Publication Ethics

Lex: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Perspectives is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Suwaib Amiruddin Foundation. This statement on publication ethics outlines the professional and ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, peer reviewers, and the publisher. This policy aligns with the COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors to ensure the credibility, transparency, and integrity of scholarly communication.

Ethical Foundations of Journal Publishing

Lex: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Perspectives is committed to advancing high-quality research in political science, government studies, and public policy. The journal aims to promote open, honest, and ethical academic dialogue that contributes to a reliable and cumulative body of scientific knowledge. Upholding strict ethical standards is essential to preserving the integrity of research and the trust of the academic community.

Publisher’s Responsibilities

The Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, as the official publisher of Lex: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Perspectives, is responsible for:

  • Upholding editorial independence, ensuring that editorial decisions are made without commercial or political influence.
  • Facilitating an ethical publishing environment by supporting adherence to international standards of integrity.
  • Providing necessary resources and infrastructure to ensure fair peer review, editorial transparency, and publication quality.
  • Responding appropriately to ethical breaches, including plagiarism, data falsification, and authorship disputes.

Editorial Responsibilities

Editors of Lex: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Perspectives are expected to:

  • Evaluate all submissions based solely on their academic quality, originality, relevance to the journal scope, and methodological rigor, without discrimination based on the authors’ background or affiliation.
  • Ensure the confidentiality of all manuscripts and related data during the editorial and peer review process.
  • Prevent the misuse of unpublished content for personal research purposes.
  • Act on ethical concerns or allegations of misconduct—such as plagiarism, conflicts of interest, or data manipulation—with diligence, confidentiality, and transparency.
  • Make publication decisions based on the manuscript’s merit and reviewers’ recommendations.

Peer Reviewer Responsibilities

Peer reviewers are integral to maintaining the quality and ethics of academic publishing. They are expected to:

  • Conduct fair, objective, and timely evaluations of submitted manuscripts in their area of expertise.
  • Maintain strict confidentiality regarding the content under review and avoid any form of misappropriation.
  • Identify potential ethical issues (e.g., plagiarism, redundant publication, data fabrication) and report them to the editor.
  • Disclose any actual or perceived conflicts of interest that might compromise their impartiality.
  • Refrain from using information obtained through peer review for personal gain.

Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting to Lex: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Perspectives are responsible for:

  • Ensuring the manuscript is original, properly cited, and free from plagiarism or data manipulation.
  • Providing accurate and verifiable data; authors may be asked to submit raw data to support their findings.
  • Avoiding multiple or concurrent submissions of the same work to other journals.
  • Disclosing any prior publication or overlap with previously published material.
  • Ensuring that all listed co-authors have made a substantial contribution to the work and have approved the final version for submission.
  • Clearly stating any ethical clearance for research involving human subjects, animals, or hazardous materials.
  • Declaring any financial support, affiliations, or potential conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of the manuscript.
  • Notifying the editor promptly if significant errors are discovered in the published work, and cooperating in correction or retraction processes when necessary.

Plagiarism and Similarity Policy

Lex: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Perspectives strictly prohibits any form of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or unethical citation practices. All manuscripts undergo plagiarism detection through standard software (e.g., Turnitin) before peer review.

  • The journal enforces a maximum similarity threshold of 20%.
  • Manuscripts exceeding this limit will be returned to the author(s) for revision or rejected outright.
  • Authors are responsible for ensuring that all sources are properly acknowledged and cited.

Commitment to Integrity

By submitting to Lex: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Perspectives, all parties—authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—commit to upholding the values of academic honesty, transparency, accountability, and scholarly rigor. These ethical principles form the foundation for maintaining public trust in the dissemination of knowledge in political science, government, and public policy.