Editorial Policies

Journal of Educational Psychology and Assessment (JEPA)
Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Colombo

The Journal of Educational Psychology and Assessment (JEPA) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly integrity, editorial independence, research quality, and publication ethics. The journal’s editorial policies are informed by the principles and best-practice recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and relevant international standards for responsible research and scholarly publishing.

JEPA expects all editors, editorial board members, authors, reviewers, and other contributors to uphold principles of fairness, transparency, confidentiality, academic integrity, and respect for research participants.

1. General Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

The editors of JEPA are accountable for the academic quality and integrity of all material published in the journal. Editors shall:

Ensure that published content meets appropriate academic, methodological, and ethical standards.
Make editorial decisions based on scholarly merit, originality, relevance, methodological soundness, and clarity.
Strive to meet the needs of authors, reviewers, and readers.
Continuously improve the quality and effectiveness of the journal.
Maintain the integrity and reliability of the academic record.
Protect editorial independence and ensure that commercial, institutional, personal, or other external interests do not compromise editorial decisions.
Promote freedom of academic expression while ensuring that published work meets ethical and scholarly standards.
Publish corrections, clarifications, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary.
Take appropriate action when ethical or publication-related concerns are identified.

JEPA will periodically review its editorial policies and procedures and consider feedback from authors, reviewers, editorial board members, and readers.

2. Relations with Readers

JEPA is committed to providing readers with accurate, transparent, and reliable scholarly information. The journal shall:

Ensure that published research has undergone appropriate peer review.
Clearly identify material that has not undergone peer review.
Encourage accurate, complete, and transparent reporting of research.
Require authors to disclose relevant funding sources and the role of funders, where applicable.
Encourage appropriate and transparent authorship and contributorship practices.
Ensure that submissions from editors, editorial board members, or other individuals associated with the journal receive an objective and unbiased evaluation.
Correct the published record when significant errors or inaccuracies are identified.

3. Relations with Authors

JEPA is committed to treating authors fairly, respectfully, and transparently. Editorial decisions shall be based on:

The relevance of the manuscript to the aims and scope of JEPA.
Originality and scholarly contribution.
Methodological and theoretical soundness.
Clarity and quality of presentation.
Ethical compliance.
The significance and validity of the research findings.

Editors shall not discriminate against authors on the basis of nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, ethnicity, religion, political views, or other irrelevant personal characteristics.

JEPA shall:

Clearly describe its submission and peer-review procedures.
Provide authors with appropriate instructions regarding manuscript preparation, authorship, ethical requirements, and publication standards.
Maintain a mechanism through which authors may appeal editorial decisions.
Ensure that appeals are considered fairly and independently.
Select reviewers who are appropriately qualified and free from relevant conflicts of interest.
Respect reasonable requests from authors to exclude particular reviewers when sufficient justification is provided.
Publish relevant submission and acceptance dates where appropriate.
Follow appropriate COPE procedures when dealing with suspected misconduct, authorship disputes, or other ethical concerns.

Editorial decisions will not normally be reversed unless substantial errors, ethical concerns, or other serious problems are subsequently identified.

4. Relations with Reviewers

JEPA uses a double-blind peer-review process, unless otherwise stated for a particular publication type.

Reviewers are expected to:

Treat all manuscripts as confidential documents.
Evaluate manuscripts objectively, fairly, and constructively.
Provide clear and academically appropriate comments that can assist authors in improving their work.
Identify significant methodological, theoretical, ethical, or reporting concerns.
Assess the originality and scholarly contribution of the manuscript.
Identify possible plagiarism, redundant publication, or inappropriate citation where detected.
Declare any potential conflict of interest before accepting a review assignment.
Decline a review if they are unable to provide an impartial assessment.
Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe or inform the editor if additional time is required.
Never use unpublished information from a manuscript for personal or professional advantage.

JEPA will protect reviewer identities in accordance with its double-blind peer-review policy. The journal may monitor reviewer performance and maintain an appropriate database of qualified reviewers.

5. Relations with Editorial Board Members

Editorial board members shall contribute to the academic development, quality, and reputation of JEPA.

The journal shall:

Provide editorial board members with clear information regarding their roles and responsibilities.
Maintain appropriate procedures for handling manuscripts submitted by editorial board members.
Ensure that editorial board members’ own submissions receive an independent and unbiased review.
Periodically review the composition and effectiveness of the editorial board.
Encourage editorial board members to promote scholarly communication and ethical publication practices.
Consult editorial board members regarding significant developments and proposed changes to journal policies where appropriate.

Editorial board members may be invited to review manuscripts, contribute scholarly content, advise on journal development, and support the academic advancement of JEPA.

6. Editorial Independence

JEPA is committed to maintaining editorial independence.

Editorial decisions shall be made independently by the editorial team based on academic quality, relevance, originality, ethical compliance, and suitability for the journal. Such decisions shall not be influenced by:

Commercial interests.
Institutional pressure.
Personal relationships.
Political considerations.
Author nationality or institutional affiliation.
Funding sources, where such funding does not affect scholarly quality or ethical compliance.

The journal’s ownership or institutional affiliation shall not compromise the editors’ responsibility to make independent academic decisions.

7. Editorial and Peer-Review Processes

JEPA shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that its peer-review process is:

Fair.
Objective.
Transparent.
Confidential.
Appropriate to the nature of the submitted manuscript.
Conducted within a reasonable timeframe.

Manuscripts under review shall be treated as confidential. Editors, reviewers, and other individuals involved in the editorial process shall not disclose manuscript content or use unpublished information for personal or professional purposes.

The journal may revise its peer-review procedures periodically to reflect developments in scholarly publishing and research methodology.

8. Quality Assurance

JEPA is committed to maintaining high standards of academic and publication quality.

The editorial team shall take reasonable measures to:

Assess the methodological quality of submitted manuscripts.
Ensure appropriate peer review.
Promote accurate and transparent reporting.
Identify plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct.
Identify, where possible, fabricated, falsified, manipulated, or misleading data.
Encourage the appropriate use of established reporting standards and guidelines.
Maintain consistency in editorial and publication practices.

Where statistical analysis is central to a manuscript, the editor may request appropriate statistical review or methodological clarification.

9. Protection of Personal and Confidential Information

JEPA respects the privacy and confidentiality of research participants, authors, reviewers, and other individuals involved in the publication process.

Authors must ensure that:

Personally identifiable information is not unnecessarily disclosed.
Appropriate informed consent is obtained where identifiable personal information, photographs, quotations, case details, or other potentially identifying material is published.
Ethical and legal requirements concerning confidentiality and data protection are followed.

Consent to participate in research is distinct from consent to publish identifiable information. Where applicable, authors must obtain appropriate consent for publication.

10. Ethical Research Involving Human Participants and Animals

JEPA expects research involving human participants or animals to comply with relevant ethical standards, institutional requirements, and internationally recognized principles.

For research involving human participants, authors should provide information regarding:

Ethical approval, where applicable.
The responsible ethics review body or institution.
Informed consent procedures.
Measures taken to protect participants’ rights, privacy, safety, and dignity.

For research involving animals, authors must demonstrate compliance with relevant ethical and institutional requirements concerning animal welfare.

The editorial team may request evidence of ethical approval or additional clarification where ethical concerns arise. Ethical approval by an institution does not, by itself, guarantee that a study satisfies all ethical requirements.

11. Research and Publication Misconduct

JEPA takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously. Potential misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

Plagiarism.
Self-plagiarism and inappropriate text recycling.
Fabrication of data.
Falsification or manipulation of data.
Duplicate or redundant publication.
Undisclosed conflicts of interest.
Unethical research involving human or animal participants.
Inappropriate authorship practices, including guest or ghost authorship.
Manipulation of the peer-review process.
Citation manipulation.
Misrepresentation of research findings.

When misconduct is suspected, JEPA will investigate the matter fairly and confidentially. Authors may be asked to provide explanations, supporting documents, ethical approval evidence, original data, or other relevant information.

Where necessary, JEPA may contact the relevant institution or research organization to request an appropriate investigation.

The journal will follow relevant COPE flowcharts and procedures when handling suspected misconduct.

12. Corrections, Retractions, and Integrity of the Academic Record

JEPA is committed to maintaining an accurate and trustworthy academic record.

If significant errors are identified after publication, the journal may publish:

Corrections.
Errata.
Editorial notices.
Expressions of concern.
Retractions.

The appropriate action will depend on the nature and seriousness of the issue.

Retractions will be considered when published findings are demonstrably unreliable, when serious ethical violations have occurred, or when substantial publication misconduct is established.

Corrections and retractions will be clearly identified and linked to the original publication wherever technically possible.

13. Intellectual Property and Plagiarism

JEPA respects intellectual property rights and expects authors to submit only original work or appropriately acknowledge material reproduced from other sources.

The journal may use plagiarism-detection software and other appropriate methods to identify substantial textual similarity or other forms of inappropriate reuse.

Authors must:

Properly acknowledge the work of others.
Obtain permission where required for copyrighted material.
Ensure that submitted manuscripts are original.
Avoid submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals.
Ensure that quotations, figures, tables, and other reproduced material are appropriately cited and authorized where necessary.

Where intellectual property concerns arise, JEPA will investigate the matter and take appropriate action.

14. Complaints and Appeals

JEPA is committed to responding to complaints and appeals in a timely, fair, and transparent manner.

Authors, reviewers, readers, and other stakeholders may raise concerns regarding:

Editorial decisions.
Peer-review procedures.
Publication ethics.
Authorship.
Conflicts of interest.
Published content.
Editorial conduct.

Complaints should be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief or the appropriate editorial authority. JEPA will review complaints objectively and confidentially and will take appropriate action where necessary.

Where a matter cannot be resolved internally, the journal may refer to relevant COPE guidance and procedures.

15. Commercial and Financial Considerations

JEPA shall ensure that commercial or financial considerations do not improperly influence editorial decisions.

Where applicable:

Advertising and promotional activities shall remain separate from editorial decision-making.
Sponsored content must be clearly identified.
Sponsored supplements, if published, shall be subject to appropriate academic and editorial standards.
Financial relationships that may create conflicts of interest should be disclosed.
Manuscripts shall not be accepted or rejected because of their commercial potential.

Academic merit, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal shall remain the primary considerations in editorial decisions.

16. Conflicts of Interest

JEPA requires editors, editorial board members, reviewers, and authors to disclose relevant conflicts of interest.

Conflicts may be:

Financial.
Professional.
Academic.
Institutional.
Personal.
Any other relationship that could reasonably affect objectivity.

Editors shall not manage manuscripts where they have a significant conflict of interest. Manuscripts submitted by the Editor-in-Chief, editors, editorial board members, or individuals closely associated with the journal shall be handled through an independent review process to ensure fairness and impartiality.

Authors should disclose relevant funding and relationships that may influence the research or its interpretation.

17. Equality, Diversity, and Non-Discrimination

JEPA is committed to fair and equitable editorial practices.

Editorial decisions shall not be influenced by the author’s:

Nationality.
Ethnicity.
Race.
Gender.
Religion.
Political beliefs.
Institutional affiliation.
Geographic location.

Manuscripts shall be evaluated primarily on their scholarly quality, methodological rigor, originality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the aims and scope of JEPA.

18. Use of Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI

Authors, reviewers, and editors must use artificial intelligence and generative AI tools responsibly and transparently.

AI tools may assist with activities such as language improvement, organization, or other appropriate forms of scholarly support, provided that their use does not compromise the originality, accuracy, confidentiality, or integrity of the work.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot take responsibility for the content of a publication.

Authors remain fully responsible for:

The accuracy and originality of submitted content.
Verification of AI-assisted information.
Proper citation and attribution.
Protection of confidential or sensitive information.
Compliance with research and publication ethics.

Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential manuscripts or unpublished material to external AI systems where doing so could compromise confidentiality.

JEPA may update its AI policy as scholarly publishing standards and technologies develop.

19. Policy Review and Continuous Improvement

JEPA will periodically review its editorial and publication policies to ensure that they remain consistent with developments in research ethics, scholarly communication, peer review, and international publication standards.

The journal welcomes constructive feedback from authors, reviewers, editorial board members, readers, and the wider academic community.

JEPA is committed to promoting responsible research, rigorous scholarship, transparent editorial practices, and the integrity of the academic record.

The editorial and publication ethics policies of JEPA are informed by the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other relevant international standards.

Open Access Policy

The Journal of Educational Psychology and Assessment (JEPA) is committed to promoting the free and unrestricted dissemination of scholarly knowledge. The journal provides immediate open access to all published content, based on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports the global exchange of knowledge and advances education, educational psychology, assessment, and related fields.

All articles published by JEPA are made freely available online under an Open Access model. Readers do not require a subscription or registration fee to access published articles.

In accordance with the principles of the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI), users are permitted to:

Read and access the full text of published articles free of charge.
Download and save articles for personal and scholarly use.
Print copies of published articles.
Search and access articles through electronic databases and search engines.
Link to the full text of published articles.
Share and distribute articles in accordance with the applicable licensing terms.
Use published materials for other lawful scholarly and non-commercial purposes, subject to appropriate acknowledgement and citation.

JEPA supports the responsible sharing and dissemination of scholarly research while maintaining appropriate standards of academic attribution, copyright, and research integrity.

The journal does not restrict access to published articles on the basis of institutional affiliation, geographic location, or subscription status.

Journal of Educational Psychology and Assessment (JEPA) believes that open access contributes to equitable access to knowledge, strengthens scholarly communication, supports researchers and educators, and facilitates the wider social and educational impact of research.

Peer Review Process

The Journal of Educational Psychology and Assessment (JEPA) follows a rigorous and transparent peer-review process informed by the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers. The purpose of peer review is to ensure the academic quality, originality, methodological rigor, ethical standards, and relevance of manuscripts published in JEPA.

All research articles submitted to JEPA undergo editorial assessment and double-blind peer review. The identities of authors and reviewers are kept confidential throughout the review process.

Peer-Review Policy

Authors are expected to prepare manuscripts in accordance with the JEPA Author Guidelines, publication ethics requirements, and relevant academic and reporting standards before submission.

JEPA follows the following principles:

Manuscripts must be original and must not have been published previously.
A manuscript submitted to JEPA must not be under consideration by another journal simultaneously.
Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication, authors should not submit the same manuscript to another journal.
Manuscripts that fall outside the aims and scope of JEPA may be rejected without external peer review.
All manuscripts are treated as confidential documents throughout the editorial and peer-review process.
Reviewers must maintain confidentiality and must not disclose, reproduce, or use unpublished information obtained from submitted manuscripts.
Reviewers must declare any potential conflict of interest before accepting a manuscript for review.
JEPA takes appropriate measures to identify and address plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabrication, falsification, inappropriate data use, and other forms of research or publication misconduct.
Authors are responsible for appropriately acknowledging and citing all sources, ideas, data, instruments, and other materials used in their manuscripts.
The editorial team reserves the right to reject manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s academic, methodological, ethical, or editorial requirements.

1. Initial Editorial Evaluation

All manuscripts submitted to JEPA are first examined by the Editorial Board or an appointed editor.

The initial evaluation considers:

Alignment with the aims and scope of JEPA.
Originality and scholarly contribution.
Academic significance and relevance.
Basic methodological soundness.
Compliance with the journal’s formatting and submission requirements.
Ethical considerations.
Appropriate structure and quality of academic writing.
Potential plagiarism or other publication-ethics concerns.

At this stage, the editor may:

Proceed with peer review;
Request preliminary corrections from the author; or
Reject the manuscript without external peer review if it is clearly unsuitable for the journal.

Passing the initial editorial evaluation does not guarantee acceptance for publication.

2. Double-Blind Peer Review

Manuscripts that pass the initial editorial assessment are sent to at least two independent external reviewers with appropriate expertise in the subject area.

JEPA follows a double-blind peer-review system, in which:

The identities of authors are not disclosed to reviewers.
The identities of reviewers are not disclosed to authors.
Reviewers evaluate manuscripts independently.
Reviewers are selected based on subject expertise, methodological competence, and availability.
Reviewers must not have conflicts of interest that could compromise their objectivity.

The Editor-in-Chief or handling editor may appoint additional reviewers when necessary, particularly where reviewer recommendations substantially differ or where specialist expertise is required.

3. Reviewer Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and academically justified evaluations.

Depending on the nature of the manuscript, reviewers may assess:

Originality and novelty.
Relevance to educational psychology, assessment, education, or related fields.
Clarity of the research problem and objectives.
Adequacy of the theoretical or conceptual framework.
Appropriateness of the research design and methodology.
Sampling procedures and participant selection.
Validity and reliability of instruments and measures.
Appropriateness of data analysis and interpretation.
Clarity and accuracy of presentation of findings.
Whether conclusions are adequately supported by the findings.
Contribution to existing knowledge and practice.
Appropriate use of relevant and current literature.
Quality and accuracy of references.
Ethical compliance.
Overall clarity and scholarly quality of the manuscript.

Reviewers may recommend:

Accept
Minor Revision
Major Revision
Reject

Reviewer recommendations assist the editorial team; the final publication decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief or the designated editor.

4. Revision of Manuscripts

When revisions are requested, authors must carefully consider the reviewers’ comments and submit a revised manuscript together with an appropriate response to reviewers explaining how each substantive comment has been addressed.

For major revisions, authors should normally submit the revised manuscript within four weeks, unless an alternative deadline is agreed with the editor.

For minor revisions, authors should normally submit the revised manuscript within two weeks.

Where additional time is required, authors should contact the editorial office before the revision deadline.

A revised manuscript submitted substantially after the specified deadline may be treated as a new submission and may undergo the peer-review process again from the beginning.

Reviewers may be invited to evaluate revised manuscripts to determine whether the concerns raised during the previous review have been adequately addressed.

5. Multiple Rounds of Review

More than one round of revision may be required when substantial academic or methodological concerns remain.

The editorial team may return a manuscript to the original reviewers or appoint alternative reviewers when necessary.

The purpose of additional review is to ensure that:

Major concerns have been adequately addressed.
The revised manuscript meets the journal’s scholarly standards.
Conclusions are supported by the evidence.
Ethical and methodological requirements have been satisfied.

6. Editorial Decision

After receiving the reviewers’ evaluations, the handling editor will assess the manuscript and reviewers’ recommendations.

The possible editorial decisions are:

Accept: The manuscript is suitable for publication with no substantial changes required.

Minor Revision: The manuscript requires limited corrections before acceptance.

Major Revision: Significant academic, methodological, theoretical, or presentation-related changes are required. The revised manuscript may undergo another round of peer review.

Reject: The manuscript does not meet the journal’s requirements or contains substantial concerns that cannot reasonably be addressed through revision.

The editorial decision will be based on the overall scholarly assessment of the manuscript and will not necessarily follow a simple majority of reviewer recommendations.

7. Final Editorial Evaluation

Following satisfactory completion of the peer-review and revision process, the Editor-in-Chief or designated editor conducts a final editorial assessment.

The final evaluation confirms that:

Reviewer concerns have been adequately addressed.
The manuscript meets JEPA’s academic and ethical standards.
Required revisions have been completed.
The manuscript is suitable for publication within the journal’s scope.

Accepted manuscripts are then prepared for copyediting, proofreading, formatting, and publication according to the journal’s production schedule.

8. Confidentiality

All manuscripts submitted to JEPA are treated as confidential.

Editors, reviewers, and other individuals involved in the peer-review process must not:

Share manuscript content with unauthorized individuals.
Discuss unpublished manuscripts outside the editorial process.
Use unpublished information for personal, academic, or professional advantage.
Copy or reproduce substantial portions of a manuscript for purposes unrelated to the review.

Any suspected breach of confidentiality or reviewer misconduct will be investigated in accordance with appropriate publication-ethics principles.

9. Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest before accepting a review assignment.

A reviewer should decline to review a manuscript where, for example, they:

Have a close personal or professional relationship with an author.
Have a direct competing research interest that could affect objectivity.
Have recently collaborated closely with an author.
Have any other relationship that could reasonably compromise impartiality.

Editors will make reasonable efforts to ensure that manuscripts are reviewed by independent and appropriately qualified reviewers.

10. Ethical and Responsible Peer Review

JEPA expects reviewers to follow accepted standards of responsible peer review.

Reviewers should:

Provide respectful and constructive feedback.
Focus comments on the scholarly quality of the manuscript.
Avoid discriminatory, offensive, or personal remarks.
Identify important methodological or ethical concerns.
Alert editors to suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated or falsified data, or other forms of misconduct.
Support their substantive criticisms with clear academic reasoning.
Maintain confidentiality throughout the review process.

11. Peer-Review Timeline

JEPA aims to complete the initial peer-review process within approximately four to eight weeks from the date the manuscript is sent for external review.

The actual duration may vary depending on:

Availability of suitable reviewers.
Reviewer response times.
Number and complexity of revisions required.
The need for additional specialist review.
The responsiveness of authors during the revision process.

JEPA will make reasonable efforts to minimize unnecessary delays while maintaining the quality and integrity of the peer-review process.

12. Editorial Independence and Final Responsibility

Peer-review recommendations are an important component of the editorial decision-making process; however, the final decision regarding publication rests with the editorial team of JEPA.

Editorial decisions shall be based on academic merit, methodological quality, ethical compliance, originality, relevance to the journal, and the overall contribution of the manuscript. Decisions shall not be influenced by the author’s nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, political views, institutional affiliation, or other irrelevant personal characteristics.

JEPA is committed to maintaining a fair, rigorous, confidential, timely, and ethical peer-review process that safeguards the quality and integrity of the journal’s scholarly record.

Publication Policy

The Journal of Educational Psychology and Assessment (JEPA) is committed to promoting equitable access to scholarly publishing and supporting the dissemination of high-quality research in educational psychology, assessment, education, and related fields.

No Article Processing Charges (No APC)

JEPA does not charge any Article Processing Charges (APCs) or publication fees to authors.

Authors are not required to pay any fee for:

Manuscript submission.
Peer review.
Manuscript processing.
Editorial evaluation.
Acceptance.
Publication of an article.
Online access to published articles.

The absence of publication charges applies regardless of the author’s institution, country, academic status, or number of authors.

Editorial and Publication Standards

Although JEPA does not charge APCs, all submitted manuscripts are subject to the journal’s established editorial and peer-review procedures. Manuscripts must meet the journal’s academic, methodological, ethical, and formatting requirements.

Publication decisions are based solely on scholarly considerations, including:

Originality and contribution to knowledge.
Relevance to the aims and scope of JEPA.
Methodological rigor.
Quality and clarity of presentation.
Ethical compliance.
Appropriate analysis and interpretation.
Compliance with the journal’s publication and referencing requirements.

Payment or the ability to pay does not influence editorial or publication decisions.

Open Access Publication

JEPA provides immediate open access to its published content. Readers can access published articles without subscription or access fees, supporting the free dissemination and global exchange of scholarly knowledge.

No Hidden Publication Charges

JEPA does not impose mandatory publication-related charges that are disclosed only after manuscript acceptance. Any exceptional service or cost, if introduced in the future, will be clearly communicated to authors through the journal’s official policies before submission.

Commitment to Authors

JEPA believes that financial barriers should not prevent researchers, educators, postgraduate students, and scholars from disseminating quality research. The journal therefore maintains a No APC policy while upholding rigorous editorial and peer-review standards.

Article Processing Charge (APC): NONE
Submission Fee: NONE
Publication Fee: NONE
Open Access Fee: NONE

Copyright Policy

The Journal of Educational Psychology and Assessment (JEPA) respects the intellectual property rights of authors and is committed to protecting the integrity, originality, and responsible dissemination of scholarly work.

1. Copyright Ownership

Authors retain the copyright of their original work published in JEPA, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

By submitting a manuscript to JEPA, authors confirm that:

The manuscript is their original work.
They have the necessary rights to submit and publish the manuscript.
The manuscript has not been published previously in substantially the same form.
The manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.
All sources, quotations, figures, tables, instruments, and other materials belonging to third parties have been appropriately acknowledged and, where necessary, permission for reproduction has been obtained.

2. Author Rights

Authors retain the right to use their published work for legitimate academic and educational purposes, including:

Sharing the published article with colleagues and students.
Using the article for teaching and educational activities.
Including the article in a thesis or dissertation.
Depositing the article in an institutional or subject repository, subject to the applicable licensing conditions.
Using the article as part of future scholarly work, with appropriate acknowledgement of its original publication in JEPA.
Sharing the article through personal or institutional academic platforms in accordance with the applicable Creative Commons licence.

3. Licensing

JEPA publishes articles under an open-access licensing model. Unless otherwise stated for a particular article, published content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

Under this licence, users may share and adapt the published work for lawful purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s), the source is acknowledged, and any changes are clearly indicated.

4. Attribution and Citation

Anyone using material published by JEPA must provide appropriate scholarly attribution. At a minimum, the citation should identify:

The author(s).
The title of the article.
The Journal of Educational Psychology and Assessment (JEPA).
Publication details, including volume, issue, year, and page information where applicable.
The article’s DOI, where available.
The applicable Creative Commons licence.

5. Third-Party Material

Authors are responsible for identifying material in their manuscripts that is not covered by the article’s Creative Commons licence.

Third-party material, including photographs, figures, tables, instruments, datasets, or previously published content, may be subject to separate copyright restrictions. Authors must obtain permission where required and clearly acknowledge such material.

6. Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism

JEPA takes copyright infringement and plagiarism seriously. Manuscripts may be screened for plagiarism or inappropriate reuse before or during the editorial and peer-review process.

Where copyright infringement or plagiarism is identified after publication, JEPA may take appropriate action, including correction, removal of material, publication of an editorial notice, or retraction of the article where warranted.

7. Responsibility of Authors

Authors remain responsible for ensuring that their submissions do not infringe the copyright, privacy, intellectual property, or other legal rights of third parties.

Submission and publication in JEPA do not transfer responsibility for the accuracy, originality, or lawful use of material from the author to the journal.

8. Copyright and Open Access

JEPA’s copyright policy is designed to support its commitment to open access and the free dissemination of scholarly knowledge while protecting authors’ intellectual property rights.

The journal does not require authors to transfer copyright to the journal as a condition of publication.

Copyright remains with the author(s), and published articles are made openly accessible under the applicable Creative Commons licence.

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