Code of ethics

Code of Ethics and Best Practices of the International Academic Journal of Physical Education

1. Introduction

The International Academic Journal of Physical Education (RAIEF) is committed to promoting principles of editorial ethics, academic integrity, and professional responsibility. This code is based on the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the Declaration of Helsinki for research involving human subjects. It is adapted to the needs of the fields of physical education, sports, recreation, and physical activity in educational and community contexts.

2. General Principles

  • Promote originality, transparency, objectivity, and respect for copyright.

  • Ensure a fair, impartial, and double-blind peer review process.

  • Maintain confidentiality throughout the editorial process.

  • Foster inclusion, equity, critical thinking, and social engagement in academic production.

3. Peer Review

  • All manuscripts undergo double-blind peer review.

  • Reviewers must provide objective, well-supported, and respectful evaluations.

  • The Editorial Board will resolve any conflict between authors and reviewers, potentially consulting external reviewers or independent institutions.

  • Confidentiality, transparency, and mutual respect are guaranteed at all times.

4. Plagiarism Prevention and Misconduct

  • Turnitin software is used to detect plagiarism.

  • The accepted similarity threshold is 15% (excluding references).

  • Cases of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, or manipulation will result in immediate retraction and sanctions of up to five years for the involved authors.

  • Any individual may report irregularities anonymously and confidentially.

  • If the editor is involved, an external investigator from an independent university will be appointed.

5. Use of Artificial Intelligence

  • The use of AI tools must be explicitly declared in the acknowledgments or methodology section.

  • The automatic drafting of key sections (results, discussion) is not permitted.

  • Undeclared or inappropriate use will be considered a serious ethical breach.

6. Research Involving Humans or Animals

  • Institutional ethical approval is required for studies involving humans or animals.

  • Written informed consent signed by participants or legal guardians must be provided.

  • For research involving vulnerable populations or minors, international ethical guidelines must be followed.

  • A copy of the ethics approval may be required prior to publication.

7. Authorship and Responsibility

  • Only individuals who actively contributed to the conception, analysis, and writing of the article will be recognized as authors.

  • Honorary authorship is not accepted, and changes in authorship after submission are only permitted with a justified reason.

  • Individual contributions must be detailed in the cover letter.

8. Conflicts of Interest and Funding

  • All editorial stakeholders (authors, reviewers, editors) must declare any conflicts of interest.

  • All sources of funding must be clearly stated in the manuscript.

9. Complaints, Appeals, and Reports

  • Complaints or appeals regarding editorial decisions or behavior may be submitted at any stage.

  • The Editorial Board will open an inquiry, review the evidence, and issue a reasoned decision.

  • If neutrality is required, an external academic institution will be consulted.

10. Intellectual Property and Open Access

  • The journal publishes under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license.

  • Authors retain copyright and may share their work with proper acknowledgment of its original publication.

  • The journal actively supports the open access model in line with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI).

11. Advertising and Sponsorship

  • The journal does not accept conditional sponsorships or advertising that could compromise editorial independence.

  • Any promotional content will be clearly distinguished from academic content.

12. Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Discussions

  • Letters to the editor are welcomed to encourage academic debate.

  • The journal has a clear policy for the correction and retraction of published articles.

  • Causes and outcomes will be transparently published in the “Article Retractions” section.

13. Transparency, Access, and Archiving

  • All editorial information (guidelines, processes, templates, ethics) is available on the journal’s official website.

  • An annual report on editorial quality indicators is published.

  • Published articles are preserved through the LOCKSS system or another digital preservation service.

14. Institutional Ethical Oversight

  • RAIEF maintains continuous ethical oversight on data protection, participation of vulnerable populations, and compliance with international publishing standards.

  • Editorial decisions are made collectively and are duly documented.

15. Ethical Inquiries and Reporting All inquiries, appeals, or ethical misconduct reports must be sent to: contacto@revista-acief.com. The Editorial Board will respond confidentially and in good faith, respecting the rights of all parties involved.

This code of ethics is mandatory and binding for all authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and members of the editorial team of the International Academic Journal of Physical Education.