AUTHORSHIP CRITERIA

1. Introduction

The International Journal of Education and Learning Studies (IJELS) recognizes authorship as an acknowledgment of substantial intellectual contribution and responsibility for scholarly work. This policy promotes transparency, fairness, accountability, and integrity in the attribution of authorship for manuscripts submitted to the journal.

The journal's authorship criteria are informed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations and the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT).

2. Criteria for Authorship

All individuals listed as authors must satisfy all four of the following criteria:

1. Make substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of research data.
2. Participate in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.
3. Approve the final version of the manuscript for publication.
4. Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work and cooperate in resolving concerns regarding its accuracy or integrity.

Individuals who do not meet all four criteria should be recognized as contributors rather than authors, where appropriate.

3. Author Contributions (CRediT Taxonomy)

IJELS requires a transparent author contribution statement using the CRediT taxonomy. The applicable contribution roles include:

Each author must be assigned the roles that accurately reflect their contributions. Multiple authors may share the same role, and individual authors may have several roles. CRediT roles describe contributions but do not independently determine authorship eligibility.

4. Author Order and Affiliations

• The order of authors must be agreed upon by all authors before manuscript submission.
• Author order should reflect a mutually agreed assessment of contributions and disciplinary practices.
• Author names must be presented consistently and without academic titles in the article byline.
• Institutional affiliations must accurately identify the organizations where the work was conducted.
• Authors are encouraged to provide valid ORCID identifiers.

5. Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author serves as the primary contact between the authors and the editorial office and is responsible for:

• Submitting the manuscript and required documents.
• Ensuring that all authors meet the authorship criteria.
• Obtaining approval of the submission from all authors.
• Maintaining accurate author information and metadata.
• Submitting relevant ethical, funding, and competing interest declarations.
• Communicating editorial decisions and reviewer comments to co-authors.
• Coordinating manuscript revisions and final proof approval.
• Responding to post-publication inquiries concerning the article.

6. Non-Author Contributors and Acknowledgments

Contributions limited to technical editing, language proofreading, administrative assistance, general supervision, funding acquisition, or other activities that do not satisfy the full authorship criteria do not independently qualify an individual for authorship.

Such individuals may be recognized in the Acknowledgments section of the Title Page with their permission. The nature of their contribution should be described accurately.

7. Changes in Authorship

Any request to add, remove, or rearrange authors after initial submission must be formally submitted to the editorial office with an explanation and documented agreement from all affected and listed authors.

Authorship changes after acceptance or publication require additional editorial review and may be subject to the journal's correction policy. Unresolved disputes should be referred to the relevant institutions rather than decided solely by the journal.

8. Unacceptable Authorship Practices

• Gift or Honorary Authorship: Including individuals who do not meet the authorship criteria.
• Ghost Authorship: Omitting individuals who qualify for authorship.
• Coercive Authorship: Adding authors through inappropriate pressure or authority.
• Misrepresentation: Providing inaccurate author identities, affiliations, or contribution statements.

Suspected authorship misconduct may be examined under the journal's publication ethics and research misconduct policies.

9. Artificial Intelligence and Authorship

Generative artificial intelligence systems, chatbots, and other AI-assisted tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot fulfill authorship responsibilities. Human authors remain accountable for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of the submitted content.

Substantive AI assistance must be disclosed in accordance with the journal's AI policy and the Generative AI Use Statement.

10. Authorship Documentation and Submission

IJELS requires three separate documents at submission:

• Title Page: Contains complete author details, affiliations, corresponding author information, ORCID identifiers, and CRediT contribution statements.
• Anonymous Manuscript: Contains the scholarly article without author-identifying information for double-blind peer review.
• Cover Letter: Confirms authorship approval, originality, exclusive submission, and relevance to the journal.

Author names and identifying declarations must not appear in the Anonymous Manuscript during peer review.

11. Author Accountability and Disputes

All authors share responsibility for the integrity of the published work and must cooperate with legitimate editorial inquiries. Allegations concerning disputed authorship, omitted contributors, or inaccurate contribution statements may require documentation and institutional investigation.