Publication Ethics

Community Service Article is a peer-reviewed national journal, available online and published two times a year. This statement clarifies the ethical behavior of all parties involved in the act of publishing an article in this journal, including the author, the chief editor, the Editorial Board, the peer-reviewer­­­­­ and the publisher). This statement is based on COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

The publication of an article in the peer-reviewed Community Service Journal (COMERS) is a critical component in the advancement of knowledge and practice within the field of community service. This statement clarifies the ethical behavior expected from all parties involved in the publication process, including the authors, the chief editor, the Editorial Board, the peer reviewers, and the publisher. These guidelines are based on the COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Ethical Guideline for Journal Publication

The publication of an article in COMERS represents a significant contribution to the body of knowledge in community service and is a reflection of the quality of work conducted by the authors and supported by their institutions. Peer-reviewed articles in this journal uphold the standards of the scientific method. It is essential to establish clear ethical guidelines for all parties involved in publishing: the author, the journal editor, the peer reviewer, the publisher, and the society.

Universitas Bhakti Asih Tangerang as the publisher of COMERS takes its responsibility for all stages of publication seriously. We are committed to ensuring that advertising, reprint, or other commercial revenue has no influence on editorial decisions. Additionally, Universitas Bhakti Asih Tangerang and the Editorial Board will facilitate communication with other journals and publishers as necessary.

Publication Decisions

The editor of COMERS is responsible for deciding which articles submitted to the journal will be published. Decisions are based on the validation of the work and its significance to researchers and readers. The editor may be guided by the journal's editorial board policies and legal requirements related to libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The editor may consult with other editors or reviewers in making these decisions.

Fair Play

Editors evaluate manuscripts based solely on their intellectual content, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

Confidentiality

The editor and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher as appropriate.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s own research without the explicit written consent of the author.

Duties of Reviewers

  • Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review helps the editor make editorial decisions and may also assist the author in improving the manuscript.

  • Promptness: Reviewers who feel unqualified to review the manuscript or who cannot review it promptly should notify the editor and excuse themselves from the review process.

  • Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and should not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

  • Standards of Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should present their views with clear, supporting arguments.

  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify and cite relevant work that has not been referenced by the authors and inform the editor of any significant similarities with other published papers.

  • Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Privileged information obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal gain. Reviewers should not review manuscripts where they have conflicts of interest due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships.

Duties of Authors

  • Reporting Standards: Authors should present accurate accounts of their work, including an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be accurately represented. The manuscript should contain enough detail and references to allow others to replicate the work.

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure their work is original and properly cite or quote the work of others.

  • Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication: Authors should not publish the same research in multiple journals or submit the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently.

  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of others’ work is mandatory. Authors should cite all influential publications relevant to their work.

  • Authorship of the Paper: Authorship should be limited to those who made significant contributions to the study. All contributors should be listed as co-authors, and all co-authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission.

  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors should disclose any financial or substantive conflicts of interest that might affect their manuscript’s results or interpretation. All sources of financial support should be disclosed.

  • Fundamental Errors in Published Works: Authors who discover significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work must promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate in retracting or correcting the paper.