Publication Ethics and Research Integrity

Publication Ethics and Research Integrity Policy

1. Publication Ethics Statement

Jurnal Hilirisasi Technology kepada Masyarakat (SITECHMAS) is committed to upholding the principles of integrity, honesty, objectivity, transparency, and accountability throughout the entire scholarly publishing process.

This policy applies to authors, editors, peer reviewers, journal managers, and all other parties involved in scholarly publishing.

Jurnal Hilirisasi Technology kepada Masyarakat (SITECHMAS) refers to the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in addressing publication ethics issues, suspected research misconduct, conflicts of interest, and other matters concerning the integrity of scholarly works.

2. Allegations of Research Misconduct

Research and publication misconduct refers to actions that violate the principles of academic integrity and may affect the validity of scientific findings.

Forms of suspected misconduct include:

  • Fabrication: The creation of data, results, or research information that were never actually obtained.

  • Falsification: The alteration, manipulation, or omission of data and research results in a manner that no longer accurately represents the actual conditions.

  • Plagiarism: The use of another party's work, ideas, or research findings without proper attribution.

  • Duplicate Publication: The republication of the same work or substantially overlapping content without adequate disclosure and justification.

  • Citation Manipulation: The inappropriate use of citations to influence citation metrics or obtain certain benefits.

  • Peer Review Manipulation: Attempts to influence the peer review process through false identities, unauthorized reviewer nominations, or other manipulative practices.

  • Authorship Misconduct: The unauthorized inclusion, omission, or alteration of authorship.

  • Other Unethical Practices: The concealment of material conflicts of interest, unauthorized use of data, breaches of confidentiality, or other unethical actions that may compromise research integrity.

3. Reporting Mechanism

Any individual who possesses information or evidence concerning suspected research or publication misconduct may submit a report to the Editor-in-Chief through the official communication channels listed on the journal's contact page.

Reports should include the identity of the article or manuscript, a description of the suspected misconduct, and supporting evidence.

The journal may also consider anonymous reports if they contain sufficient information to enable an investigation.

The identities of reporters and sensitive information will be handled confidentially to the extent permitted by the investigation process and applicable legal requirements.

4. Investigation of Suspected Misconduct

Every report received will be handled through the following stages:

  1. Receipt and Recording of the Report. The editor documents the information and preliminary evidence submitted.

  2. Initial Assessment. The editor evaluates the relevance of the report, the sufficiency of the available information, and the potential impact on the integrity of the article.

  3. Clarification. The parties concerned are given the opportunity to provide explanations or supporting evidence.

  4. Further Investigation. When necessary, the editor seeks opinions from independent experts, the publisher, or the institution where the research was conducted.

  5. Determination of Action. The editor or authorized party determines the appropriate editorial action based on the investigation findings.

  6. Documentation and Follow-up. The process, evidence, communications, and decisions are recorded to ensure accountability.

Reports are handled proportionately, and decisions are not based solely on allegations that have not been verified.

5. Actions in Response to Misconduct

Editorial actions may include requests for clarification, manuscript revision, temporary suspension of the editorial process, manuscript rejection, article correction, publication of an Expression of Concern, or article retraction.

The choice of action takes into account the seriousness of the issue, the quality of the evidence, the impact on research validity, and the applicable publication ethics guidelines.

Article retraction is not automatically applied to every instance of misconduct. Decisions are made based on an assessment of the substance, reliability, and integrity of the scholarly record.

6. Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest is a situation in which personal, financial, professional, institutional, or other relationships may influence, or may be perceived to influence, the objectivity of research, peer review, or editorial decisions.

Conflicts of interest may be actual, potential, or perceived by others.

All parties involved in the publication process are required to disclose relevant conflicts of interest transparently.

7. Authors' Responsibilities

Authors must disclose relationships or interests that may influence the conduct, analysis, reporting, or interpretation of their research.

Such disclosures may include funding sources, relationships with sponsors, paid employment or consultancy, commercial interests, and relevant personal or professional relationships.

If there are no conflicts of interest to disclose, authors may use the following statement:

"The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this research and publication."

This statement must be accurate and agreed upon by all authors.

8. Editors' Responsibilities

Editors must maintain the independence of editorial decisions and refrain from handling manuscripts when conflicts of interest may compromise their objectivity.

If an editor has a relationship that may give rise to a conflict of interest, responsibility for handling the article will be transferred to another independent editor.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by personal relationships, institutional pressure, financial interests, or publication fees.

9. Peer Reviewers' Responsibilities

Peer reviewers must provide objective, professional assessments based on the scholarly substance of the manuscript.

Reviewers must disclose potential conflicts of interest before accepting an assignment. If a conflict may compromise the independence of their assessment, reviewers must inform the editor and may be asked to decline the assignment.

Reviewers are prohibited from using information contained in unpublished manuscripts for their own benefit or for the benefit of other parties.

10. Management of Conflicts of Interest

The disclosure of a conflict of interest does not automatically result in article rejection or the termination of the peer review process.

The editor will assess the nature and degree of influence of the conflict of interest and determine appropriate measures, including transferring manuscript handling to another editor, appointing independent reviewers, or requesting additional disclosures.

If a significant conflict of interest is discovered after publication, the journal will investigate the matter and issue a notice or take the necessary editorial action.

11. Research Ethics Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants, including interviews, observations, surveys, language experiments, or the collection of personal data, must adhere to the principles of informed consent, confidentiality, privacy, protection of vulnerable groups, and compliance with applicable ethical requirements.

When a study requires approval from an ethics committee, authors must provide relevant information or supporting documentation.

The identities and sensitive data of participants must not be published without an appropriate basis of consent or a valid legal basis.

12. Appeals and Objections

Authors or other relevant parties may appeal decisions concerning the handling of alleged misconduct by providing reasons and relevant supporting evidence.

Appeals will be reviewed by editorial personnel who have no conflicts of interest. When necessary, the review may involve the publisher or an independent party.

The final decision will be based on the investigation findings, the integrity of the scholarly record, and the applicable publication ethics requirements.

Jurnal Hilirisasi Technology kepada Masyarakat (SITECHMAS) is committed to handling publication ethics issues fairly, objectively, confidentially, and accountably.