Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

1. Ethical Principles

Borneo Humaniora is committed to maintaining the integrity, quality, and credibility of scholarly publishing. This Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement establishes the ethical responsibilities of authors, editors, peer reviewers, and the journal's publisher and management.

The journal's publication ethics are guided by the principles of neutrality, fairness, honesty, accountability, confidentiality, and academic integrity. These principles are consistent with recognized standards of scholarly publishing, including guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and applicable Indonesian regulations on scientific publication ethics.

All parties involved in the publication process are expected to prevent and address plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, inappropriate authorship, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and other forms of research or publication misconduct.

2. Responsibilities of the Publisher and Journal Management

The publisher and journal management are responsible for maintaining the journal's operational sustainability and supporting ethical, transparent, and consistent publication practices.

The publisher and journal management shall:

Establish and communicate clear policies concerning manuscript submission, peer review, publication ethics, copyright, and licensing.
Provide the necessary resources and administrative support for the journal's operation and regular publication.
Protect the intellectual property rights of authors and other rights holders.
Respect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and personal information.
Support editorial independence and ensure that editorial decisions are not improperly influenced by commercial, institutional, personal, or political interests.
Ensure that manuscripts undergo the required editorial assessment, peer review, and production processes before publication.
Cooperate with editors and relevant institutions in investigating credible allegations of research or publication misconduct.
Support appropriate corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, or other editorial notices when necessary to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Borneo Humaniora are responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical conduct of their work.

Authors shall:

Submit original scholarly work that has not been published previously, except where prior dissemination is permitted by the journal's policy and is fully disclosed.
Ensure that the manuscript is not under consideration by another journal at the same time.
Present research methods, results, interpretations, and conclusions honestly and accurately.
Avoid plagiarism, self-plagiarism that misrepresents previously published material as new, duplicate publication, data fabrication, and data falsification.
Cite and acknowledge all sources, ideas, data, and materials derived from other works.
Ensure that authorship is limited to individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the work and that all listed authors have approved the final manuscript.
Obtain permission to reproduce copyrighted or otherwise restricted material when required.
Disclose relevant financial and non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the research or its interpretation.
Obtain appropriate ethical approval and informed consent where required by the nature of the research and applicable regulations.
Retain relevant research records and provide reasonable clarification or supporting information when requested by the editor.
Respond to editorial and reviewer comments professionally and provide a clear explanation of revisions.
Notify the editor promptly if a significant error is discovered in a submitted or published article and cooperate in correcting the scholarly record.

Authors are accountable for the content of their manuscripts and must ensure that all statements, data, references, and research findings are presented responsibly.

4. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for managing the editorial process fairly, independently, confidentially, and consistently with the journal's policies.

Editors shall:

Evaluate manuscripts according to their scholarly merit, originality, relevance to the journal's scope, and compliance with editorial requirements.
Make editorial decisions without discrimination based on the authors' race, ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, institutional affiliation, or political views.
Ensure that manuscripts selected for external assessment are handled through the journal's established peer review process.
Select reviewers with appropriate expertise and take reasonable steps to identify and manage conflicts of interest.
Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and related editorial communications.
Not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for personal advantage or research without appropriate authorization.
Address suspected ethical violations objectively and seek clarification from the relevant parties when appropriate.
Consider reviewer reports carefully while retaining responsibility for the final editorial decision.
Provide authors with clear explanations of editorial decisions and opportunities to respond to legitimate editorial concerns.
Publish corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern, or retractions when justified by the evidence and the journal's procedures.
Ensure that editorial decisions are not improperly influenced by commercial or other competing interests.

Editors who have a conflict of interest involving a submitted manuscript must disclose the conflict and, where appropriate, delegate the handling of that manuscript to an independent editor.

5. Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers play an essential role in evaluating the quality, originality, relevance, and integrity of manuscripts submitted to Borneo Humaniora.

Reviewers shall:

Provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based assessments within the agreed review period.
Evaluate manuscripts according to their expertise and inform the editor if a manuscript falls outside that expertise.
Maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts, review materials, and editorial communications.
Declare any actual or potential conflicts of interest and decline the review when impartiality may be compromised.
Identify relevant published work that has not been cited and notify the editor of possible plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other ethical concerns.
Avoid personal criticism of authors and express concerns in a professional and respectful manner.
Not use unpublished information, data, or ideas obtained through peer review for personal or professional advantage.
Not distribute or disclose the manuscript or review materials to unauthorized individuals.
Assess revised manuscripts when requested and provide clear recommendations to support editorial decision-making.
Refrain from contacting authors directly about a manuscript under review unless expressly authorized by the editor.

Reviewers provide recommendations; the final decision regarding publication remains the responsibility of the editor.

6. Plagiarism, Duplicate Publication, and Research Misconduct

Borneo Humaniora does not tolerate plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, inappropriate manipulation of research results, or duplicate publication that misrepresents the originality of a manuscript.

Plagiarism includes presenting another person's words, ideas, data, or work as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment. Duplicate publication includes publishing substantially overlapping material without adequate disclosure or justification.

The journal may conduct similarity checks and other appropriate assessments during editorial screening or at any stage after submission. Similarity scores are considered alongside a qualitative assessment of the manuscript; a similarity score alone does not establish whether plagiarism has occurred.

When potential misconduct is identified, the editor may request an explanation or supporting documentation from the authors. Depending on the seriousness and available evidence, the journal may reject the manuscript, request revisions or clarification, suspend the editorial process, contact the relevant institution where appropriate, or take post-publication action.

All allegations shall be assessed fairly, confidentially, and on the basis of available evidence. Authors will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond where appropriate.

7. Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest may arise when financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other relationships could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, the conduct of research, peer review, or editorial decisions.

Authors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest at submission. Reviewers must inform the editor of conflicts that could affect their impartiality. Editors must also disclose relevant conflicts and ensure that affected manuscripts are handled independently.

The existence of a declared conflict does not necessarily mean that a manuscript cannot be published. The journal will assess the nature of the conflict and determine whether disclosure, independent review, reassignment, or other appropriate measures are necessary.

8. Research Ethics and Informed Consent

Authors must ensure that research involving human participants, personal data, or other ethically sensitive materials complies with applicable laws, institutional requirements, and recognized ethical standards.

Where applicable, authors must obtain approval from an appropriate research ethics committee before conducting the research and obtain informed consent from participants. Any limitations on consent or confidentiality must be explained and justified in accordance with applicable ethical requirements.

Authors must protect participants' privacy and avoid disclosing personally identifiable information without an appropriate legal and ethical basis. Research involving animals, where relevant, must comply with applicable animal welfare requirements.

The editor may request evidence of ethical approval, consent, or other supporting documentation when necessary to assess the ethical acceptability of a study.

9. Complaints and Appeals

Borneo Humaniora accepts substantiated complaints concerning editorial decisions, peer review, publication practices, authorship, conflicts of interest, and alleged research or publication misconduct.

Complaints and appeals should be submitted to the journal's editorial office with a clear explanation of the concern and any supporting evidence. The editor or an appropriately designated independent person will assess the matter objectively and confidentially.

Where a complaint concerns the editor responsible for the manuscript, the matter should be referred to another qualified editor or an appropriate representative of the publisher to avoid a conflict of interest.

An appeal against an editorial decision must provide a reasoned basis for reconsideration, such as a significant factual error, a misunderstanding of the manuscript, or a demonstrable procedural concern. An appeal does not guarantee reversal of the original decision.

The journal will seek to resolve complaints fairly and document significant decisions. Matters that cannot be resolved internally may be referred to the publisher, the authors' institutions, or other appropriate bodies when warranted.

10. Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Concerns

Borneo Humaniora recognizes its responsibility to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the published scholarly record.

When a significant error or ethical concern is identified after publication, the editor will assess the available evidence and determine the appropriate action. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

Correction: For an error that can be corrected without invalidating the principal findings or conclusions of the article.
Expression of Concern: When a serious concern has arisen but the available evidence is insufficient for a final determination, or an investigation remains unresolved.
Retraction: When reliable evidence establishes that an article contains seriously unreliable findings, significant plagiarism, fraudulent data, or another major violation that warrants retraction.

Editorial notices will explain the reason for the action as clearly as appropriate. Published articles and associated notices will be linked or otherwise presented in a manner that supports transparency and preserves the scholarly record.

The journal will consider credible post-publication concerns regardless of when they are raised and will take proportionate action based on the evidence.

11. Confidentiality and Data Protection

The journal respects the confidentiality of manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial correspondence, and personal information collected during submission and publication.

Such information will be used only for legitimate editorial, publication, and journal-management purposes or disclosed when required by applicable law or a properly justified research-integrity process.

Editors, reviewers, and journal staff must not disclose confidential information to unauthorized parties or use it for personal advantage.

12. Ethical Use of Intellectual Property

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts respect copyright, licensing requirements, and the intellectual property rights of third parties.

All reproduced figures, tables, images, instruments, and other protected materials must be properly attributed and accompanied by permission where required. Authors must comply with the journal's copyright and licensing policies.

Any correction or dispute concerning ownership, attribution, or unauthorized use of material will be assessed by the editorial team and addressed in accordance with applicable law and the journal's policies.

13. Ethical Oversight and Policy Implementation

Borneo Humaniora expects all authors, editors, reviewers, and journal staff to cooperate in maintaining responsible scholarly publishing practices.

The journal may revise its editorial procedures and publication ethics policies when necessary to reflect changes in applicable regulations, recognized publication ethics guidance, and developments in scholarly publishing.

This policy should be read together with the journal's Author Guidelines, Peer Review Process, Copyright Notice, License, and other relevant editorial policies.

For questions or concerns about publication ethics, authors and readers may contact the editorial office of Borneo Humaniora through the contact information provided on the journal website.