Publication Ethics

1. Introduction

Jurnal Prima Medika Sains is a scientific journal published and managed by the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), Universitas Prima Indonesia. The journal publishes original research articles based on field and laboratory studies, as well as literature reviews, in the areas of Public Health, Clinical Medicine, Tropical Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Dentistry, and Pharmacy.

Jurnal Prima Medika Sains is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. All parties involved in the publication process, including editors, reviewers, authors, and the publisher, are expected to uphold the principles of honesty, objectivity, transparency, confidentiality, and accountability.

This publication ethics statement is informed by the principles and best-practice recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). It establishes the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process and addresses practices that may constitute publication misconduct.

2. Publication Decisions

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for making the final decision regarding the publication of submitted manuscripts. Editorial decisions are based on the manuscript’s scientific quality, originality, methodological rigor, relevance to the journal’s focus and scope, and recommendations from peer reviewers.

Editors must ensure that publication decisions comply with the journal’s editorial policies and applicable legal requirements, including those concerning copyright infringement, plagiarism, defamation, and other forms of publication misconduct. Editors may consult associate editors, reviewers, or other qualified experts when necessary.

3. Fair Play and Editorial Impartiality

Editors must evaluate manuscripts based on their intellectual and scientific merit, without discrimination based on the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, institutional affiliation, or political philosophy.

All manuscripts must be assessed fairly and consistently in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies and review procedures.

4. Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and related communications. Information about a manuscript may only be shared with the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher when appropriate for the publication process.

Reviewers must also treat manuscripts received for evaluation as confidential documents and must not disclose, distribute, or discuss their contents with unauthorized individuals.

5. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Editors must not use unpublished information or ideas disclosed in submitted manuscripts for their own research or personal advantage without the author’s explicit written consent.

Editors and reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and withdraw from handling or evaluating manuscripts when such conflicts could compromise their impartiality.

Authors are required to disclose financial, professional, institutional, or other relationships that could influence the research findings or their interpretation.

6. Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers

6.1 Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer reviewers assist editors in making informed editorial decisions and provide constructive feedback to help authors improve the quality, clarity, and scientific contribution of their manuscripts.

6.2 Promptness

Reviewers who are unable to complete a review within the requested timeframe or who lack the necessary expertise must promptly notify the editor and decline the review assignment.

6.3 Confidentiality

Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and all information obtained during the review process. Manuscripts must not be shared with others or used for personal, academic, or professional advantage without appropriate authorization.

6.4 Standards of Objectivity

Reviews must be conducted objectively, professionally, and constructively. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate. Reviewers should clearly explain their assessments and support their recommendations with relevant scientific arguments.

6.5 Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. They should also notify the editor of any substantial similarity, overlap, suspected plagiarism, or other potential publication misconduct identified during the review process.

6.6 Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, financial, institutional, or personal relationships with the authors or organizations associated with the manuscript. Reviewers must decline assignments when such conflicts may compromise their impartiality.

7. Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

7.1 Reporting Standards

Authors must present an accurate, complete, and objective account of their research, including the methodology, results, and interpretation of findings. Research data must be reported honestly, and sufficient methodological detail must be provided to support verification and reproducibility where applicable.

Fabrication, falsification, misleading reporting, and knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical research practices.

7.2 Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts represent original work. Any ideas, data, text, figures, tables, or other materials obtained from external sources must be appropriately acknowledged and cited.

Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism and the inappropriate reuse of previously published material, is unacceptable. Submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism-detection software. Suspected cases of plagiarism or other forms of misconduct will be evaluated in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies.

7.3 Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal. Manuscripts that substantially overlap with previously published work must be transparently disclosed and justified.

Duplicate publication and redundant publication that improperly reuse research findings without appropriate disclosure are considered unethical publishing practices.

7.4 Acknowledgment of Sources

Authors must appropriately acknowledge all sources that have significantly contributed to their research. Relevant publications, datasets, methods, and ideas must be cited accurately and consistently.

7.5 Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship must be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual or practical contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the research.

All individuals who qualify for authorship must be included, while individuals who do not meet the authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript and agreed to its submission to Jurnal Prima Medika Sains. Any changes to authorship must be communicated to the editor and handled in accordance with the journal’s policies.

7.6 Disclosure of Funding and Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose all sources of financial support for their research, including grants, institutional funding, and other relevant assistance.

Any financial or non-financial interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation must also be declared.

7.7 Research Ethics and Human or Animal Participants

Research involving human participants, identifiable personal data, or animals must comply with applicable ethical standards and regulations. Where required, authors must obtain approval from an appropriate research ethics committee and provide the relevant approval information in the manuscript.

Authors must also ensure that informed consent, privacy protection, and confidentiality requirements are fulfilled whenever applicable.

7.8 Fundamental Errors in Published Works

If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must promptly notify the editor or publisher and cooperate in correcting the record. Depending on the nature and severity of the error, the journal may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction.

8. Duties and Responsibilities of the Publisher

LPPM Universitas Prima Indonesia, as the publisher and managing institution of Jurnal Prima Medika Sains, supports the journal in maintaining editorial independence, publication integrity, and ethical publishing practices.

The publisher is responsible for supporting the editorial team in addressing suspected publication misconduct, facilitating appropriate investigations, and ensuring that necessary corrective actions are taken when ethical violations are established.

The publisher must not interfere improperly with editorial decisions and must support the fair, transparent, and responsible handling of manuscripts throughout the publication process.

9. Handling of Publication Misconduct

Jurnal Prima Medika Sains takes allegations of publication misconduct seriously. Potential violations include plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, undisclosed conflicts of interest, manipulation of the peer-review process, and other breaches of research or publication ethics.

When a concern is raised, the editorial team will assess the available evidence, seek clarification from the relevant parties when appropriate, and conduct further inquiries as necessary. Authors may be given an opportunity to respond to allegations before a decision is made.

Depending on the findings and severity of the violation, the journal may reject a manuscript, request corrections, issue a correction or expression of concern, retract a published article, or take other appropriate action consistent with applicable ethical standards and journal policies.

10. Commitment to Publication Integrity

Jurnal Prima Medika Sains is committed to promoting responsible research, transparent editorial practices, fair peer review, and the dissemination of reliable scientific knowledge.

All authors, reviewers, editors, and publishing personnel are expected to comply with this statement and contribute to maintaining the credibility and integrity of scholarly communication in the health and medical sciences.

Publisher: LPPM Universitas Prima Indonesia
Journal: Jurnal Prima Medika Sains