PUBLICATION ETHICS AND PUBLICATION MALPRACTICE STATEMENT

Sinesia: Journal of Community Service is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and research integrity. The journal follows internationally recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices, and applies ethical standards to authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and the publisher.

The journal is committed to ensuring that all published articles are original, scientifically and academically sound, transparently reported, properly attributed, and free from plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, inappropriate authorship, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and other forms of publication malpractice.

This Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement applies to all manuscripts submitted to and articles published by Sinesia: Journal of Community Service.

1. PRINCIPLES OF PUBLICATION ETHICS

Sinesia is committed to:

maintaining the integrity and reliability of the scholarly record;
ensuring fair, objective, and confidential peer review;
preventing plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, and other forms of research and publication misconduct;
ensuring transparent authorship and contributorship;
requiring disclosure of conflicts of interest and funding sources;
protecting the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and unpublished information;
providing appropriate mechanisms for corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, complaints, and appeals;
protecting the rights, dignity, privacy, and safety of research participants where applicable; and
ensuring editorial independence and decisions based on academic quality and relevance.

The journal may take appropriate editorial action when ethical concerns arise before or after publication.

2. AUTHORS' RESPONSIBILITIES

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submitted manuscripts meet the journal's ethical and scholarly requirements.

Authors must:

submit original work that has not been previously published;
ensure that the manuscript is not simultaneously submitted to another journal;
ensure that all data, findings, methods, and other information presented in the manuscript are accurate and honestly reported;
properly acknowledge and cite all sources used in the research;
obtain permission for copyrighted material when required;
disclose all relevant funding sources;
disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest;
comply with applicable ethical requirements for research involving human participants, communities, organizations, or other subjects;
retain appropriate research data and supporting documentation where applicable;
promptly notify the Editor if a significant error is discovered in a submitted or published article; and
cooperate with the journal in investigating possible ethical concerns.

Authors must not engage in fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, inappropriate manipulation of citations, or other forms of publication malpractice.

3. AUTHORSHIP AND CONTRIBUTORSHIP POLICY

Sinesia recognizes authorship as an important academic responsibility and requires transparent identification of individuals who have made substantial contributions to the research and publication.

An individual should be listed as an author only when they have made a substantial contribution to the work and have participated sufficiently in the preparation and approval of the manuscript.

Authors are expected to satisfy all of the following principles:

substantial contribution to the conception, design, implementation, analysis, or interpretation of the research;
substantial contribution to drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content;
approval of the final version of the manuscript before publication; and
accountability for the integrity and accuracy of the work and willingness to address questions concerning the research.

Individuals who contribute to the work but do not meet the authorship criteria should be appropriately acknowledged rather than listed as authors.

The journal does not permit:

Guest authorship – individuals listed as authors despite not meeting authorship criteria;
Gift authorship – authorship given because of position, status, or personal relationships without substantial contribution;
Ghost authorship – substantial contributors who are intentionally omitted from the author list.

All authors must agree to the submitted version of the manuscript and the order of authors before publication.

Any change to the author list after submission must be justified and approved by all authors. The Editor may request written confirmation from all affected authors before approving an authorship change.

Authorship disputes that cannot be resolved by the authors or their institutions may result in suspension of the editorial process until the matter is resolved.

4. CONTRIBUTORSHIP STATEMENT

Sinesia encourages authors to provide a statement describing individual contributions to the research and manuscript.

Where applicable, authors may use the following contribution categories:

Conceptualization
Methodology
Investigation
Data curation
Formal analysis
Writing – original draft
Writing – review and editing
Supervision
Project administration
Funding acquisition
Validation

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that the contribution statement accurately reflects the contributions of all authors.

5. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

A conflict of interest exists when personal, professional, financial, institutional, academic, or other relationships could reasonably be perceived as influencing the objectivity or integrity of the research, peer review, editorial decision, or publication.

Conflicts of interest may involve:

financial relationships;
employment or consultancy;
research funding;
institutional relationships;
personal relationships;
academic competition;
intellectual property;
political or organizational interests; or
other relationships that could reasonably affect impartiality.

Authors

Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts of interest at the time of submission.

If no conflict exists, authors should explicitly state:

"The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest."

Reviewers

Reviewers must decline to review a manuscript if they have a conflict of interest that could affect their impartiality, including close personal, professional, institutional, or competitive relationships with the authors.

Editors

Editors must not handle manuscripts where they have a conflict of interest with the authors, institutions, funders, or subject matter.

Where a conflict exists, the manuscript must be assigned to another qualified editor.

Conflicts of interest discovered after publication may result in an appropriate correction or editorial notice.

6. FUNDING DISCLOSURE

Authors must disclose all financial support received for the research and publication of the manuscript.

Funding information should identify:

the name of the funding organization;
grant or project identification where applicable; and
the role of the funder in the research, if any.

If the research received no external funding, authors should state:

"This research received no external funding."

Funding disclosure does not influence editorial decisions, provided that the research meets the journal's academic and ethical standards.

7. RESEARCH MISCONDUCT

Sinesia considers research misconduct to include, but not be limited to:

fabrication of data or results;
falsification or manipulation of data;
plagiarism;
self-plagiarism or inappropriate text recycling;
duplicate or redundant publication;
inappropriate image or data manipulation;
citation manipulation;
fraudulent authorship;
undisclosed conflicts of interest;
peer-review manipulation;
unethical research involving human participants or communities;
unauthorized use of confidential information; and
other practices that undermine the integrity of scholarly communication.

Allegations may be raised by authors, reviewers, readers, institutions, or other parties.

The journal will assess allegations objectively and confidentially and may request supporting evidence from the complainant, authors, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties.

Where appropriate, Sinesia may refer serious allegations to the relevant author's institution or research integrity body.

8. PLAGIARISM AND DUPLICATE PUBLICATION

Sinesia does not accept plagiarism in any form.

All manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism-detection software before or during peer review.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

direct copying without appropriate citation;
substantial copying of another author's work;
presenting another person's ideas as one's own;
inappropriate reuse of previously published material;
substantial self-plagiarism; and
unauthorized reproduction of figures, tables, or other copyrighted material.

Where plagiarism or substantial duplication is identified, the journal may reject the manuscript or take post-publication action when the article has already been published.

9. PEER REVIEW ETHICS

Sinesia uses an appropriate peer-review process to assess the academic quality of submitted manuscripts.

Reviewers must:

maintain confidentiality;
provide objective and constructive evaluations;
identify relevant published work that has not been appropriately cited;
disclose conflicts of interest;
avoid using unpublished information for personal research or advantage;
notify the editor of suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other ethical concerns; and
complete reviews within the agreed timeframe or notify the editor if an extension is required.

Reviewers must not contact authors directly regarding the manuscript unless authorized by the Editor.

The journal does not permit reviewers to use confidential manuscript information for personal, professional, financial, or academic advantage.

10. EDITORIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Editors are responsible for maintaining the academic integrity and quality of the journal.

Editors must:

evaluate manuscripts based on academic quality, relevance, originality, and scholarly merit;
make editorial decisions fairly and independently;
maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts;
identify and manage conflicts of interest;
ensure appropriate peer review;
protect authors' and reviewers' personal information;
investigate credible allegations of misconduct;
provide mechanisms for correction and retraction where necessary; and
avoid using unpublished information for personal advantage.

Editors must not discriminate against authors based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, academic status, or other irrelevant characteristics.

11. EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE

Editorial decisions are based on academic quality, originality, relevance, methodological soundness, ethical compliance, and the journal's scope.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by:

commercial interests;
advertising;
sponsorship;
personal relationships;
institutional pressure;
political considerations; or
financial considerations.

The publisher does not interfere with editorial decisions concerning individual manuscripts.

12. ETHICAL OVERSIGHT

Authors are responsible for ensuring that research complies with applicable ethical and legal requirements.

For research involving human participants, personal data, vulnerable communities, or other ethically sensitive subjects, authors must provide appropriate information regarding ethical approval or explain why formal ethical approval was not required.

Where applicable, manuscripts should include:

ethical approval information;
informed consent;
consent for publication;
protection of personal information;
confidentiality measures; and
procedures for protecting vulnerable participants or communities.

The journal may request evidence of ethical approval or informed consent when appropriate.

13. DATA AVAILABILITY AND RESEARCH INTEGRITY

Authors are encouraged to provide sufficient methodological and data-related information to enable appropriate assessment and, where feasible, reproducibility of the research.

Authors must not fabricate, falsify, selectively manipulate, or intentionally conceal research data in a manner that misrepresents the findings.

Where data cannot be publicly shared because of confidentiality, privacy, legal, ethical, or institutional restrictions, authors should provide an appropriate explanation.

The journal may request supporting data or documentation when necessary to investigate concerns regarding the integrity of published research.

14. CORRECTIONS

Sinesia recognizes its responsibility to maintain an accurate scholarly record.

If an error is identified after publication, the journal will assess its significance.

Minor errors

Minor errors that do not materially affect the findings, interpretation, or scholarly record may be corrected through an appropriate correction notice or amendment.

Significant errors

Errors that materially affect the interpretation, reliability, or conclusions of an article may require a formal correction, expression of concern, or retraction depending on the circumstances.

Corrections will be linked to the original article and clearly identified to maintain transparency of the scholarly record.

15. RETRACTION POLICY

An article may be retracted when there is clear evidence that its findings or publication record are unreliable or when serious ethical or publication misconduct has occurred.

Reasons for retraction may include:

major fabrication or falsification;
substantial plagiarism;
duplicate or redundant publication;
serious methodological or data-related errors that invalidate the findings;
fraudulent or inappropriate authorship;
unethical research;
manipulated or fraudulent peer review;
undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect the integrity of the article; or
other serious violations of publication ethics.

Retraction does not normally mean that an article is removed from the scholarly record.

The original article will normally remain accessible with a clear RETRACTED identification and a linked retraction notice explaining the reason for the action.

Retraction decisions will be made by the Editor in accordance with recognized publication-ethics principles.

16. EXPRESSION OF CONCERN

Where there is a credible allegation regarding the reliability or integrity of a published article but the investigation has not yet reached a final conclusion, the journal may publish an Expression of Concern.

An Expression of Concern is intended to alert readers to a potential issue while an investigation is ongoing.

When the investigation is completed, the journal may issue a correction, retraction, or other appropriate editorial notice.

17. COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS

Authors may appeal an editorial decision when they believe that the decision resulted from a significant procedural error, misunderstanding of the manuscript, reviewer conflict of interest, or other substantive issue.

Appeals must:

be submitted in writing to the Editor;
clearly explain the grounds for appeal;
provide relevant evidence or information; and
be submitted within a reasonable period after the editorial decision.

Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or an independent editor who was not involved in the original decision.

The appeal process does not guarantee acceptance or reversal of the original decision.

Complaints concerning editorial conduct, peer review, publication ethics, or journal management may be submitted to the journal through its official contact channel.

18. POST-PUBLICATION DISCUSSION

Sinesia welcomes responsible scholarly discussion concerning published articles.

Readers may contact the journal regarding substantial errors, methodological concerns, ethical issues, or other matters affecting the reliability of published work.

The journal will assess credible concerns and, where necessary, may initiate an editorial investigation and publish an appropriate correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction.

19. COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Authors must ensure that submitted materials do not infringe the copyright, intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or other legal rights of third parties.

Authors are responsible for obtaining appropriate permissions for copyrighted material when required.

All sources and intellectual contributions must be properly acknowledged.

20. GENERATIVE AI AND AI-ASSISTED TECHNOLOGIES

Sinesia recognizes that generative artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies may be used in scholarly communication.

Authors may use AI tools for limited purposes such as language improvement, grammar checking, translation assistance, or other appropriate editorial support, provided that authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of the manuscript.

AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors.

Authors remain responsible for:

verifying all AI-generated information;
correcting factual errors;
ensuring appropriate citation and attribution;
protecting confidential information;
avoiding plagiarism; and
disclosing substantive use of generative AI where required by the journal.

Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential manuscripts or unpublished information into external AI systems where doing so could compromise confidentiality or intellectual property.

The final responsibility for all published content remains with the human authors and the journal's editorial team.

21. CITATION ETHICS

Authors must cite relevant and appropriate scholarly sources.

The journal does not tolerate citation manipulation, including:

unnecessary citation of the authors' own work;
unnecessary citation of articles from the journal for the purpose of increasing citation metrics;
coercive citation;
excessive citation of an individual author, editor, journal, or institution without scholarly justification.

Citations must be relevant to the claims, arguments, methodology, or scholarly context of the manuscript.

22. PEER-REVIEW MANIPULATION

Sinesia considers manipulation of the peer-review process a serious form of publication misconduct.

This includes, but is not limited to:

fabrication of reviewer identities;
use of fraudulent reviewer accounts;
submission of fake or manipulated reviewer reports;
interference with the reviewer-selection process; and
attempts to improperly influence editorial decisions.

Where peer-review manipulation is identified, the journal may reject the manuscript, suspend the editorial process, retract a published article, or take other appropriate action.

23. CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY

The journal protects the confidentiality of manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial correspondence, and personal information obtained during the submission and publication process.

Unpublished manuscript information must not be disclosed or used for personal advantage without appropriate authorization.

Personal information collected through the journal's submission system will be handled in accordance with the journal's Privacy Statement and applicable laws and regulations.

24. HANDLING ETHICAL CONCERNS AFTER PUBLICATION

Ethical concerns may be reported at any time, including after publication.

When a credible concern is received, the journal may:

conduct an initial assessment;
request clarification or evidence;
contact the authors;
contact the relevant institution or research organization when appropriate;
consult independent experts;
issue an Expression of Concern;
publish a correction; or
retract the article.

The action taken will depend on the nature, severity, and evidence associated with the concern.

The journal seeks to ensure that investigations are fair, confidential, proportionate, and consistent with recognized publication-ethics practices.

25. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PUBLISHER

The publisher supports the Editor and Editorial Board in maintaining publication ethics and research integrity.

The publisher will provide reasonable support for:

investigation of ethical concerns;
correction and retraction procedures;
preservation of the scholarly record;
maintenance of journal policies;
protection of editorial independence; and
implementation of recognized publication-ethics standards.

The publisher does not determine the academic outcome of individual manuscripts.

26. COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION ETHICS STANDARDS

Sinesia: Journal of Community Service follows internationally recognized publication-ethics principles and continuously reviews its policies to maintain alignment with established standards in scholarly publishing.

The journal recognizes and follows relevant guidance from organizations including:

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
https://publicationethics.org/core-practices

The journal also considers relevant standards and guidance from recognized scholarly and publishing organizations where applicable.

27. EDITORIAL ACTION AND SANCTIONS

Depending on the seriousness of an ethical violation, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

request clarification;
request correction of the manuscript;
reject the manuscript;
suspend the review or publication process;
issue a correction;
publish an Expression of Concern;
retract a published article;
notify the author's institution;
restrict future submissions where justified; or
take other appropriate measures consistent with publication-ethics principles.

The journal will apply sanctions proportionately and based on available evidence.

28. COMMITMENT TO RESEARCH INTEGRITY

Sinesia is committed to maintaining a trustworthy scholarly record.

All parties involved in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and the publisher—share responsibility for protecting the integrity of scholarly communication.

The journal will continuously improve its policies and procedures in accordance with developments in international publication ethics and recognized best practices.

Last updated: 2026

Sinesia: Journal of Community Service
Sisi Indonesia Research and Community Service Foundation (SINESIA)