At Bright Publisher, we take publication ethics seriously and are committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing. To support editors in managing ethical issues effectively and consistently, Bright Publisher integrates the use of the Publishing Ethics Resource Kit (PERK) originally developed by Elsevier into our editorial workflow for Artificial Intelligence in Learning (AIL) and other journals.

About PERK

The Publishing Ethics Resource Kit (PERK) is a comprehensive support system designed to help editors, reviewers, and publishers address potential cases of research or publication misconduct. Bright Publisher adopts and customizes PERK guidelines to ensure editors can handle ethical issues efficiently, fairly, and in accordance with international best practices (COPE, ICMJE, and OASPA). PERK offers editors and publishers a structured and transparent process for dealing with ethics-related cases, including:

• Flowchart guides — step-by-step visual workflows to handle various forms of publishing ethics concerns, such as plagiarism, authorship disputes, duplicate submissions, and data fabrication.

• Template form letters — adaptable communication templates to correspond with authors, reviewers, or institutions regarding ethical matters.

• Q&A reference materials — concise explanations of common ethics questions to ensure consistent editorial decisions.

• Direct links and references — access to official COPE guidelines, case studies, and external resources on best practices in research and publication ethics.