Publication Ethics

LACCEI Proceedings adheres to the LACCEI Editorial Policies, which align with the COPE Core Practices and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (DOAJ / COPE / OASPA / WAME).

The full editorial policy is published at laccei.org/editorial-policies. The summary below covers the principles applied to papers published in this journal.

Editorial Commitment

LACCEI is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity, scientific rigor, transparency, and editorial independence across all its conferences and official proceedings.

Authorship

Only individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions should be listed as authors. All authors must approve the final manuscript, agree to submission, and accept responsibility for the work.

  • Maximum 7 authors per submission
  • Authorship changes after acceptance are not permitted, except under exceptional circumstances and subject to formal editorial approval

Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence

LACCEI requires mandatory disclosure of any AI use in submitted manuscripts.

Permitted uses of AI tools include language editing and grammar correction, translation, code assistance, and data processing support - provided that human authors retain full intellectual control and responsibility.

Prohibited uses include: fabricating data or references, generating research findings without validation, submitting AI-generated text as fully human-authored research without disclosure, and uploading confidential manuscripts to public AI systems (applies to reviewers). AI systems cannot be listed as authors.

Every manuscript must include a dedicated section titled "AI Use Disclosure & Author Responsibility Statement" indicating whether AI tools were used and describing their purpose. Template wording is provided in the LACCEI Editorial Policies.

Originality and Plagiarism

All submissions must represent original scholarly work. See our Plagiarism Policy for the full list of prohibited practices and the screening process.

Peer Review Integrity

LACCEI applies a structured double-blind peer review process with a minimum of three independent reviewers per full paper. See the Peer Review Process for details.

Corrections, Retractions & Ethical Violations

If ethical violations are identified, LACCEI may:

  • Reject the submission
  • Request clarification from the authors
  • Issue corrections
  • Issue expressions of concern
  • Retract published papers
  • Notify indexing services
  • Notify affiliated institutions

Investigations follow COPE principles and recognized editorial best practices. To report a concern, write to info@laccei.org.

Research Ethics, IRB & Data Protection

LACCEI does not operate its own Institutional Review Board (IRB). However, all research involving human participants, personal data, or identifiable information - including surveys, questionnaires, online forms, interviews, experiments, or educational interventions - must comply with applicable institutional, national, and international ethical standards.

Authors must confirm that:

  • The study received prior approval from the relevant IRB or Ethics Committee, where required
  • The research complied with national legislation governing research involving human participants
  • Informed consent was obtained when applicable

If ethics approval was not required under the author's institutional regulations, a clear statement explaining the exemption must be included in the manuscript. LACCEI reserves the right to request documentation of ethics approval when necessary.

Data Protection and Privacy Compliance

Authors are responsible for ensuring data collection, storage, processing, and publication comply with applicable data protection regulations, including:

  • Institutional data protection policies
  • National privacy legislation
  • The European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), where applicable
  • Relevant U.S. research ethics and data protection guidelines, where applicable

Personal data must be anonymized or pseudonymized unless explicit written consent for identification has been obtained. The data minimization principle applies.

Survey Data Privacy

Research initiatives involving survey-based data collection (surveys, questionnaires, online forms) must comply with the LACCEI Survey Data Privacy & Use Policy in addition to general ethical and data protection requirements.

Sanctions

Serious violations may result in:

  • Immediate rejection
  • Removal from proceedings
  • Temporary or permanent submission ban
  • Institutional notification

Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must declare any financial, personal, or professional relationships that may bias their work or judgment.

Contact

For ethics-related inquiries, contact info@laccei.org.

Source: LACCEI Editorial Policies - laccei.org/editorial-policies