Publication Ethics and Research Integrity

Publication Ethics and Research Integrity Policy

FaST - Jurnal Sains dan Teknologi

1. Publication Ethics Statement

FaST - Jurnal Sains dan Teknologi is committed to upholding the principles of integrity, honesty, objectivity, transparency, and accountability throughout the entire scientific publishing process.

This policy applies to authors, editors, peer reviewers, journal managers, and other parties involved in scientific publishing.

FaST uses the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) as a reference in addressing issues of publication ethics, alleged research misconduct, conflicts of interest, and issues related to the integrity of scholarly works.

2. Allegations of Research Misconduct

Research and publication misconduct are actions that violate the principles of academic integrity and have the potential to undermine the validity of scientific findings.

Forms of alleged misconduct include:

Fabrication: the fabrication of research data, results, or information that was never actually obtained.
Falsification: alteration, manipulation, or deletion of data and research results so that they no longer reflect the actual conditions.
Plagiarism: the use of another party’s work, ideas, or research findings without proper attribution.
Duplicate publication: the republication of the same or highly overlapping works without adequate disclosure and justification.
Citation manipulation: the improper use of citations to influence citation metrics or for specific gains.
Peer review manipulation: actions that influence the review process through the use of false identities, the appointment of unauthorized reviewers, or other manipulative practices.
Authorship misconduct: the unauthorized inclusion, omission, or alteration of authorship.
Concealment of material conflicts of interest, unauthorized use of data, breaches of confidentiality, or other unethical conduct that could compromise the integrity of the research.

3. Reporting Mechanism

Any individual with information or evidence regarding alleged research and publication misconduct may submit a report to the Editor-in-Chief through the official communication channels listed on the journal’s contact page.

Reports should include the identification of the article or manuscript, a description of the alleged misconduct, and supporting evidence.

The journal may also consider anonymous reports if they are accompanied by sufficient information to warrant an investigation.

The identity of the complainant and sensitive information are treated confidentially to the extent permitted by the investigation process and applicable legal provisions.

4. Investigation into Alleged Violations

Every report received will be processed through the following steps:

Receipt and registration of reports. The editor documents the information and preliminary evidence submitted.
Initial assessment. The editor evaluates the relevance of the report, the adequacy of the information, and its potential impact on the integrity of the article.
Clarification. The parties involved are given the opportunity to provide explanations or supporting evidence.
Further review. If necessary, the editor seeks the opinion of independent experts, the publisher, or the institution where the research was conducted.
Determination of action. The editor or the appropriate authority determines the editorial course of action based on the results of the review.
Documentation and follow-up. The process, evidence, communications, and decisions are documented to ensure accountability.

Reports are handled in a proportionate manner and are not based solely on unverified allegations.

5. Action Taken in Response to Violations

Editorial actions may include requests for clarification, manuscript revisions, temporary suspension of the editorial process, rejection of a manuscript, corrections to an article, publication of an expression of concern, or retraction of an article.

The decision on what action to take takes into account the severity of the issue, the quality of the evidence, the impact on the validity of the research, and applicable publication ethics guidelines.

Article retraction is not automatically applied to every violation. Decisions are made based on an assessment of the substance, reliability, and integrity of the scientific record.

6. Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest is a situation in which personal, financial, professional, institutional, or other relationships have the potential to influence—or are perceived to influence—the objectivity of research, reviews, and editorial decisions.

Conflicts of interest may be actual, potential, or perceived by others.

All parties involved in a publication are required to transparently disclose any relevant conflicts of interest.

7. Author's Responsibilities

Authors must disclose any relationships or interests that could influence the conduct, analysis, reporting, or interpretation of the research.

Disclosures may include funding sources, relationships with sponsors, paid employment or consulting, commercial interests, and relevant personal or professional relationships.

If there are no conflicts of interest to disclose, authors may use the following statement:

"The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this research and publication."

This statement must be accurate and agreed upon by all authors.

8. Editorial Responsibilities

Editors must maintain the independence of editorial decisions and avoid handling manuscripts if there is a conflict of interest that could compromise objectivity.

If an editor has a relationship that could potentially lead to a conflict of interest, responsibility for handling the article is transferred to another, independent editor.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by personal relationships, institutional pressure, financial interests, or publication costs.

9. Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers are required to provide evaluations that are objective, professional, and based on scientific merit.

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest before accepting an assignment. If there is a conflict that could affect the independence of their evaluation, reviewers are required to report this to the editor and may be asked to decline the assignment.

Reviewers are prohibited from using information contained in unpublished manuscripts for their own personal gain or that of others.

10. Conflict of Interest Management

Disclosure of a conflict of interest does not automatically result in the rejection of an article or the termination of the review process.

The editor will assess the nature and extent of the conflict of interest and determine the appropriate course of action, including reassigning the manuscript, appointing an independent reviewer, or requesting additional disclosures.

If a significant conflict of interest comes to light after publication, the journal will conduct an investigation and issue a notice or take the necessary editorial action.

11. Research Ethics Involving Human Subjects

Research involving human participants—including interviews, observations, surveys, language experiments, or the collection of personal data—must adhere to the principles of informed consent, confidentiality, privacy, protection of vulnerable groups, and compliance with applicable ethical guidelines.

If the research requires approval from an ethics committee, the author must provide relevant supporting information or documentation.

Participants’ identities and sensitive data must not be disclosed without their consent or an appropriate legal basis.

12. Objections and Appeals

Authors or relevant parties may file an objection to a decision regarding the handling of a violation by providing reasons and relevant evidence.

Objections will be reviewed by editorial staff who have no conflict of interest. If necessary, the review may involve the publisher or an independent party.

Final decisions are based on the results of the review, the integrity of the scientific record, and applicable publication ethics guidelines.

FaST is committed to addressing publication ethics issues fairly, objectively, confidentially, and accountably.