GiST recognizes that not all situations can be anticipated. Accordingly, these guidelines may be reviewed and updated in response to changes in the academic publishing ecosystem.

For GiST’s institutional principles and overarching framework, readers are invited to consult the Publications Policy of Institución Universitaria Colombo Americana – ÚNICA.

Scope and Applicability

These Ethical Guidelines apply to all parties involved in the journal’s editorial process, including:

  • Authors.

  • Peer reviewers.

  • Editors and members of the Editorial Committee.

  • Any individual contributing to the evaluation, editing, or dissemination of published content.

All participants are expected to act in accordance with these guidelines and with internationally accepted standards of academic integrity.

AUTHOR ETHICS

Originality and Research Integrity: Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere. All data, methods, and findings must be accurately represented. No changes to authorship are permitted after submission, and AI cannot be listed as an author.

Unacceptable practices include plagiarism, undisclosed text recycling, duplicate or redundant publication, data fabrication or falsification, selective reporting, and inappropriate image manipulation. Authorship must reflect substantial intellectual contribution and accountability; GiST does not allow ghost, gift, or guest authorship, authorship for sale, or manuscripts from paper mills.

Authorship and contributorship disputes are handled according to the journal’s Ethical Procedures and may involve affiliated institutions if unresolved.

Research Ethics and Protection of Participants: Research involving human participants must adhere to ethical standards, including obtaining informed consent, maintaining confidentiality and privacy, and ensuring responsible data management. GiST does not evaluate institutional approvals for educational institutions; it is the authors’ responsibility to obtain any necessary approvals and assess whether institutions, locations, or participants may be identified and/or mentioned. 

Image Integrity and Data Management: Authors must ensure that images accurately represent the original data, that any modifications are transparently disclosed and justified, and that data are managed responsibly. Inappropriate image manipulation, data misappropriation, or misrepresentation is considered ethical misconduct.

Preprints: GiST allows the submission of manuscripts that have been previously shared as preprints, defined as publicly accessible versions of a manuscript made available prior to formal peer review. Authors must declare the existence of a preprint and provide its DOI or permanent identifier, as the responsibility for transparency regarding preprints rests entirely with the author.

Conflicts of Interest: Authors must declare any financial, institutional, or personal interests that could influence the research or its interpretation. Undeclared conflicts of interest may result in rejection or post-publication action.

AI Use: Authors must declare any use of AI tools by completing the AI Use Declaration Form (F1). AI tools may not replace human authorship, original analysis, or scholarly interpretation. Failure to declare AI use is interpreted as non-use.

PEER REVIEW ETHICS

GiST employs a double-blind peer-review process, in which reviewers are expected to maintain strict confidentiality, declare any conflicts of interest, provide objective and constructive feedback, and adhere to agreed-upon timelines. If reviewers encounter potential ethical concerns, they should report them directly to the Editor. Direct contact with authors or sharing of manuscript content is strictly prohibited. While reviewers and editors may use AI tools for grammar checking, language polishing, or translation when necessary, these tools must never be used to evaluate intellectual content, generate reviews, or influence editorial decisions.

EDITOR ETHICS

GiST is published by the Publications Office of Institución Universitaria Colombo Americana – ÚNICA, a private, non-profit higher education institution. However, all editorial decisions are made independently, guided exclusively by scholarly merit, relevance to the journal’s scope, and adherence to ethical standards, free from any institutional, financial, political, or personal influence.

Editors bear the central responsibility for upholding the integrity of the scholarly record, ensuring that the editorial process remains fair, transparent, inclusive, and timely. This commitment is reflected in their objective and unbiased evaluation of manuscripts, strict maintenance of confidentiality throughout editorial and peer review stages, appropriate management of conflicts of interest, and prompt response to ethical concerns, complaints, or appeals.

Editors also oversee the publication of corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when warranted, follow COPE guidance in cases of suspected misconduct, and actively foster equity, inclusion, and effective pedagogical communication at every step. Any breach of these principles—including abuse of authority, violation of confidentiality, or biased decision-making—constitutes a serious ethical violation.

Diamond Open Access: GiST is firmly committed to fostering an ethical and responsible scholarly publishing environment as a Diamond Open Access journal. In this model, neither authors nor readers are charged any fees.  

Post-Publication Responsibility: GiST is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record after publication. When necessary, the journal may issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions in accordance with its Ethical Procedures and international best practices. Additionally, the editor is responsible for addressing reader complaints and concerns about published articles.

Use of Artificial Intelligence: Editors may use AI tools exclusively for grammar checking, language polishing, or translation when necessary. AI tools must not be used to evaluate intellectual content, generate reviews, or influence editorial decisions.