Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

 

1. Introduction and Ethical Principles

Ethical guidelines for journal publication (based on Elsevier policies COPE's Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors)

JISA (Jurnal Informatika dan Sains) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal first published in 2018. This statement clarifies the ethical behaviour of all parties involved in the act of publishing an article in this journal, including the author, the chief editor, the Editorial Board, the peer-reviewer and the publisher. This statement is based on COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

 The publication of an article in JISA represents a contribution to the development and dissemination of scientific knowledge. Editorial decisions and publication practices must therefore support the accuracy, originality, reliability, and ethical conduct of scholarly research.

2. Duties and Responsibilities of the Editorial Team

2.1 Publication Decisions

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for making editorial decisions on submitted manuscripts. Decisions should be based on the manuscript's scholarly merit, originality, relevance to the journal's focus and scope, methodological quality, and contribution to the field.

Editors may consult reviewers, editorial board members, or independent experts when additional assessment is required. Editorial decisions must comply with the journal's policies and applicable legal and ethical requirements.

2.2 Fair Evaluation

Editors must evaluate manuscripts fairly and objectively, without discrimination based on the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, nationality, or political views.

2.3 Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and related editorial communications. Information may be shared only with authorized parties involved in the editorial process or when disclosure is required for legitimate ethical, legal, or publication-related reasons.

2.4 Conflicts of Interest

Editors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and should not handle manuscripts where personal, professional, financial, or other relationships could compromise their impartiality. Such manuscripts should be reassigned to an appropriate editor when necessary.

Editors must not use unpublished information obtained through editorial work for personal advantage without the appropriate authorization.

2.5 Investigation of Ethical Concerns

Editors must take appropriate action when concerns arise regarding a submitted manuscript or published article. Depending on the nature of the concern, the journal may request clarification, examine supporting evidence, consult independent experts, or contact relevant institutions.

Where justified by the findings, the journal may reject a manuscript, request a correction, publish an expression of concern, retract an article, or take other appropriate editorial action. Concerns must be assessed fairly and based on the available evidence.

3. Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

3.1 Reporting Standards

Authors must present an accurate account of their research and provide an objective discussion of its significance. Data, methods, results, and conclusions must be reported accurately. Manuscripts should contain sufficient information and references to support scholarly evaluation and, where applicable, replication.

Fabricated, falsified, or knowingly misleading statements are unacceptable.

3.2 Data Access and Retention

Authors may be asked to provide relevant research data or supporting documentation for editorial assessment. Where practicable and ethically permissible, authors should facilitate appropriate access to supporting data and retain research records for a reasonable period after publication.

Data sharing must respect privacy, confidentiality, consent, intellectual property, and applicable legal or institutional requirements.

3.3 Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are original and that the work and words of others are properly acknowledged. Plagiarism, including unattributed copying, inappropriate paraphrasing, and misrepresentation of another person's findings, is unacceptable.

Manuscripts are subject to editorial assessment and similarity screening in accordance with JISA's Plagiarism Policy. Similarity reports are evaluated in context, and a numerical similarity score alone does not determine whether plagiarism has occurred.

3.4 Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals. Submissions should not contain substantial previously published material presented as new work without appropriate citation, disclosure, and justification.

Any permitted secondary publication must comply with applicable publication requirements, with the necessary permissions and acknowledgment of the primary publication.

3.5 Acknowledgment of Sources

Authors must appropriately acknowledge sources that influenced their research. Ideas, data, quotations, figures, tables, and other materials obtained from published or unpublished work must be cited or acknowledged as appropriate.

Information obtained through confidential communications or services must not be used without appropriate permission.

3.6 Authorship and Contributor

Authorship must reflect significant scholarly contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the research. All listed authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission.

Individuals who contributed to specific aspects of the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately.

A manuscript may have one or more authors. Single-author publications are acceptable when the authorship accurately reflects the contributions to the work. Guest authorship, ghost authorship, and the inappropriate inclusion or omission of contributors are unacceptable.

3.7 Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose financial or non-financial interests that could reasonably be perceived to influence their research or its interpretation. Sources of financial support must also be acknowledged.

Relevant disclosures should be provided at submission and updated when necessary.

3.8 Errors in Published Work

Authors who discover significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work must promptly notify the editorial office and cooperate in assessing the issue. Depending on the findings, the journal may issue a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction in accordance with its Correction and Retraction Policy.

4. Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers

4.1 Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer review supports editorial decision-making and helps authors improve their manuscripts. Reviewers should provide constructive, evidence-based evaluations of a manuscript's originality, scientific contribution, methodology, interpretation, and relevance to the journal.

4.2 Promptness

Reviewers who feel unqualified to evaluate a manuscript or cannot complete a review within the requested period should notify the editor promptly and decline or withdraw from the assignment as appropriate.

4.3 Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not disclose, distribute, or discuss manuscript content with unauthorized parties.

4.4 Objectivity and Professional Conduct

Reviews must be objective, reasoned, and respectful. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate. Reviewers should clearly explain their assessments and provide supporting arguments.

4.5 Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited and notify the editor of substantial similarities or overlaps with other work of which they are aware.

4.6 Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and decline assignments when their impartiality could reasonably be questioned. Unpublished information obtained through peer review must not be used for personal advantage.

5. Peer Review Integrity and Confidentiality

JISA is committed to maintaining a fair and confidential peer-review process. Manuscripts are evaluated in accordance with the journal's stated peer-review procedures.

Reviewers must provide independent assessments, maintain confidentiality, and disclose potential conflicts of interest. Editors are responsible for considering reviewer recommendations alongside the manuscript's scholarly merit and the journal's policies.

Concerns about manipulation of peer review or other irregularities are handled in accordance with the journal's research misconduct procedures.

For detailed procedures, please refer to the Peer Review Process.

6. Plagiarism, Fabrication, and Falsification

JISA does not accept plagiarism, fabrication of data or results, falsification of research materials or findings, or other practices that misrepresent the originality or reliability of scholarly work.

Manuscripts may be screened for textual similarity using Turnitin or another appropriate tool. Editors evaluate the results in context, considering the sources, nature, and extent of the overlap. Similarity percentages are not used as the sole basis for determining misconduct.

Where concerns arise, the journal may request clarification, supporting documentation, or further assessment. Confirmed or serious concerns may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or other appropriate action.

For detailed procedures, please refer to the Plagiarism Policy and Allegations of Research Misconduct.

7. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose relevant financial, professional, personal, or institutional relationships that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, their work or decisions.

Editors should arrange alternative handling where a conflict could compromise impartiality. Reviewers should decline assignments where they cannot provide an objective assessment. Authors must disclose relevant interests and funding sources in accordance with the journal's requirements.

Failure to disclose a relevant conflict may lead to further editorial assessment and appropriate action.

8. Research Ethics and Data Integrity

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research is conducted and reported in accordance with applicable ethical, legal, and institutional requirements.

Where relevant, manuscripts should include information about research ethics approval, informed consent, data protection, and other safeguards appropriate to the study. Authors must not fabricate or manipulate data, misrepresent research procedures, or conceal material information affecting the interpretation of their findings.

The journal may request supporting documentation when necessary to assess compliance or investigate concerns.

9. Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence

JISA expects authors to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools responsibly and transparently. AI tools must not be credited as authors, and human authors remain accountable for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of their manuscripts.

Authors must verify AI-generated content, references, data, and other outputs before submission. AI must not be used to fabricate evidence, misrepresent research results, plagiarize content, or compromise confidential information.

Substantive use of AI in research or manuscript preparation must be disclosed in accordance with the journal's AI Policy. Routine spelling, grammar, or language assistance may be treated differently where specified by that policy.

Reviewers and editors must protect confidential manuscripts and must not use AI tools in ways that compromise confidentiality, impartiality, or editorial integrity.

For detailed requirements, please refer to the AI Policy.

10. Allegations of Research Misconduct

JISA takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously. Concerns may relate to plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, inappropriate authorship, duplicate publication, peer-review manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other practices that may compromise scholarly integrity.

Authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and other parties may report concerns to the editorial office through the journal's official contact information. Reports should include relevant article details, a clear description of the concern, and supporting evidence where available.

The editorial team conducts an initial assessment and may request clarification, examine relevant records, consult independent experts, or contact an appropriate institution when necessary. Allegations are assessed fairly and on the available evidence. An allegation alone does not establish misconduct.

Depending on the findings, the journal may reject a manuscript, request a correction, publish an expression of concern, retract an article, or take other appropriate action.

For detailed procedures, please refer to Allegations of Research Misconduct.

11. Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

JISA is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. When errors or concerns are identified after publication, the journal assesses the available evidence and determines whether a correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other appropriate action is warranted.

Corrections may be issued for errors that require formal clarification but do not invalidate the principal findings. An expression of concern may be considered when credible questions remain unresolved. Retraction may be considered when the reliability or integrity of a published article is seriously compromised.

Editorial actions are determined according to the nature and seriousness of the issue, the available evidence, and the journal's publication ethics procedures. Authors may be invited to respond where appropriate, but an author's disagreement does not automatically prevent an editorial action supported by the evidence.

Notices should identify the affected article, explain the reason for the action as appropriate, and be linked to the original publication so readers can understand the status of the scholarly record.

For detailed procedures, please refer to the Correction and Retraction Policy.

12. Post-Publication Discussion

JISA welcomes constructive, evidence-based, and respectful discussion of articles published in the journal. Readers may submit comments, questions, or concerns regarding published work through the journal's official contact information.

The editorial team assesses submissions for scholarly relevance, supporting evidence, accuracy, and compliance with publication ethics. Where appropriate, JISA may invite the original authors to respond, consult independent experts, or take further editorial action.

A post-publication comment does not automatically establish that an article is incorrect or that misconduct has occurred. Any subsequent action will be based on the available evidence and the journal's applicable policies.

For detailed procedures, please refer to the Post-Publication Discussion Policy.

13. Fairness, Confidentiality, and Appeals

JISA seeks to handle ethical concerns fairly, impartially, and confidentially to the extent possible. Relevant parties may be given an appropriate opportunity to respond to concerns affecting their work, subject to the circumstances and the requirements of a fair assessment.

Individuals involved in assessing a concern must disclose relevant conflicts of interest. Information should be shared only with those who need it for the assessment, investigation, or appropriate editorial action, subject to applicable ethical, legal, and institutional requirements.

Where the journal's procedures permit, authors may submit a reasoned appeal through the official contact channel. Appeals will be considered according to the journal's editorial procedures and the evidence presented.

14. Policy Implementation and Related Policies

JISA implements its publication ethics principles through its editorial procedures and related journal policies. All authors, reviewers, editors, and other parties involved in the publication process are expected to comply with the applicable requirements.

This statement should be read together with the following policies:

  • Peer Review Process: procedures for manuscript evaluation, reviewer responsibilities, confidentiality, and editorial decisions.

  • Plagiarism Policy: similarity screening, attribution requirements, and the assessment of suspected plagiarism.

  • Allegations of Research Misconduct: reporting and assessment of suspected research or publication misconduct.

  • Correction and Retraction Policy: procedures for corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions.

  • Post-Publication Discussion Policy: procedures for scholarly comments, author responses, and concerns regarding published articles.

  • AI Policy: requirements for responsible and transparent use of artificial intelligence.

JISA aims to apply these policies consistently, transparently, and responsibly to support academic integrity and preserve the reliability of the scholarly record.