Anti-Abuse Policy

Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan (JIKA) is committed to maintaining integrity, transparency, accountability, and credibility in scholarly publishing. JIKA does not tolerate publication misconduct, manipulation of research findings, abuse of editorial procedures, or other unethical practices that may compromise peer review, publication quality, or the integrity of the scholarly record.

This policy applies to all participants in the publishing process, including authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and the publisher. Allegations of misconduct will be assessed fairly, objectively, proportionately, and confidentially, in accordance with recognized publication ethics standards, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices.

A. Scope of the Policy

This policy establishes principles and procedures for preventing, detecting, investigating, and addressing the misuse of JIKA’s editorial and publishing systems. It covers suspected misconduct occurring before submission, during editorial assessment and peer review, throughout publication, and after publication.

The policy applies to manuscripts under consideration, published articles, editorial communications, peer-review activities, and the use of the journal’s online submission and publishing platform.

B. Prohibited Practices

JIKA prohibits publication misconduct and abuse of the editorial process, including but not limited to the following practices.

1. Plagiarism and Improper Use of Published Work

Plagiarism includes presenting another person’s words, ideas, images, tables, data, or other intellectual contributions as one’s own without appropriate attribution. Related practices include self-plagiarism, inappropriate text recycling, and duplicate publication.

All authors are responsible for ensuring that borrowed material is properly cited and that the submitted manuscript meets the journal’s originality requirements. Allegations will be assessed based on the nature and extent of the overlap, the context, attribution, and other relevant evidence.

2. Data Fabrication and Falsification

Data fabrication refers to inventing research data or results that were not obtained. Data falsification includes manipulating research materials, procedures, data, images, or results, or selectively reporting findings in a manner that misrepresents the research.

Authors must ensure that research findings are accurately reported and supported by appropriate records. Suspected manipulation of data, figures, images, or clinical and experimental results may be investigated.

3. Duplicate and Simultaneous Submission

Authors must not submit the same manuscript, or substantially overlapping manuscripts, to multiple journals simultaneously. Republishing substantially the same findings without appropriate justification, disclosure, and editorial approval may also constitute publication misconduct.

Any legitimate overlap with previously published work must be disclosed and appropriately referenced.

4. Paper Mill Submissions and Third-Party Misconduct

JIKA prohibits the submission of manuscripts produced, brokered, or sold by commercial paper mills or other services that misrepresent authorship, research activities, data, or findings.

The use of legitimate professional assistance, such as language editing, does not automatically constitute misconduct. However, authors remain responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and accountability of their manuscripts.

Where credible evidence indicates that a manuscript originates from fabricated research or a paper mill, JIKA may reject the manuscript or take appropriate post-publication action in accordance with its publication ethics policies.

5. Authorship Abuse

JIKA prohibits:

Guest authorship: Including individuals who have not made a qualifying scholarly contribution.
Gift or honorary authorship: Granting authorship based solely on status, personal relationships, or obligation.
Ghost authorship: Failing to acknowledge individuals who made substantial contributions that warrant authorship.
Purchased authorship: Buying, selling, or improperly transferring authorship positions.
Misrepresentation of contributions: Providing inaccurate information about an author’s role in the research or manuscript.

All listed authors must satisfy JIKA’s authorship criteria and accept responsibility for their contributions. Authorship and contributorship matters are governed by the journal’s Authorship and Contributorship Policy.

6. Peer Review Manipulation

JIKA prohibits any attempt to deceive, circumvent, or improperly influence the peer-review process, including:

Providing false or misleading reviewer identities or contact information.
Creating fabricated reviewer accounts or email addresses.
Impersonating reviewers or editors.
Attempting to influence reviewers through undisclosed or inappropriate communication.
Submitting fabricated peer-review reports.
Interfering with the confidentiality or independence of peer review.

Suspected manipulation may result in suspension of the editorial process while the matter is investigated.

7. Citation Manipulation

Citation practices must be based on scholarly relevance and the appropriate acknowledgment of prior work. JIKA prohibits practices intended to artificially inflate citation metrics, including:

Coercive citation without legitimate academic justification.
Deliberate citation cartels or coordinated citation manipulation.
Requiring excessive self-citation or irrelevant citations to improve citation metrics.
Deliberately omitting relevant sources in a manner that misrepresents the scholarly context.

Editors and reviewers must not use their positions to impose citations that lack a defensible scholarly basis.

8. Identity Fraud and Misrepresentation

Authors, reviewers, and editors must provide accurate and verifiable information about their identities, institutional affiliations, ORCID iDs, contact details, funding sources, and other relevant declarations.

Impersonation, fraudulent affiliations, fabricated credentials, or deliberate misrepresentation of funding and professional identity may constitute misconduct.

9. Misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI tools may be used for appropriate purposes, such as language improvement or formatting assistance, provided that their use complies with JIKA’s applicable policies and does not compromise research integrity.

The following requirements apply:

AI tools and large language models must not be listed as authors.
Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and accountability of their manuscripts.
AI must not be used to fabricate research data, falsify results, create misleading evidence, or generate false citations or references.
AI-generated or AI-modified images and other research materials must not be used to misrepresent research evidence. Any permitted use must comply with applicable disclosure requirements.
Authors must transparently disclose AI use when required by JIKA’s applicable policies.
Reviewers and editors must protect confidential manuscript content and must not upload it to AI tools or third-party services when doing so would breach confidentiality or journal requirements.

Failure to comply with these requirements may lead to further editorial assessment or investigation.

10. Abuse of Editorial Communication

JIKA does not tolerate harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion, abusive language, or inappropriate pressure directed toward authors, reviewers, editors, editorial staff, or other participants in the publishing process.

Editorial disagreements and appeals must be communicated professionally and through appropriate channels. Abusive conduct may be addressed separately from the scientific merits of a manuscript.

11. System and Security Abuse

Unauthorized or malicious activities involving the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform or other journal systems are prohibited. Such activities include unauthorized access, account compromise, hacking attempts, automated spam submissions, and the distribution of malicious software.

JIKA may take appropriate steps to protect its systems, preserve relevant evidence, restrict unauthorized access, and report serious incidents to relevant authorities when warranted.

12. Concealment of Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose financial, institutional, professional, personal, or other relationships that could reasonably influence, or be perceived to influence, their work or editorial judgment.

Failure to disclose a relevant conflict of interest may require further assessment. The existence of a conflict does not automatically establish misconduct; its nature, disclosure, and potential effect on the research or editorial process will be considered.

C. Detection and Assessment

JIKA may identify suspected publication abuse through one or more of the following mechanisms:

Editorial screening and assessment of submitted manuscripts.
Peer-review reports and reviewer observations.
Similarity screening and assessment of potential plagiarism.
Examination of data, figures, images, references, and citations when concerns arise.
Reports from authors, reviewers, editors, readers, institutions, or other relevant parties.
Post-publication comments, complaints, or credible evidence of possible misconduct.

Similarity Screening Procedure: JIKA conducts Turnitin similarity screening after the peer-review and author-revision process has been completed and before a manuscript proceeds to copyediting. JIKA applies a maximum acceptable similarity index of 25%. The similarity index is an indicator for editorial assessment and does not, by itself, establish whether plagiarism has occurred. The nature, context, attribution, and extent of any problematic overlap must also be assessed in accordance with the Plagiarism Policy.

A concern may be investigated even if the similarity index is below the stated threshold, where other evidence suggests potential misconduct.

D. Investigation Procedure

When credible concerns about publication misconduct or abuse are identified, JIKA will undertake an assessment proportionate to the nature and seriousness of the allegation. The process may include the following steps:

Preliminary assessment: The Editor-in-Chief or an authorized editor assesses the allegation and available evidence to determine whether further inquiry is warranted.
Request for explanation: The relevant author, reviewer, editor, or other party may be asked to provide a written explanation, supporting documentation, or other relevant information.
Further inquiry: JIKA may examine manuscript versions, research records, correspondence, peer-review records, data, or other evidence relevant to the allegation.
Independent consultation: Where necessary, JIKA may seek advice from independent experts, research ethics specialists, institutional authorities, or other appropriate bodies.
Opportunity to respond: Parties directly concerned will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to material allegations before a final decision is made, where appropriate and feasible.
Editorial determination: The journal will evaluate the available evidence and determine an appropriate response, taking account of the seriousness of the conduct, the reliability of the evidence, and the applicable journal policies.

The investigation will be conducted impartially and confidentially, subject to applicable legal, institutional, and publication ethics requirements. JIKA recognizes that an allegation is not, by itself, proof of misconduct.

E. Corrective Actions and Sanctions

Depending on the evidence, seriousness, intent, extent, and consequences of the conduct, JIKA may take one or more of the following actions:

Request clarification, supporting documentation, or manuscript revision.
Return a manuscript for correction or additional assessment.
Suspend editorial processing while a concern is investigated.
Reject a manuscript when the evidence or nature of the violation warrants rejection.
Issue a correction, publish an Expression of Concern, or retract an article when justified by the evidence and applicable policy.
Restrict an individual’s eligibility to submit manuscripts to, review for, or otherwise participate in JIKA for a specified period or, in serious cases, permanently.
Notify the relevant institution, funding body, professional organization, or other appropriate authority when justified and consistent with applicable requirements.

Any restriction or sanction will be proportionate to the established misconduct and supported by the available evidence. Where appropriate, the party concerned will be informed of the reasons for the decision and given an opportunity to respond.

A correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction will be handled under the relevant JIKA policies:

These actions are intended to protect the integrity of the scholarly record and are not automatically imposed merely because an allegation has been raised.

F. Confidentiality

JIKA will handle allegations, inquiries, and investigations confidentially to the extent reasonably possible. Information will be shared only with individuals who need it for the assessment or investigation, or where disclosure is required by law, applicable regulations, or legitimate institutional procedures.

Confidentiality does not prevent JIKA from seeking independent advice, contacting relevant institutions, or publishing a correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction when necessary to protect the scholarly record.

All participants are expected to respect the confidentiality of the process and refrain from making unsupported public allegations while a matter is being assessed.

G. Appeals Process

A party directly affected by an editorial decision arising from an ethics investigation may submit a formal written appeal to JIKA. The appeal must explain the grounds for reconsideration and provide relevant supporting evidence or identify a material procedural concern.

Appeals will be assessed by the Editor-in-Chief or an appropriate independent editor or reviewer who was not materially involved in the original decision and has no relevant conflict of interest. If the Editor-in-Chief is directly involved in the matter or has a conflict of interest, the appeal must be assigned to an independent and appropriately qualified person.

The appeal review will consider whether the original decision was supported by the evidence, whether relevant information was properly considered, and whether the applicable procedures were followed. The decision following the appeal review will be communicated to the appellant and will normally conclude JIKA’s internal appeal process.

An appeal does not automatically suspend necessary measures to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

H. Commitment to Research Integrity

JIKA is committed to promoting responsible research, ethical scholarly publishing, transparent editorial decision-making, and the protection of the scholarly record in the health sciences.

This policy should be read in conjunction with the following related JIKA policies:

JIKA will review this policy periodically and revise it when necessary to ensure consistency with its editorial procedures, publication ethics standards, and recognized scholarly publishing practices.

Journal: Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan (JIKA)
Publisher: Sarana Ilmu Indonesia (Salnesia)
Website: https://salnesia.id/jika