Publication Ethics

Journal of Social, Education and Religious Studies (JSERS) is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publication. All parties involved in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—are expected to follow ethical guidelines aligned with the standards set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The following statement outlines the responsibilities and ethical obligations for each role in the journal's editorial process:

1.    Duties of Authors

Authors must uphold the integrity of academic research by ensuring that:

  • The submitted manuscript is their original work and has not been published elsewhere nor is under consideration by another journal.
  • All data used in the research is accurately represented; fabrication, falsification, or misrepresentation of data constitutes unethical behavior.
  • Proper citation practices are followed, and all sources are appropriately acknowledged using APA 7th edition style.
  • Authorship is limited to those who have made significant contributions to the research. All individuals who contributed substantially must be listed as co-authors, and those who contributed in a lesser capacity should be acknowledged appropriately.
  • Any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest are disclosed.
  • Ethical approval has been obtained for studies involving human participants (if applicable), and consent has been secured.
  • Authors agree to participate in the peer-review process and respond constructively and timely to editorial and reviewer feedback.
  • If significant errors or inaccuracies are discovered after publication, the author must notify the editor immediately and cooperate in issuing a correction or retraction.

 

2.    Duties of Editors

Editors are responsible for the editorial quality and integrity of the journal. They must:

  • Evaluate submitted manuscripts exclusively on the basis of academic merit, relevance to the journal's scope, originality, and clarity—without regard to the authors’ race, gender, institutional affiliation, nationality, or political beliefs.
  • Ensure confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and prevent unauthorized access or use of manuscript content before publication.
  • Manage the peer-review process in a fair, timely, and transparent manner, assigning qualified reviewers and ensuring double-blind review is upheld.
  • Take appropriate action when ethical concerns are raised regarding a submitted or published paper, including investigating complaints and working with authors and reviewers to resolve conflicts.
  • Maintain communication with authors and reviewers and provide guidance in accordance with the journal's policies and COPE standards.

 

3.    Duties of Reviewers (Peer Reviewers)

Reviewers contribute to the decision-making process and the improvement of manuscript quality. They are expected to:

  • Evaluate manuscripts objectively, fairly, and in a timely manner, based on the content alone, without bias.
  • Maintain confidentiality regarding manuscripts under review and not use any information obtained through peer review for personal advantage or disclose it to others.
  • Identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors and report any suspected ethical misconduct, such as plagiarism or duplicate submission.
  • Inform the editor of any conflicts of interest (financial, academic, institutional, or personal) that could affect their impartiality in reviewing a manuscript.

 

4.    Duties of the Publisher (PT Suria Academic Press)

As the publisher, PT Suria Academic Press is committed to ensuring that:

  • Editorial independence is respected, and editors are given full autonomy in the editorial decision-making process.
  • Journal policies are transparent, accessible, and in compliance with COPE and best practices in scholarly publishing.
  • Appropriate systems are in place for digital preservation, archiving, and access to published content (e.g., open access, OAI-PMH).
  • All reasonable steps are taken to identify and prevent the publication of papers where research misconduct has occurred.

 

5.    Plagiarism and Misconduct Policy

  • JSERS has a strict policy against plagiarism. All submissions are checked using plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin or similar tools).
  • Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or significant duplication without proper citation will be rejected or retracted.
  • Authors found engaging in misconduct may be blacklisted from future submissions.