Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Community Health and Nursing (JCHN) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures to prevent publication malpractice. This statement outlines the ethical behavior expected of authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers, in accordance with guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), ICMJE, and WAME.

1. Duties of Authors

1.1. Originality and Plagiarism

  • Authors must submit original works and ensure all cited content is appropriately referenced.

  • Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, or paraphrasing without acknowledgment, is strictly prohibited.

  • All submissions are screened using Turnitin. The similarity index must not exceed 20%, and no single source may exceed 5%.

1.2. Authorship and Acknowledgment

  • Authorship must be limited to those who have made significant contributions to the study (conception, design, analysis, or writing).

  • All contributors must be listed, and all listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript.

  • Contributions from others (e.g., research assistants, funding bodies) must be acknowledged appropriately.

1.3. Data Accuracy and Integrity

  • Authors must present accurate data and results. Data fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting is unethical.

  • Underlying data should be made available upon editorial request.

1.4. Ethical Approval and Informed Consent

  • Studies involving human participants must receive Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee approval.

  • Authors must clearly state in the manuscript that informed consent was obtained.

  • For vulnerable populations, additional protections and appropriate guardian/parental consent must be demonstrated.

1.5. Conflict of Interest

  • Authors must disclose any financial, personal, or institutional conflicts of interest that may influence the research.

  • Funding sources must be fully acknowledged.

1.6. Multiple Submissions

  • Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is strictly prohibited.

1.7. Use of AI Tools

  • Authors may use generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) for grammar enhancement or formatting but must not use them to write original content or generate data.

  • All AI use must be disclosed in the acknowledgment section, with full author responsibility for the final manuscript content.

2. Duties of Editors

2.1. Editorial Independence and Integrity

  • Editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, relevance to the journal scope, originality, and quality—not influenced by authors’ identity, affiliation, or funding.

2.2. Confidentiality

  • Editors must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and editorial staff.

2.3. Fair Review Process

  • Editors ensure a double-blind peer review process and strive for impartial and timely reviews.

  • Editors are responsible for choosing qualified, conflict-free reviewers.

2.4. Handling Ethical Misconduct

  • Suspected misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data manipulation, unethical research) will be investigated thoroughly and handled in accordance with COPE flowcharts.

  • Editors may issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern as necessary.

2.5. Conflict of Interest

  • Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.

3. Duties of Reviewers

3.1. Contribution to Editorial Decision

  • Peer reviewers assist editors in making decisions and authors in improving the manuscript.

3.2. Confidentiality

  • Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be shared or used for personal gain.

3.3. Objectivity and Constructiveness

  • Reviews should be objective, constructive, and respectful. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate.

3.4. Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

  • Reviewers must decline any review assignment if they have conflicts of interest or cannot provide a timely, unbiased review.

3.5. Use of AI in Peer Review

  • Reviewers may not use AI tools to generate full review reports. Use of AI for grammar assistance is permitted only with human oversight and must be disclosed.

4. Duties of the Publisher

PT Inovasi Multi Guna ensures:

  • Editorial independence without interference in editorial decisions.

  • Support for ethical publishing, retraction procedures, and archiving policies.

  • Continuous improvement of the journal's systems, quality, and integrity in collaboration with editors and reviewers.

5. Research Misconduct and Publication Malpractice

Examples of publication malpractice include:

  • Plagiarism and self-plagiarism

  • Fabrication or falsification of data

  • Redundant or duplicate publication

  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

  • Authorship manipulation (ghost/gift authorship)

  • Peer review manipulation

  • Misuse of generative AI tools

Consequences:

  • Immediate rejection or retraction

  • Notification to authors' institutions

  • Ban on future submissions

  • Public notice of correction or misconduct

6. Retraction and Correction Policy

JCHN may issue:

  • Corrections (errata) for minor errors not affecting the conclusions

  • Retractions for major errors or misconduct

  • Expressions of concern where evidence of misconduct is inconclusive but serious enough to warrant caution

All actions follow COPE Retraction Guidelines.

7. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal decisions or raise concerns about misconduct via:
???? ethics@jchn.or.id

Appeals will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and, if required, an independent advisory panel.

8. Policy Updates

This ethics and malpractice statement is reviewed annually and revised as needed to reflect evolving standards in academic publishing.