In Educación Química, we are committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards throughout the publication process. Any ethical conflict that arises during the evaluation, review, or publication of articles will be handled fairly, transparently, and in accordance with the best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Definition of Ethical Conflicts:

An ethical conflict may arise at various stages of the editorial process, including but not limited to:

1. Plagiarism: the unauthorized use of others' ideas, data, or texts without proper attribution.
2. Data fabrication: manipulation or invention of research data or results.
3. Conflict of interest: the existence of personal, financial, or professional interests that may influence the objectivity of the author, reviewers, or editors.
4. Self-plagiarism: the undisclosed reuse of previously published material without proper acknowledgment or justification.
5. Academic fraud: presenting false or fraudulent works.

Procedure for Handling Ethical Conflicts:

1. Detection and reporting: If an author, reviewer, editor, or reader identifies a potential ethical conflict, it must be reported immediately to the journal through the established contact channels.
2. Initial evaluation: The editorial committee will conduct a preliminary assessment to determine the nature of the conflict and decide if further action is needed. Depending on the severity of the case, the journal may request a deeper investigation.
3. Corrective action: If an ethical conflict is confirmed, the journal will take the following actions as appropriate:
• Request a correction, retraction, or public clarification for articles already online.
• Reject articles with plagiarism, data falsification, or undisclosed conflicts of interest.
• In the most severe cases, the journal reserves the right to permanently exclude the involved parties from future publications.
4. Confidentiality: All ethical conflict cases will be handled with the utmost confidentiality, in order to protect all parties involved, while not compromising the integrity of the editorial process.

Commitment to Scientific Integrity:

Educación Química is committed to ensuring the integrity and credibility of the scientific literature published, following COPE's recommendations and taking a firm stance against any malpractice that could undermine public trust in academic research.