Publication Ethics

The NUSA-CARE Journal is highly committed to upholding scientific integrity, transparency, and accountability throughout the entire publication process. This publication ethics policy refers to the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and applies to Authors, Editors, Reviewers, and the Publisher.

 

1. AUTHORS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Authors must:

  • Guarantee manuscript originality—the manuscript has not been previously published and is not under consideration by any other journal.

  • Avoid plagiarism—including plagiarism of text, data, or ideas. The journal uses plagiarism screening tools (Turnitin/iThenticate) with a maximum limit of 20% similarity.

  • Cite sources honestly—all quotations, data, and ideas from others must be accurately credited.

  • Avoid redundant publication—do not submit the same article to more than one journal.

  • Disclose conflicts of interest—if any, authors must declare potential financial, institutional, or personal conflicts.

  • Include author contributions—all individuals listed as authors must have made a significant contribution to the research and the manuscript.

  • Ensure ethical approval—for research involving human subjects or animals, the manuscript must include the ethical committee approval number and adhere to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

  • Be willing to revise the manuscript—based on the feedback from the editor and reviewers in a professional and timely manner.

 

2. EDITORS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Editors must:

  • Maintain manuscript confidentiality—do not disclose the content of the manuscript to parties outside the editorial process without the author's permission.

  • Avoid conflicts of interest—do not handle manuscripts involving themselves, close family, or close colleagues.

  • Base decisions on scientific quality—the acceptance or rejection of a manuscript must be based on its validity, originality, clarity, and relevance—not the author's background.

  • Ensure a fair peer-review process—select reviewers who are competent, objective, and free from conflicts of interest.

  • Protect academic freedom—encourage scientific discussion without censoring ideas, provided they meet ethical and academic standards.

  • Retract articles if violations are found—if plagiarism, duplication, or data manipulation is proven after publication, the editor has the right to retract the article with formal notification.

 

3. REVIEWERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Reviewers must:

  • Provide objective assessment—based on scientific evidence, not personal opinion or bias.

  • Maintain confidentiality—do not disclose the content of the manuscript, the author’s identity, or editorial discussions.

  • Avoid conflicts of interest—immediately decline if they have a competitive, collaborative, or institutional relationship with the author.

  • Provide constructive feedback—help authors improve manuscript quality through clear, specific, and professional comments.

  • Report suspected ethical violations—such as plagiarism, data manipulation, or redundant publication to the editor.

  • Complete the review in a timely manner—adhere to the deadlines set by the editor.

 

4. PUBLISHER’S RESPONSIBILITIES

 

The Publisher (the institution or organization that publishes the journal) must:

  • Support editorial independence—not interfere with manuscript acceptance decisions.

  • Guarantee open and perpetual access—all content is available as open access and archived in long-term repositories.

  • Manage copyright fairly—use the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license.

  • Handle complaints and appeals—provide a resolution mechanism for ethical or academic disputes.

  • Foster journal sustainability—ensure the journal continues to be published periodically and maintains quality.

 

5. HANDLING OF ETHICAL VIOLATIONS

 

  • Any suspected ethical violation will be reviewed by the Editorial Board.

  • If proven, actions may include:

    • → Written warning

    • → Withdrawal of the manuscript before or after publication (retraction)

    • → Ban on future publication for a specific period

    • → Reporting to the author's/reviewer's institution

  • The decision is final and non-negotiable.