Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

About the Journal

Ettisal: Journal of Communication is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal published biannually (June and December) by Universitas Darussalam Gontor in collaboration with ISKI (Indonesian Association of Communication Scholars), APJIKI (Association of Indonesian Communication Science Journal Publishers), and ASPIKOM (Association of Higher Education Institutions in Communication Studies). First published in 2016, the journal holds P-ISSN 2503-1880 (Print) and E-ISSN 2541-0164 (Online). Ettisal serves as a primary reference for scholars in advancing communication science and its contemporary discourse.

1. General Principles and Publisher Responsibilities

Publishing in Ettisal contributes directly to the development of a coherent and respected network of knowledge. Universitas Darussalam Gontor, as the publisher, is committed to safeguarding editorial independence, ensuring that editorial decisions are made solely on academic merit without commercial or external influences. The publisher works in alignment with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to oversee every stage of publication, handle ethical allegations, facilitate corrections or retractions when necessary, and preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

2. Duties of Editors

  • Publication Decisions: The Editor-in-Chief holds ultimate responsibility for deciding which submitted manuscripts will be published, guided by the journal's focus and scope, academic quality, and theoretical/methodological rigor. Editors evaluate submissions in consultation with members of the editorial board or expert peer reviewers while adhering to legal and ethical requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.

  • Fair Play and Non-Discrimination: Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on their academic merit, intellectual content, and relevance, without discrimination based on the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

  • Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts. Information about a submission is shared only with the corresponding author, assigned reviewers, editorial advisors, and the publisher as required by the workflow.

  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the explicit written consent of the author. Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have competing interests resulting from collaborative, financial, or personal connections with any of the authors or institutions.

3. Duties of Reviewers

  • Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer reviewers assist the editorial team in making informed editorial decisions and help authors refine their manuscripts through constructive, objective, and evidence-based feedback.

  • Promptness and Confidentiality: Invited reviewers who feel unqualified to assess a manuscript or are unable to meet the review deadline must notify the editor promptly and decline the invitation. All manuscripts received for review must be treated as strictly confidential documents.

  • Objectivity and Ethical Alerts: Reviews must be conducted objectively without personal criticism of authors. Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors and alert the editor to any substantial similarity, overlap, or potential research misconduct (such as plagiarism or data manipulation).

  • Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must not evaluate manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the paper.

4. Duties of Authors

  • Reporting Standards and Data Integrity: Authors must present an accurate, honest, and objective account of their research. Underlying data must be represented faithfully without fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting. When requested, authors should be prepared to provide raw research data for editorial review and ensure data retention where feasible.

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must submit entirely original work. All forms of plagiarism—including verbatim copying, improper paraphrasing, self-plagiarism, or presenting another's work as one's own—are strictly prohibited. Proper acknowledgment of all sources and citations is mandatory.

  • Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Submission: Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently is unethical and unacceptable. Authors must not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one primary journal.

  • Authorship and Contributions: Authorship must be limited to individuals who made substantial intellectual contributions to the study's conception, design, execution, or interpretation. All co-authors must have reviewed and approved the final manuscript and agreed to its submission.

  • Human Subjects Ethics and Hazards: Research involving human participants must comply with international ethical standards (such as the Declaration of Helsinki) and show proof of approval from relevant institutional ethics committees, along with explicit statements of informed consent and participant privacy protection.

  • Conflicts of Interest and Funding Disclosures: Authors must disclose all financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could represent a potential conflict of interest. All sources of financial or material support for the research must be fully acknowledged.

  • Errors in Published Works: If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are obligated to notify the journal editor promptly and cooperate to publish an erratum, addendum, or formal retraction notice.

Associated Organizations & Indexing

Ettisal: Journal of Communication operates in formal collaboration with ISKI, APJIKI, and ASPIKOM, and is indexed in major academic databases including Google Scholar, Garuda, and Sinta.