Publication Ethics

The Indonesian Education Policy and Justice Review (IEPJR) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, editorial independence, and responsible scholarly communication. The journal follows the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and considers relevant international standards and best practices in scholarly publishing, including guidance developed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) where applicable.

This policy applies to authors, editors, peer reviewers, editorial board members, and all other parties involved in the publication process. The journal expects all participants to act with integrity, transparency, fairness, accountability, and respect for the rights of others.

1. Editorial Responsibility

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are responsible for maintaining the academic quality and integrity of the journal. Editorial decisions are based primarily on the originality, scholarly significance, methodological rigor, relevance to the journal's scope, and ethical integrity of manuscripts.

Editors must:

  • evaluate manuscripts objectively and without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, political position, or other irrelevant personal characteristics;

  • maintain editorial independence and avoid inappropriate influence from commercial, institutional, political, or personal interests;

  • protect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts;

  • disclose and appropriately manage conflicts of interest;

  • ensure that manuscripts are handled through an appropriate peer review process;

  • investigate credible allegations of research or publication misconduct; and

  • take appropriate corrective action when ethical or integrity concerns are identified.

Editors must not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for personal research or professional advantage without the authors' permission.

2. Fair and Independent Peer Review

IEPJR uses a double-anonymous peer review process. Manuscripts are normally assessed by at least two independent reviewers with appropriate subject or methodological expertise.

Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, evidence-based, and confidential assessments. They must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest and decline the review when their impartiality may reasonably be compromised.

Reviewers must not:

  • use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal or professional benefit;

  • disclose manuscript contents to unauthorized persons;

  • contact authors directly concerning the manuscript without editorial authorization;

  • recommend citations primarily to increase personal or journal citation metrics; or

  • make personal, discriminatory, defamatory, or offensive comments.

Concerns regarding plagiarism, fabricated or falsified data, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, or other forms of misconduct should be reported confidentially to the handling editor.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted manuscripts are original, accurate, ethically conducted, and appropriately reported.

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:

  • the work is original and has not been published previously in substantially the same form;

  • the manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal;

  • all authors who made substantial contributions are appropriately recognized;

  • all listed authors have approved the submitted version and agree to its submission;

  • sources, data, ideas, quotations, and other scholarly contributions are properly acknowledged;

  • the reported findings accurately represent the research undertaken;

  • methods and analytical procedures are reported with sufficient transparency;

  • relevant ethical approval and informed consent requirements have been satisfied where applicable; and

  • any relevant conflicts of interest and sources of funding are disclosed.

Authors must cooperate with the editors in responding to questions concerning research integrity, data, authorship, ethical approval, or other aspects of the submitted work.

4. Originality, Plagiarism, and Duplicate Publication

IEPJR does not accept plagiarism or other forms of unauthorized appropriation of scholarly work. Plagiarism includes presenting another person's words, ideas, data, images, findings, or intellectual contributions as one's own without appropriate attribution.

Authors must also avoid:

  • duplicate or redundant publication;

  • substantial overlap with previously published work without appropriate disclosure and justification;

  • inappropriate self-plagiarism;

  • fabrication or falsification of research findings; and

  • manipulation or selective reporting of evidence intended to mislead readers.

The journal may use appropriate similarity-detection and research-integrity tools as part of its editorial and publication processes. A similarity score alone does not constitute a determination of plagiarism; editorial assessment considers the nature, extent, context, and source of the overlap.

5. Research Misconduct

IEPJR considers the following serious forms of research or publication misconduct:

  • fabrication of data or research results;

  • falsification or manipulation of data, images, methods, or findings;

  • plagiarism;

  • duplicate or redundant publication;

  • inappropriate or fraudulent authorship;

  • undisclosed conflicts of interest;

  • manipulation or interference with the peer review process;

  • citation manipulation;

  • unethical research involving human participants;

  • unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential research data; and

  • other conduct that seriously violates accepted standards of research integrity.

When credible concerns arise, the journal may conduct an initial assessment and, where appropriate, request clarification or supporting documentation from the authors. The journal may also contact the relevant institution, research ethics committee, funding body, or other appropriate authority when necessary.

Investigations and corrective actions will be handled in accordance with applicable COPE guidance and recognized research-integrity principles.

6. Authorship and Contributorship

IEPJR recognizes authorship as a matter of academic responsibility and accountability. Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research and manuscript and who are able to take responsibility for their contribution.

All authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission and publication.

The journal does not accept:

  • ghost authorship, where individuals who made substantial contributions are omitted;

  • guest or honorary authorship, where individuals are listed despite insufficient contribution; or

  • intentional misrepresentation of individual contributions.

Changes to authorship after submission should be exceptional and require a clear justification and agreement from all affected authors. The editors may request documentation before approving any authorship change.

7. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that could influence the research, review, or publication decision.

Conflicts may be financial, professional, institutional, personal, academic, or otherwise relevant to the manuscript.

Authors should disclose relevant:

  • research funding;

  • employment or consultancy relationships;

  • financial interests;

  • institutional affiliations;

  • personal or professional relationships; and

  • other circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the work.

Failure to disclose a significant conflict of interest may result in editorial action.

8. Funding and Financial Transparency

Authors must disclose all significant sources of financial or institutional support for the research and clarify the role of the funder, where applicable, in:

  • research design;

  • data collection;

  • analysis;

  • interpretation;

  • manuscript preparation; and

  • the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

The absence of external funding should also be stated where required by the journal's submission system.

9. Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants must comply with applicable ethical and legal requirements in the jurisdiction where the research was conducted.

Where applicable, manuscripts should clearly state:

  • whether ethical approval was obtained;

  • the name of the relevant ethics committee or institutional review board;

  • the approval or reference number, where available;

  • whether informed consent was obtained; and

  • how participant confidentiality, privacy, and other rights were protected.

For research involving human participants, IEPJR expects authors to follow relevant internationally recognized ethical principles, including the Declaration of Helsinki where applicable, as well as applicable national and institutional regulations.

The journal recognizes that ethical requirements may differ across research disciplines and jurisdictions. Editors may request additional ethical documentation where necessary.

10. Data Integrity, Transparency, and Reproducibility

Authors are expected to maintain accurate research records and ensure that data, methods, analytical procedures, and supporting materials are reported honestly and transparently.

Where appropriate and ethically permissible, authors are encouraged to make research data, instruments, analytical materials, code, or other supporting resources available through suitable repositories.

Data must not be shared when doing so would violate participant confidentiality, privacy, legal requirements, contractual restrictions, or ethical obligations.

If data cannot be made publicly available, authors should provide an appropriate explanation.

11. Use of Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI

The use of artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI tools, must be consistent with principles of transparency, accountability, authorship, confidentiality, and research integrity.

AI tools may assist with activities such as language improvement, formatting, coding assistance, literature organization, or other appropriate research-support functions. However, AI tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, originality, and ethical aspects of scholarly work.

Authors remain fully responsible for:

  • verifying the accuracy of AI-assisted content;

  • checking references and citations;

  • identifying and correcting factual errors or fabricated information;

  • ensuring that AI-generated material does not constitute plagiarism or inappropriate appropriation;

  • protecting confidential, personal, proprietary, or unpublished information; and

  • complying with applicable copyright, data protection, and research-ethics requirements.

Where AI or generative AI has been used in a substantive manner in the preparation or development of a manuscript, authors should provide an appropriate disclosure in accordance with the journal's author guidelines.

AI tools must not be used to fabricate data, manipulate evidence, generate false citations, impersonate authors or reviewers, or interfere with the peer review process.

12. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

IEPJR recognizes its responsibility to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

When errors are identified after publication, the journal may publish an appropriate correction, clarification, or other editorial notice, depending on the nature and significance of the issue.

Where evidence indicates that a published article contains serious errors, unreliable findings, research misconduct, or other circumstances that substantially undermine its integrity, the journal may issue a retraction.

In situations where concerns are credible but an investigation has not yet been resolved, the journal may publish an Expression of Concern where appropriate.

Corrective actions will be guided by applicable COPE recommendations and the principle that the scholarly record should remain accurate, transparent, and trustworthy.

13. Post-Publication Concerns

IEPJR welcomes responsible post-publication discussion and correction of the scholarly record.

Readers and researchers who identify credible concerns regarding a published article may contact the editorial office with relevant evidence and a clear explanation of the concern.

The editors will assess substantive allegations fairly and confidentially and may request clarification or supporting evidence from the authors or relevant institutions.

Post-publication criticism, disagreement with an interpretation, or alternative scholarly perspectives does not by itself constitute research misconduct.

14. Complaints and Appeals

Authors, reviewers, and readers may submit complaints concerning editorial decisions, peer review, publication ethics, or research integrity.

Complaints should provide sufficient information and supporting evidence to enable a fair assessment. The journal will handle complaints confidentially and without retaliation.

Authors may appeal an editorial decision when there are substantive grounds to believe that the decision involved a significant factual error, procedural irregularity, conflict of interest, or serious misunderstanding of the manuscript.

An appeal is not intended simply to challenge an unfavorable scholarly judgment. The editorial decision following an appropriately considered appeal will normally be final.

15. Editorial Independence and Academic Freedom

IEPJR is committed to editorial independence and academic freedom. Publication decisions are not determined by commercial interests, political considerations, institutional pressure, personal relationships, or the anticipated citation impact of a manuscript.

The journal welcomes rigorous scholarship presenting diverse, critical, and evidence-based perspectives, provided that submissions meet appropriate standards of academic integrity, research ethics, and scholarly quality.

16. Ethical Framework

IEPJR's publication ethics policy is informed by internationally recognized principles and guidance, including:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) — principles, guidelines, and flowcharts concerning publication ethics and research misconduct;

  • International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) — relevant recommendations on authorship, conflicts of interest, research integrity, and scholarly publication, where applicable;

  • World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) — relevant principles concerning editorial independence, peer review, and publication ethics, where applicable; and

  • Declaration of Helsinki — ethical principles for research involving human participants, where applicable.

IEPJR may update this policy periodically to reflect developments in international standards, research-integrity practices, digital scholarship, and responsible use of emerging technologies.

The journal's overarching commitment is to ensure that every stage of scholarly communication—from submission and peer review to publication and post-publication correction—is conducted with integrity, fairness, transparency, accountability, and respect for the international research community.