Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Geographical Sciences and Education (JoGSE) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct in academic publishing. This Ethics Statement clarifies the expected ethical behavior for all parties involved in the act of publishing, including the authors, the editorial board, peer reviewers, and the publisher (Pubsains Nur Cendekia). Our policies strictly follow the best practice guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure integrity, transparency, and accountability at all stages of the publication process.

1. Publisher's Responsibilities

Pubsains Nur Cendekia, as the publisher of JoGSE, takes its supervisory duties over all publishing stages extremely seriously and recognizes its ethical responsibilities.

  • Editorial Independence: We ensure that advertising, reprinting, or other commercial revenues have no influence on editorial decisions.

  • Accessibility and Preservation: The publisher ensures that published material remains accessible, preserved, and transparently labeled (including retractions or corrections).

  • Support: The publisher supports editors in investigating and addressing ethical concerns and maintains the journal’s digital infrastructure for long-term access.

2. Editors’ Responsibilities

The editors of JoGSE are responsible for deciding which of the submitted articles should be published, driven by the validation of the work and its importance to researchers and readers.

  • Fair Play and Editorial Decisions: Manuscripts are evaluated solely on their intellectual content, scientific soundness, and methodological rigor, regardless of the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

  • Confidentiality: All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential documents. The editorial team will not disclose any information about a manuscript to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, prospective reviewers, and the publisher.

  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Editors must declare and avoid conflicts of interest. They will not handle manuscripts where they have personal, financial, or professional interests. Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s own research without written consent.

  • Error Handling and Misconduct: Editors will investigate all allegations of misconduct, including plagiarism, data falsification, duplicate publication, or unethical practices. When necessary, JoGSE will issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.

3. Reviewers’ Responsibilities

Peer reviewers play a vital role in safeguarding the quality and credibility of JoGSE by assisting editors in making decisions and helping authors improve their papers.

  • Promptness: Any selected reviewer who feels unqualified to review a manuscript or knows that a timely review is impossible should promptly inform the editor and decline the invitation.

  • Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review are confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, discuss, or use the content for personal benefit.

  • Objectivity and Integrity: Reviews must be conducted objectively, focusing on methodological rigor and clarity. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers must express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

  • Acknowledgement of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been cited by the authors. They must also notify the editor of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript and any other published data of which they have personal knowledge.

  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Insider information obtained through peer review must be kept confidential. Reviewers should not evaluate manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors or institutions connected to the papers.

  • Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools: Reviewers must not use AI to write reviews or summaries that compromise manuscript confidentiality. AI may be used strictly for language assistance, and reviewers remain fully responsible for the content of their reports.

4. Authors’ Responsibilities

Authors must uphold honesty, transparency, and integrity in their research and reporting.

  • Reporting Standards: Authors must provide an accurate account of the original research performed and an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data must be accurately represented. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must guarantee that their work is entirely original. Proper acknowledgment of sources is required, and plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited. JoGSE uses plagiarism-detection software to screen all submissions.

  • Data Access and Transparency: Authors should provide public access to raw data related to the manuscript when possible and retain such data for a reasonable time after publication to allow for replication.

  • Human Participation and Ethics: For research involving human participants (e.g., surveys, interviews, participatory mapping), authors must ensure informed consent, protect confidentiality, and comply with relevant ethical standards and data protection regulations. Evidence of ethical approval may be requested.

  • Multiple, Redundant, or Simultaneous Publication: Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently, or publishing manuscripts containing essentially the same research in multiple journals, is considered unethical and unacceptable.

  • Authorship: Authorship should be strictly limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All significant contributors must be listed as co-authors. The corresponding author must ensure all co-authors have approved the final version and agreed to its submission.

  • Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools: AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Any use of AI in drafting the manuscript must be clearly stated in the Methods or Acknowledgment section. Authors remain entirely responsible for all AI-generated content, ensuring it is accurate and free from copyright or bias issues.

  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence their research or its interpretation. All sources of financial support must be explicitly acknowledged.

  • Fundamental Errors in Published Works: If an author discovers a significant error in their own published work, it is their obligation to promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate fully to retract or correct the paper.

5. Retractions, Corrections, and Post-Publication Updates

JoGSE follows a transparent and rigorous procedure for handling post-publication issues:

  • Corrections: Minor errors (e.g., typographical mistakes) that do not affect the validity of the research will be corrected through an Erratum linked to the original article.

  • Retractions: Retractions may occur when major ethical or scientific issues are identified (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication, methodological flaws). Decisions are made in consultation with the editorial board and in line with COPE recommendations.

  • Post-Publication Updates: When new information emerges that significantly alters interpretation but does not undermine the work's validity, an Addendum may be issued.

6. Handling Ethical Concerns

JoGSE enforces a zero-tolerance policy toward unethical publishing practices. Allegations of misconduct will be thoroughly investigated according to COPE guidelines. Authors, reviewers, and readers are strongly encouraged to report any potential ethical concerns directly to the editorial office.

 

LAST UPDATE: 2 JANUARY 2026