This statement clarifies ethical behaviour of all parties involved in the act of publishing an article in our journals, including the authors, the editors, the peer-reviewers and the publisher This statement is based on COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

A. Ethical Guideline for Journal Publication

The publication of articles in the Journal of Political Issues, following a peer-review process, represents an essential element in the development of a coherent and acknowledged body of scientific knowledge. It reflects the quality of the authors’ work and the institutions that support them. Peer-reviewed articles support and embody the scientific method. Therefore, a shared understanding of ethical standards is required from all parties involved in the publication process: authors, editors, peer reviewers, the publisher, and the academic community.
The Directorate of Academic and Library Resources, Department of Political Science, Universitas Bangka Belitung, as the publisher of this journal, takes its publishing duties seriously at all stages of the process and recognizes its ethical and professional responsibilities. We are committed to ensuring that advertisements or other commercial interests do not influence editorial decisions. The Editorial Board may also assist in communicating with other journals or publishers when necessary.

 
B. Publication decisions

Final decisions regarding the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Political Issues are based on academic quality, contributions to the advancement of knowledge, and relevance to the journal’s focus and scope. All manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer-review process and editorial evaluation.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submitted work meets academic standards and adheres to ethical publishing practices. The validity of the content, originality of ideas, and significance of the findings are integral parts of the assessment. The editorial process is conducted professionally and transparently to ensure that all decisions are based on objective evaluation and the journal’s editorial policies.
If any concerns arise during the review process or after publication regarding the content, authorship, or ethical aspects of a manuscript, the authors are expected to provide clarification and take full responsibility for the content submitted.

C. Fair play
Editors evaluate manuscripts solely based on their intellectual content, regardless of the author’s race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

D. Confidentiality
Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information regarding a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, peer reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisors, and the publisher, as appropriate.

E. Disclosure and conflicts of interest
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s own research without the author’s written consent.

F. Duties of Reviewers

1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer reviewers assist editors in making editorial decisions and may also help authors improve their manuscripts.

2. Promptness
Any selected reviewer who feels unqualified to assess the research in a manuscript or cannot provide a timely review should notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.

3. Confidentiality
Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They should not be shared or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

4. Standards of Objectivity
Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

5. Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the author. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument has been previously reported should be accompanied by the appropriate citation. Reviewers should also inform the editor of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript and other works they are aware of.

6. Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers must not evaluate manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or professional relationships with any of the authors, institutions, or related entities.

G. Duties of Authors

1. Reporting Standards
Authors are expected to present an accurate and objective account of their research. Underlying data should be represented honestly, and manuscripts should include sufficient detail and references to enable replication. Any form of data fabrication or misrepresentation constitutes unethical behavior.

2. Data Access and Retention
Authors may be asked to provide raw data related to their manuscript for editorial review and should be prepared to provide public access to such data when appropriate. Authors are also expected to retain such data for a reasonable period following publication.

3. Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. When using the work or words of others, proper citation must be provided according to accepted academic standards.

4. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
Manuscripts that are under review or have been published in other journals should not be submitted to this journal. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently is considered unethical behavior.

5. Withdrawal Policy
Withdrawal of submitted manuscripts is strongly discouraged, as the editorial process — including peer review — is conducted with ongoing confirmation and communication with the authors. Authors are expected to ensure that manuscripts are ready for processing before submission. If a withdrawal request is made, it may be subject to administrative consequences in accordance with the journal’s established policies. Requests for withdrawal during peer review, after acceptance, or after online publication as an Article in Press (an accepted article without final volume, issue, or page numbers) will be evaluated based on the reasons provided. In cases involving violations of publishing ethics — such as duplicate submissions, plagiarism, or misrepresentation of authorship — the manuscript may be formally withdrawn from the journal’s website and replaced with a withdrawal statement. All withdrawal requests must be submitted in writing through an official letter signed by the corresponding author and the head of the affiliated institution, along with a justifiable and ethical explanation.

6. Acknowledgment of Sources
Authors must appropriately acknowledge the work of others that has significantly influenced their research.

7. Authorship of the Paper
Authorship should be limited to those who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All listed authors must have approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all eligible co-authors are included and that no inappropriate authors are listed.

8. Hazards and Use of Human or Animal Subjects
If the research involves hazardous materials, procedures, or equipment, authors must clearly identify such elements in the manuscript.

9. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest that may influence the results or interpretation of their work. All sources of funding or support for the research must be clearly stated.

10. Fundamental Errors in Published Works
If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in a published article, they must promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate in retracting or correcting the article. This process will be handled collaboratively through open communication between the author and the editorial team.