Post Publication Discussion

Post-Publication Discussion Policy

1. Policy Statement

Borneo Humaniora recognizes that scholarly communication continues after an article has been published. Post-publication discussion provides an opportunity for researchers, authors, readers, and other members of the academic community to examine published findings, exchange perspectives, clarify interpretations, and contribute to the development of knowledge.

Borneo Humaniora welcomes constructive scholarly comments, critical assessments, questions, and responses concerning articles published in the journal. Such discussions must be conducted professionally, objectively, and respectfully, with a focus on scholarly arguments and evidence rather than personal criticism.

This policy applies to discussions concerning articles published in Borneo Humaniora across its areas of interest, including economics, education, theology, philosophy, law, history, philology, language, linguistics, culture, literature, arts, psychology, and related disciplines.

2. Forms of Post-Publication Discussion

Post-publication discussion may take the following forms:

2.1. Scholarly Comments and Letters to the Editor

Readers and researchers may submit scholarly comments or letters to the editor concerning a previously published article. These submissions may:

Present constructive criticism of the article's arguments, methods, analysis, or conclusions.
Identify possible factual, methodological, interpretative, or bibliographical errors.
Offer alternative interpretations or additional evidence.
Discuss the implications of the published findings for further research or practice.
Raise questions that may contribute to a better understanding of the article.

Comments must be relevant to the published work and supported by clear reasoning and appropriate references where necessary.

2.2. Authors' Responses

The original author or authors may be invited to respond to a published comment or substantive scholarly criticism. Responses should address the issues raised directly, clarify the relevant arguments or evidence, and maintain a professional and respectful tone.

The journal encourages a fair exchange of scholarly views and will provide the original authors with a reasonable opportunity to respond when appropriate.

2.3. Corrections and Clarifications

If a post-publication discussion identifies a factual error, incorrect reference, methodological issue, or other inaccuracy, the editor will assess whether a correction or clarification is necessary.

Corrections are intended to maintain the accuracy and reliability of the scholarly record. They are not intended to penalize authors for honest mistakes.

2.4. Research Integrity Concerns

Concerns involving possible plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other potential ethical violations must be reported to the editorial office.

Such concerns will be handled through the journal's publication ethics and allegations of misconduct procedures rather than treated solely as public scholarly comments.

3. Submission Requirements

Submissions for post-publication discussion should meet the following requirements:

Relevance: The submission must clearly identify the published article being discussed and explain the relevance of the comments.
Scholarly quality: Arguments must be logical, evidence-based, and supported by appropriate references where necessary.
Originality: The submission must represent the author's own scholarly contribution and appropriately acknowledge the work of others.
Professional language: Personal attacks, defamatory statements, discriminatory language, harassment, and unsupported accusations are not acceptable.
Transparency: Authors of comments and responses must disclose relevant conflicts of interest.
Authorship: All listed contributors must have made appropriate contributions and approved the submitted text.
Copyright and permissions: Any reproduced material must comply with applicable copyright and licensing requirements.

The editorial team may request revisions where necessary to improve clarity, accuracy, relevance, or compliance with the journal's policies.

4. Editorial Assessment

All submissions intended for publication as post-publication discussions will be assessed by the editor or an appropriately designated editorial representative.

The assessment will consider:

Relevance to an article published in Borneo Humaniora.
Scholarly significance and contribution to academic discussion.
Accuracy and adequacy of supporting evidence.
Clarity, fairness, and professional tone.
Compliance with publication ethics and applicable copyright requirements.

The editor may accept the submission, request revisions, seek an independent expert assessment, invite a response from the original authors, or reject the submission if it does not meet the journal's requirements.

Where an editor has a conflict of interest, the submission should be handled by an independent editor.

5. Opportunity for Authors to Respond

When a submitted comment raises substantive criticism or questions about a published article, the editor may invite the original author or authors to provide a response.

The invitation to respond does not imply that the original authors must agree with the criticism. Their response should address the scholarly issues raised and provide appropriate explanations or evidence.

The editor will assess both the comment and the response fairly. If both are accepted for publication, the journal may publish them together or link them to the original article to facilitate a balanced scholarly exchange.

The absence of a response from the original authors will not automatically prevent the journal from publishing a suitable scholarly comment.

6. Publication and Linking

Accepted post-publication discussions and authors' responses may be published as separate scholarly contributions or in another format determined by the editorial team.

Where technically possible, the journal will link the discussion to the original article and link the original article to the published discussion. This approach supports discoverability, transparency, and the continuing scholarly value of the published work.

All published comments and responses must comply with the journal's editorial standards, copyright policy, and applicable licensing terms.

7. Handling Significant Errors and Ethical Concerns

If post-publication discussion reveals evidence of a significant error or possible research misconduct, the editor will assess the matter in accordance with the journal's relevant policies.

Depending on the evidence and the seriousness of the issue, appropriate actions may include:

Requesting clarification or supporting documentation from the authors.
Publishing a correction or clarification.
Publishing an expression of concern while a matter remains unresolved.
Retracting an article when the evidence and circumstances justify retraction.
Referring a serious concern to the relevant institution or competent authority.

Any editorial action will be based on the available evidence and handled fairly, confidentially where appropriate, and in accordance with recognized publication ethics guidance.

The published version of record will not be substantively changed without an appropriate formal notice, except for minor technical corrections that do not affect the scholarly content and are permitted by the journal's procedures.

8. Confidentiality and Fairness

Borneo Humaniora is committed to treating all participants in post-publication discussion fairly and respectfully.

The journal will protect confidential information and personal data in accordance with applicable requirements. Editorial decisions will be based on scholarly merit, evidence, relevance, and compliance with publication ethics rather than personal relationships, institutional affiliation, or differences of opinion.

The journal does not consider legitimate scholarly criticism to be misconduct merely because it challenges the conclusions or interpretations of a published article.

9. Contact and Submission Procedure

Readers and researchers wishing to submit a comment, response, or concern regarding a published article should contact the editorial office of Borneo Humaniora through the official contact details provided on the journal website.

The submission should identify the original article by title, author, publication year, volume, issue, page range, DOI, or permanent URL, where available. A clear explanation of the issue and supporting references or evidence should also be provided.

The editorial office will assess the submission and inform the relevant parties of any further steps required.

10. Policy Review

Borneo Humaniora may review and update this policy to reflect developments in scholarly communication, publication ethics, and editorial practice.

This policy should be read together with the journal's Peer Review Process, Publication Ethics, Allegations of Misconduct, Conflict of Interest, and Corrections and Retractions policies.