Publication Ethics

Manunggal: Journal of Collaboration for Community Welfare is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures to prevent any form of ethical misconduct. The journal follows the guidelines and standards set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The following sections outline the ethical responsibilities for all parties involved in the publication process: authors, reviewers, editorial board members, and the editor-in-chief.

1. Author Responsibilities

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their submitted works are original and have not been previously published or under consideration elsewhere. Proper citations and acknowledgments of others' work must be included, and plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited.
  • Accuracy of Data: Authors must ensure that all data presented in their work is accurate, properly documented, and verifiable. Falsification or manipulation of data is unethical and unacceptable.
  • Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or other conflicts of interest that could potentially influence the interpretation of the results.
  • Authorship: All individuals who have made significant contributions to the research should be listed as co-authors. Authors must ensure that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript before submission.
  • Corrections and Retractions: If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, it is their responsibility to promptly notify the editor and cooperate in correcting or retracting the paper if necessary.

2. Reviewer Responsibilities

  • Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all manuscripts received for review as confidential documents. They must not disclose any information about the manuscript to anyone other than the editorial team.
  • Objectivity and Fairness: Reviewers must provide an objective, unbiased, and constructive evaluation of the manuscript. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate, and all feedback should be respectful and aimed at improving the manuscript.
  • Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their reviews in a timely manner, and if they are unable to meet the deadline, they must inform the editor promptly.
  • Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers should decline the review if they have any potential conflicts of interest with the authors or the content of the manuscript.

3. Editorial Board Member Responsibilities

  • Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Members of the editorial board provide expertise in their field and contribute to the decision-making process regarding the publication of submitted manuscripts. They may be asked to review manuscripts or provide guidance on specific topics.
  • Confidentiality: Editorial board members must maintain confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts and refrain from disclosing any information related to the review process.
  • Support Ethical Standards: Board members should ensure that all published research adheres to ethical standards, including issues related to plagiarism, conflicts of interest, and research misconduct.
  • Conflicts of Interest: Editorial board members must disclose any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from the decision-making process for manuscripts where such conflicts exist.

4. Editor-in-Chief Responsibilities

  • Fair and Transparent Decision-Making: The editor-in-chief is responsible for ensuring that all manuscripts are evaluated fairly, based on their scholarly merit and relevance to the journal’s scope, without regard to the authors' personal background, gender, or institutional affiliation.
  • Confidentiality: The editor-in-chief must maintain confidentiality regarding all submitted manuscripts and the details of the review process, sharing information only with the corresponding authors, reviewers, and editorial board members as appropriate.
  • Publication Integrity: The editor-in-chief must ensure the integrity of the publication process, investigating any allegations of misconduct (e.g., plagiarism or research fraud) and taking necessary actions, such as issuing corrections, retractions, or other appropriate measures.
  • Conflicts of Interest: The editor-in-chief must avoid handling manuscripts where there may be a conflict of interest and delegate the review process to other qualified editorial board members.