Numeracy and Pedagogical Studies in Primary Education (NPPE) is a peer-reviewed international journal published four times a year by Papanda Publisher. This statement clarifies the ethical standards of all parties involved in the process of publishing articles in this journal, including the authors, the editor-in-chief, the editorial board, the peer reviewers, and the publisher. The ethical standards of NPPE are adapted from the COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors, with emphasis on academic integrity, inclusiveness, and educational responsibility.

The publication of an article in a peer-reviewed journal such as NPPE represents an essential contribution to the advancement of knowledge in numeracy and pedagogy. Each publication reflects the quality of the authors’ work and the scholarly values of their institutions. Therefore, all parties are expected to adhere to ethical behavior that promotes fairness, transparency, and respect for intellectual contributions within the educational research community.

Papanda Publisher and the Editorial Board of NPPE take their guardianship role seriously at every stage of the publication process. We are committed to ensuring that commercial interests, advertisements, or sponsorships do not influence editorial decisions. The editorial team will also facilitate ethical communication with other journals and publishers whenever necessary to uphold the integrity of academic publishing.

Duties of Editors

The editor of NPPE is responsible for deciding which manuscripts should be published, guided by the journal’s scope and academic merit. The editor must ensure that the publication decision is based on the manuscript’s originality, clarity, validity, and contribution to the field of numeracy and pedagogical studies, not on personal or institutional bias. Legal requirements concerning copyright, plagiarism, and defamation must always be observed.

Fair Play
Editors evaluate manuscripts based on their intellectual content, without discrimination regarding race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, nationality, or political beliefs.

Confidentiality
Editors and editorial staff must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Manuscript content must not be shared or discussed with anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Editors must not use unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research without the written consent of the author.

Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Reviewers assist editors in making publication decisions and help authors improve the quality of their manuscripts through constructive feedback. The peer-review process is an essential component of maintaining the credibility of research in mathematics education and pedagogy.

Promptness
Any reviewer who feels unqualified to evaluate a manuscript or cannot complete the review within a reasonable time must inform the editor immediately and withdraw from the review process.

Confidentiality
All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential. They must not be shown to or discussed with others without explicit permission from the editor.

Objectivity and Constructive Feedback
Reviews must be conducted objectively, focusing on scholarly content and methodological rigor. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should clearly express their views with sound arguments and evidence-based reasoning.

Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the author and point out any potential overlap between the manuscript and other published papers. They must ensure academic honesty and proper attribution of ideas.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
Reviewers must not use privileged information obtained during the review process for personal benefit. They should decline to review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from collaborative, competitive, or financial relationships.

Duties of Authors

Reporting Standards
Authors must present an accurate account of their research work and an objective discussion of its significance. The manuscript should contain sufficient details and references to allow replication. Falsification, fabrication, or misrepresentation of data constitutes unethical behavior.

Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure that their works are original. If the work or words of others have been used, appropriate acknowledgment and citation must be given. NPPE uses plagiarism detection software to ensure originality.

Multiple or Concurrent Publication
Authors should not publish manuscripts describing the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is unethical and unacceptable.

Acknowledgment of Sources
Proper acknowledgment of other people’s work must always be given. Authors should cite all sources that have influenced the research, including theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and contextual studies in primary mathematics education.

Authorship of the Paper
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research. All those who contributed substantially should be listed as co-authors, and all co-authors should approve the final version and agree on its submission.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the results or interpretation of their work. All sources of financial support should be declared.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must immediately notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate to correct or retract the article.

By adhering to these ethical guidelines, NPPE aims to foster a culture of academic honesty, reflective professionalism, and collaborative integrity in the global community of primary education and numeracy research.