JASE Ethics Regulations

Chapter1
Purpose, Responsibilities, and Obligations

1-1. Purpose.

These regulations were created to indicate how members of the Japanese Association of Special Education (“Members”) should handle ethics within their research and other activities, based on the Code of Ethics of the association.

1-2. Responsibilities and Obligations of Those Involved in Special Education.

Members shall show appropriate respect to the fundamental rights and dignity of all people, honoring the freedom and pursuit of happiness shared by individuals with and without disabilities. Members shall also remain conscious of their responsibility for their own actions while proactively working to prevent misconduct by adhering to government statutes and the regulations of their affiliated institutions.

To that end, Members shall sufficiently keep in mind the health, welfare, and safety of research participants*, protect their privacy, and pay the utmost attention to respecting their individual rights of autonomy and self-determination.

Members have the freedom and right to communicate the knowledge and information they obtain; however, they must strive to maintain objectivity and fairness in their statements, stay conscious of their social responsibility, and sufficiently consider the importance of their research and the effects that it may have on society.

• * In these regulations, “Participants” are defined as individuals who serve as the subjects of research, testing, experimentation, surveys, etc.

Chapter2
Ethics of Research and Publication

2-1. Research.

2-1-1. Exploring prior research to ensure originality

Researchers shall ensure the originality of their research by closely examining prior studies and ascertaining the issues before defining the goals of their own research. When doing so, they shall respect those who conducted the prior research and refrain from using language that constitutes a personal attack or denial of those individuals.

2-1-2. Protecting Participants

When conducting research, Members shall adhere to the research ethics rules of the organization with which they are affiliated. Members shall also respect the wishes of Participants as they decide whether to take part in a study, being careful not to excessively persuade or coerce anyone into participation.

Members shall inform in advance to Participants that they are free to withdraw from participation in a study at any time. Such explanations must be communicated in a manner that is appropriate for the Participant's developmental history and level of understanding.

Generally, Members must disclose information about the research and provide sufficient explanation to Participants when obtaining consent. However, if the nature of the research makes such prior disclosure impossible (such as studies that include deception), Members shall verify in advance that the study will not disadvantage the Participants in any way, conduct the research (after obtaining approval from the research-ethics review committee of their affiliated organization), and explain the reason for the nondisclosure to the Participants or their Guardians once it is completed.

Members shall make reasonable efforts to avoid causing Participants physical or psychological suffering or injury during the research period and for a certain amount of time after the research ends. They shall also fully consider the possibility of such events occurring and take appropriate precautions and implement preventative measures (by selecting clinics, counselors, etc. in advance). If a Member discovers that their study in progress is endangering the physical or mental health of a Participant, they shall immediately halt the research and devise strategies for improving the situation.

2-1-3. Protecting personal information

Members shall explain in advance to Participants how their personal information will be protected, and this explanation must generally be provided in writing. This explanation regarding the protection of personal information must be provided not only in the case of studies that target a small number of subjects, but also for class-wide studies (those that target one or more entire classes of grade-school students). However, if a Participant is incapable of freely providing their consent, the Member must obtain consent from their guardian.

Members shall securely manage information about Participants that they obtain through research and shall not use it for purposes other than those for which consent was provided.

It may be necessary to obtain approval from the individual in charge of such matters within the Participant's affiliated organization or at the institution where the research is being conducted. When collaborating with the organizations involved in their research, Members shall ensure that individual Participants cannot be identified from the names or other details of those organizations.

2-1-4. Informed consent

When conducting experimental research, field studies, or research involving surveys or interviews, Members shall fully explain to the Participants (and where necessary, their guardians) the purpose and methodology of the research, the anticipated level of distress, how the results will be published, and what will happen after the research period ends, then obtain their written consent to participate in the research.

In cases where the researcher is conducting an intervention study using a particular method, Participants have the right to be informed by the researcher of the details needed to make a decision regarding whether to accept or decline that method. Members shall guarantee that right to Participants.

2-1-5. Collecting, storing, and processing data

As the individuals representing their research, Members shall securely manage the data they acquire from experimental research, field studies, and research involving surveys or interviews. If the agreed-upon retention period has expired for Participant data, Members shall dispose of it at their own liability. Members shall make reasonable efforts to avoid the leakage of data during the below retention periods and prevent data from being used for other purposes.

However, if another researcher requests the disclosure of data based on the provisions of chapter 6, then Members shall strive to comply with that request. Therefore, collected data should be retained for the period of time specified within the research ethics regulations of the Member's organization. If the Member's organization has not specified a retention period within its research ethics regulations, then a reasonable retention period (5-10 years) shall be established when collaborating with Participants.

2-1-6. Duty of confidentiality

Members shall maintain the confidentiality of information about Participants that they learn through the research process.

2-1-7. Prohibition on research misconduct (fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism)

Members shall not engage in research misconduct such as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism when conducting research or publishing results. Fabrication is claiming that something is true when it isn't; falsification is the unwarranted alteration of words or numbers; and plagiarism is using statements from the research papers or written works of others without clearly citing the source of that information.

2-1-8 Avoiding conflicts of interest

It is possible that Members will commission or cooperate with other institutions for the purpose of advancing their own research or education. While such cooperation is very important, it can also lead to conflicts of interest with one's primary duties. Therefore, Members must work closely with the person in charge of managing such conflicts so that they are avoided.

Members shall explicitly state that there are no conflicts of interest when publishing papers that involve any sort of goods or products. Members shall also adhere to the separate “Conflicts of Interest Guidelines” created by the Association to avoid such conflicts.

2-1-9. Prohibition on multiple relationships

Generally, Members shall not use individuals with whom they have close and personal relationships (family members, bosses, subordinates, friends, significant others etc.) as Participants in their research. Also, Members shall not develop private relationships with Participants through research or field studies.

2-1-10. Joint researchers

When conducting joint research, training, or field studies, Members shall consider the human rights and welfare of their fellow researchers and be sure not to unjustly violate their rights or benefits.

2-2. Publishing (Institutional Journals, Academic Conferences, Subsidized Reports).

2-2-1. Protecting personal information when publishing research results

When publishing research results, Members shall make every effort to strictly protect any personal information conveyed by Participants when granting their consent. If some of the personal information of Participants has been processed, this fact must be disclosed when presenting a paper.

2-2-2. Respecting copyrights and portrait rights while preventing misconduct

Members shall respect the copyrights and portrait rights held by others and make reasonable efforts to prevent misconduct. If a Member uses a significant, unchanged portion of another person's research paper or any text, diagrams, or portraits from the written works of others, they shall obtain permission from the copyright holder, explicitly state the source of that information in the text of their own paper, then state that the information is being used with the owner's permission.

2-2-3. Prohibition on duplicate submissions and gift authorships

Duplicate submitting is when the same author submits a paper that has already been published in another journal, and it is considered misconduct. This can also occur when an author submits a paper that is currently under review by another journal or that is nearly identical to something that is already published, but they do not disclose this fact. Another misconduct is gift authorship, when a person that did not substantially contribute to conducting the research or writing the paper is listed as an author. Members shall not engage in duplicate submission or gift authorship.

2-2-4. Proper use of literature, databases, and other sources

When using or citing the published research papers or databases of others, Members shall explicitly state the sources of that information. When using figures or data, Members shall obtain permission from the copyright holder.

Whenever possible, Members shall cite the original text (primary source) and avoid using secondhand citations. If secondhand citations are unavoidable, disclose the reason why and state that it is a secondhand source.

If using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to write papers, explicitly state what they are used for and transparently clarify the scope of accountability regarding the contributions of the paper's authors.

2-2-5. Prohibition on using discriminatory or socially unacceptable language

When writing papers, Members shall not use language that could be seen as discriminatory or socially unacceptable. However, this does not apply when the source documents in historical research contain such language.

In addition, images and photographs cannot violate public order or morality.

2-2-6. Respecting previous authors by using fair and objective criticism

When conducting a review of prior research during the process of writing a paper, Members shall aim to achieve fair and objective comments and criticism without personally attacking or denying the authors of those works.

2-2-7. Considering the rights of joint researchers

Members shall ensure the rights of research collaborators are respected, and those who were substantively involved in conducting research or writing the paper shall be properly listed as authors.

2-2-8. Acting ethically when presenting at academic conferences

When presenting research at academic conferences (including oral presentations, poster sessions, presentations at symposiums, etc.), Members shall do so appropriately in accordance with the guidelines established by those academic societies and event preparatory committees.

Chapter3
Ethics Training and Awareness

3-1. Significance of Learning about Research Ethics.

In order to contribute meaningfully to all people and society as a whole (including people with disabilities), it is essential that Members are aware of the importance of following the principles of research ethics and that they independently strive to embody them. Therefore, Members shall make reasonable efforts to study research ethics by referencing other relevant texts, such as the one compiled by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science that is found at the end of these regulations.

3-2. Conducting Training and Awareness Activities.

The JASE will create opportunities at its annual meetings for Members to learn about research ethics (particularly Members who are not affiliated with universities, research institutes, and related organizations). It is also committed to holding planning symposiums and conducting awareness activities as appropriate.

Chapter4
Reviewing Submitting Papers etc. (Peer Review)

4-1. Anonymity, Objectivity, Respect, and Clarity.

When peer-reviewing research papers etc., Members shall give sufficient consideration to the anonymity of the paper's authors and the reviews while making reasonable efforts to remain impartial and objective, to respect the authors as people, and to provide clear commentary.

4-2. Treatment of Papers with Conflicts of Interest.

If a paper with a conflict of interest is submitted, the Standing Editorial Committee will deliberate to determine whether the paper will be accepted.

4-3. Submission Requirements and Ethics Training.

When conducting experimental research, field studies, or research involving surveys or interviews, Members shall adhere to the research ethics guidelines of their affiliated organizations. If a research-ethics review committee etc. has given its approval, that fact must be explicitly stated when submitting the paper. However, Members affiliated with organizations that do not have a research-ethics review committee shall follow the JASE Ethics Regulations, conduct their own training, and explicitly state the ethical considerations that they adopted when submitting their papers. Useful information regarding self-training can be found on the JASE website.

Chapter5
Suitable Activities and Proper Use of JASE Funds

5-1. The Various Committees.

Members of the various committees shall adhere to the principles of research ethics when drafting reports and executing their tasks.

5-2. Assistance Programs for Members.

When making use of public funds granted to the JASE (with research promotion programs etc.), Members shall clearly specify what the funds are used for and remain aware of their responsibility for carrying out the work.

Chapter6
Responding to Ethical Issues

6-1. Point of Contact for Complaints.

The JASE accepts complaints from people (whether Members or non-Members) who believe there to be misconduct in the research, papers, or reports connected to bulletin publications, conference presentations, and implemented projects.

Individuals submitting complaints must disclose their real names, indicate the authors and titles of the papers in question, and explain the suspected misconduct in writing. Written complaints are received by the JASE's executive secretary.

Anonymous allegations will be reviewed and accepted or rejected based on discussion between the executive secretary and the chairperson of the Ethical Response Committee.

6-2. Establishing Committees.

The JASE Ethical Response Committee will investigate complaints. If the chairperson of the committee deems it necessary, an investigative committee will be established to discuss future responses.

Based on the conclusion of the investigative committee, the Ethics Response Committee will then discuss a policy for responding to incidents.

The response will include the following. ①If it is determined that no misconduct exist, that result will be conveyed to the complainant in writing and reported at the next meeting of the board of directors. ②If it is determined that there was misconduct, that result will be conveyed to the board chairperson, who will convene a special meeting of the board of directors.

The Ethics Response Committee will create a written record of the deliberations at the board meeting.

6-3. Responding to Incidents.

Based on the decision and instructions of the board of directors, the chairperson of the Ethics Response Committee will respond to the complaint. ①The decision of the board of directors will be conveyed to the accused individual, who will be given an opportunity to object to the decision. ②If the decision of the board of directors is finalized, the Standing Editorial Committee will be asked to withdraw the paper in question.

Chapter7
Revisions

Revising these regulations requires approval from the board of directors.

Supplementary Provisions

1. These ethics regulations go into effect on April 21, 2018.
2. Partially revised on June 21, 2025.