The Journal of Language and Culture (JLC), published by the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia (RILCA) at Mahidol University, is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of ethical research and publication. In alignment with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, JLC commits to fair, transparent, and responsible practices throughout the publishing process.

I. Journal Policies on Authorship and Contributorship:

Authorship in JLC is restricted to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research and manuscript preparation. All listed authors must endorse the content and be prepared to assume public responsibility for the published work. Co-authorship is warranted for contributions beyond purely technical aspects, while ghostwriting and honorary authorship are strictly prohibited. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgements" section.

II. Handling Complaints and Appeals:

JLC takes all complaints about published works seriously and encourages submission via email to [email protected]. Complaints are acknowledged within 48 hours and investigated promptly by the Editor-in-Chief or an appointed committee. Authors are informed of complaints and provided an opportunity to respond. Based on the investigation, JLC may take various actions, including retraction, correction, clarification, or a statement in the journal. Unresolved complaints may be appealed to the Editorial Board, whose decision is final.

III. Conflicts of Interest / Competing Interests:

Authors are obligated to disclose all potential conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission, including financial affiliations, grants, patents, or personal relationships that could influence research presentation. The editorial board assesses potential conflicts, and articles with significant conflicts may be rejected or published with appropriate caveats.

IV. Data Sharing and Reproducibility:

Authors are encouraged to share data upon reasonable requests, promoting research transparency and reproducibility. Data sharing plans should be outlined in the manuscript, including depositing data in a public repository. Exceptions may be justified on ethical or confidentiality grounds, with explanations provided to the Editor-in-Chief.

V. Ethical Oversight:

Authors must ensure research compliance with ethical guidelines and regulations, with explicit ethical approval statements for studies involving human or animal subjects. JLC reserves the right to reject papers raising ethical concerns.

VI. Intellectual Property:

Authors retain copyright, granting JLC non-exclusive publishing rights. Authors can share their work under Creative Commons licenses, permitting non-commercial use and citation. Other uses require permission from the author(s).

VII. Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections:

JLC welcomes post-publication discussions through its online comments section. Authors can respond to comments, and clarifications or corrections may be published if necessary. In cases of significant errors or ethical issues, JLC may publish corrections or retract the article.

This document is publicly available on the JLC website, regularly reviewed, and updated to reflect current research ethics and publication best practices. For inquiries or clarifications, contact the JLC Editorial Board at [email protected].

For Editors

• Editors must check manuscripts for adherence to the Journal's aims, objectives, and scopes, ensuring quality and originality.
• Manuscripts must not have been published elsewhere, and the editorial process must be confidential.
• Editors should avoid conflicts of interest, cease the review process for plagiarized manuscripts, and maintain unbiased reviews.
• Editors are responsible for continuous quality maintenance and clear communication of submission guidelines.

For Authors

• Authors must submit original, unpublished manuscripts and avoid plagiarism.
• Compliance with journal submission guidelines and referencing styles is essential.
• Funding sources should be declared, and all relevant parties related to the research must be acknowledged truthfully.
• Human or animal subjects research requires submission of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval statement if requested.

For Reviewers

• Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts for significance, originality, validity, and accuracy without biases.
• Timely submission of reviews is crucial, and reviewers must possess relevant expertise.
• Reviewers must avoid conflicts of interest, maintain confidentiality, and refrain from suggesting self-citations.