1. Introduction

Indonesia Discourse is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and research integrity based on COPE Core Practices and other internationaly recognized standards. The journal upholds the principles of honesty, transparency, accountability, fairness, confidentiality, and academic responsibility throughout the publication process. All parties involved in scholarly publishing, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher, are expected to adhere to these principles to ensure the credibility and reliability of published research.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Indonesia Discourse must ensure that their work is original, accurately reported, and prepared in accordance with accepted standards of academic integrity. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their data, the validity of their analyses, and the appropriate interpretation of their findings. All sources must be properly cited, and all listed authors must have made meaningful scholarly contributions to the work.

Manuscripts must not have been published previously or be under consideration by another journal simultaneously. Authors must disclose related publications, relevant funding sources, and actual or potential conflicts of interest. Authors must also obtain permission to reproduce copyrighted materials and comply with applicable research ethics requirements.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring that editorial decisions are based on originality, scholarly quality, relevance, methodological rigor, and ethical acceptability. Decisions must be made fairly and independently, without discrimination based on personal characteristics or institutional affiliations unrelated to scholarly merit.

Editors must maintain manuscript confidentiality, manage conflicts of interest, ensure appropriate peer review, and take reasonable action when allegations of research or publication misconduct arise. Editorial decisions must not be influenced by commercial interests or other factors unrelated to academic and ethical standards.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, professionally, and confidentially. Their assessments should address originality, theoretical grounding, methodological rigor, quality of analysis, validity of conclusions, and scholarly contribution. Reviews must be constructive, evidence-based, and respectful.

Reviewers must disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest and decline assignments when their impartiality may be compromised. They must not use unpublished information for personal advantage or share confidential manuscripts with unauthorized persons. Suspected plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or other ethical concerns should be reported to the editor.

5. Peer Review Process

Indonesia Discourse applies a double-blind peer review system in which the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from each other, subject to the limitations of the review process. Manuscripts undergo an initial editorial assessment to determine their suitability for the journal's focus and scope, originality, and compliance with submission requirements.

Manuscripts that pass the initial assessment are normally evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with relevant subject expertise. The editor makes the final publication decision after considering the reviewers' reports and the manuscript's academic merit and ethical acceptability.

6. Plagiarism and Similarity Screening

Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable. It includes presenting another person's ideas, words, data, or intellectual contributions as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment. Submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection or similarity-checking software. Similarity reports are supporting evidence for editorial assessment and are not, by themselves, conclusive proof of plagiarism.

Where plagiarism or inappropriate reuse is established, the journal may reject the manuscript, request an explanation, or take further action in accordance with the seriousness of the case and applicable publication ethics guidance.

7. Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes fabrication of data, falsification of research results, plagiarism, deceptive image manipulation, improper authorship practices, and deliberate misrepresentation of research methods or findings. When concerns arise, the editor may request explanations, supporting documentation, or original data from the authors. Where appropriate, the journal may contact the authors' institutions or other responsible authorities.

8. Authorship and Contributions

Authorship must accurately reflect substantial scholarly contributions. All listed authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to be accountable for their contributions. Gift authorship, ghost authorship, and the omission of eligible contributors are unacceptable. Changes to authorship after submission must be justified and approved by all affected authors.

9. Conflicts of Interest and Funding Disclosure

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose financial, professional, personal, or institutional interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, research or editorial decisions. Authors must include a conflict of interest statement, even when no competing interests exist. Relevant funding sources and the role of sponsors must also be disclosed.

10. Research Ethics and Informed Consent

Research involving human participants, animals, identifiable personal information, or sensitive data must comply with applicable laws, institutional requirements, and recognized ethical standards. Authors must obtain ethical approval where required and provide relevant information in the manuscript. Where applicable, informed consent must be obtained and participant confidentiality and privacy must be protected.

11. Use of Artificial Intelligence

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical acceptability of all submitted content, including content prepared with artificial intelligence (AI) tools. AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors must disclose substantive use of generative AI in accordance with the journal's applicable submission requirements.

AI-generated references, quotations, data, images, and factual statements must be independently verified. AI must not be used to fabricate data, invent sources, or misrepresent research procedures. Editors and reviewers must protect manuscript confidentiality and must not upload confidential materials to external AI services when doing so could compromise confidentiality or violate applicable policies.

12. Corrections and Retractions

The journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. Corrections may be issued when errors can be remedied without invalidating the main findings. Retractions may be considered when findings are unreliable because of serious error or misconduct, or when substantial ethical breaches undermine the integrity of the publication. Expressions of concern may be published when significant questions remain unresolved or an investigation is ongoing.

13. Complaints and Appeals

Complaints concerning publication ethics, editorial conduct, peer review, authorship, or research integrity may be submitted to the editorial office through the journal's official communication channels. Complaints will be assessed impartially and confidentially. Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a reasoned written request identifying specific factual errors or significant procedural irregularities.

14. Actions in Cases of Ethical Misconduct

When a breach of publication ethics is established, the journal may reject a manuscript, request corrections, publish a correction or retraction, restrict future submissions where justified, or notify relevant institutions or authorities when appropriate. Actions will be proportionate to the established misconduct and consistent with applicable publication ethics guidance.

15. Publisher's Responsibilities

The publisher supports the editorial independence of Indonesia Discourse and must not interfere with editorial decisions based on scholarly merit. The publisher will cooperate with the editorial team in addressing credible allegations of publication misconduct and correcting the scholarly record.

16. Commitment to Ethical Publishing

Indonesia Discourse is committed to promoting responsible scholarship, transparent editorial practices, and ethical publication. Authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher share responsibility for maintaining the credibility and trustworthiness of the scholarly record and are expected to comply with this statement and the journal's applicable editorial policies.