Publication Ethics

Ruang Berdampak: Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat (R-BEDA) is committed to maintaining integrity, transparency, accountability, and fairness throughout the publication process. This publication ethics statement applies to authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher. The journal’s procedures are guided by the principles and core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must:

  • Submit original work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal.
  • Present community problems, program methods, partner participation, results, and evidence of impact accurately and honestly.
  • Avoid plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, and misleading claims about program outcomes.
  • Appropriately acknowledge and cite all sources, methods, instruments, images, and materials obtained from other parties.
  • List as authors only individuals who made substantial contributions to the work and approved the submitted version.
  • Avoid ghost authorship, gift authorship, and changes in authorship made without the agreement of all authors.
  • Disclose funding sources, institutional support, and any financial, professional, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest.
  • Retain relevant documentation and evidence supporting the implementation, evaluation, and reported impact of the program.
  • Inform the editor promptly when a substantial error or ethical concern is identified before or after publication.

2. Ethics of Community Engagement

Because R-BEDA publishes community engagement articles, authors must respect the rights, dignity, safety, privacy, culture, and autonomy of community partners and participants.

Authors must:

  • Obtain appropriate permission from community partners, institutions, or relevant authorities before program implementation and documentation.
  • Ensure that participation is voluntary and based on sufficient information concerning the program and the intended use of collected information.
  • Obtain appropriate consent for interviews, personal data, photographs, video recordings, quotations, and other identifiable information.
  • Protect confidential information and anonymize participants when identification is unnecessary or may create social, professional, cultural, or personal risks.
  • Apply additional safeguards when programs involve children, persons with disabilities, vulnerable groups, indigenous communities, or sensitive social issues.
  • Respect local knowledge, cultural values, community ownership, and the contributions of partners.
  • Obtain approval from an authorized ethics committee when required by the nature of the program, evaluation, institution, or applicable regulations.
  • Avoid exaggerating community participation, partner approval, program benefits, or sustainability.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

  • Evaluating submissions according to their originality, scholarly quality, ethical compliance, relevance to the journal’s scope, and contribution to impactful community engagement.
  • Making editorial decisions without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, political belief, or personal background.
  • Protecting the confidentiality of manuscripts, author information, reviewer identities, and editorial communications.
  • Avoiding editorial involvement in manuscripts presenting an actual or potential conflict of interest.
  • Selecting qualified and independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript.
  • Ensuring that the peer-review process is fair, objective, confidential, and timely.
  • Considering reviewer recommendations carefully while retaining responsibility for the final editorial decision.
  • Investigating credible allegations of misconduct and taking appropriate corrective action when necessary.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must:

  • Evaluate manuscripts objectively, constructively, respectfully, and within the agreed review period.
  • Assess the clarity of community needs, appropriateness of program methods, partner participation, evidence of outcomes, demonstrated impact, and prospects for sustainability.
  • Maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript and refrain from sharing or using unpublished information for personal or professional advantage.
  • Identify relevant published work that has not been appropriately acknowledged by the authors.
  • Avoid personal criticism, discriminatory comments, unsupported accusations, and requests for irrelevant citations.
  • Decline the review when the manuscript is outside their expertise or when an actual or potential conflict of interest exists.

5. Responsibilities of the Publisher

PT Nuraga Inspirasi Bersama, as the publisher of R-BEDA, is responsible for:

  • Supporting editorial independence and protecting editorial decisions from inappropriate commercial, institutional, or personal influence.
  • Providing a reliable journal management and publication system.
  • Supporting transparent procedures for complaints, appeals, ethical investigations, corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions.
  • Maintaining access to published content and preserving the journal’s publication record.
  • Collaborating with the editorial team in responding to ethical concerns without compromising the confidentiality and fairness of the investigation.

6. Handling Publication Misconduct

Suspected ethical violations will be examined fairly and confidentially in accordance with applicable COPE guidance. Authors or other relevant parties may be asked to provide explanations, original documentation, permissions, evidence of community participation, or supporting data.

Depending on the nature and severity of the issue, the journal may:

  • Request clarification or correction.
  • Return or reject the manuscript.
  • Suspend the editorial or review process.
  • Contact the authors’ institutions or other relevant authorities when justified.
  • Publish a correction or expression of concern.
  • Retract a published article.
  • Prohibit further submissions in cases of serious or repeated misconduct.

Corrective actions will be based on available evidence and applied proportionately. R-BEDA remains committed to preserving the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.