Publication Ethic

Scope & Commitment
Gorga upholds the highest standards of publication ethics. The journal follows internationally recognized guidelines, as outlined by COPE, and expects all participants (publishers, editors, reviewers, and authors) to adhere to these principles. Gorga is committed to transparency, integrity, and fairness in all editorial and publishing practices.

1. Duties and Responsibilities of the Publisher / Journal Manager

The Publisher / Journal Manager is responsible for:

  • Defining and publicly declaring the journal’s title, scope, editorial policies, publication frequency, and accreditation status.

  • Ensuring editorial independence: editorial decisions are made without commercial or political interference.

  • Appointing and maintaining an active, qualified editorial board and ensuring diversity and expertise.

  • Providing and maintaining stable funding and infrastructure to support sustainable, regular publication.

  • Entering clear contractual arrangements that define roles and responsibilities between publisher, editors, and service providers.

  • Ensuring legal compliance (copyright, licensing) and maintaining records of contracts and finance.

  • Making journal policies (ethics, peer review, appeals, fees, copyright, data) publicly accessible and up-to-date.

  • Supporting training and resources for editors, reviewers, and authors on publication ethics.

  • Maintaining adequate archives and discoverability (metadata, indexing) and facilitating DOI/identifier assignment where applicable.

  • Taking responsibility for prompt and transparent handling of formal allegations of misconduct, in cooperation with editors and institutions.

2. Duties and Responsibilities of Editors (Editor-in-Chief & Editorial Board)

Editors must:

  • Make decisions on manuscripts based solely on academic merit, relevance to the journal scope, and the results of peer review.

  • Maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and materials; do not use unpublished material for personal advantage.

  • Avoid conflicts of interest; when conflicts exist, recuse themselves from handling the manuscript. Disclose any potential conflicts.

  • Select reviewers based on expertise and impartiality; ensure reviewer independence and diversity.

  • Oversee a documented, transparent peer-review process and ensure timely decisions.

  • Ensure that all authors meet the journal’s authorship criteria and resolve authorship disputes according to best practice (e.g., ICMJE).

  • Request and verify ethical approvals and informed consent where research involves human participants, animals, or culturally sensitive material.

  • Correct the literature when required: publish corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern in line with COPE guidelines.

  • Keep records of all editorial and review decisions and correspondence for a defined retention period.

  • Provide an avenue for appeals and complaints and respond to them transparently and promptly.

  • Uphold standards against plagiarism, falsification, and other forms of misconduct by using screening tools (e.g., similarity checks) and following established investigation procedures.

3. Peer-Reviewers’ Duties and Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Accept review invitations only for manuscripts within their expertise and declare any conflicts of interest prior to accepting.

  • Maintain confidentiality of the manuscript content and not share, copy, or use unpublished data for personal benefit.

  • Provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based reviews, focusing on scholarly content, methodology, and ethics.

  • Advise the editor if they suspect ethical problems (plagiarism, duplicate submission, fabricated data).

  • Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe and follow journal guidelines and reviewer templates.

  • Refrain from reviewing manuscripts in which they have a competing interest or close collaboration with the authors.

  • Respect the anonymity of the review process as required by the journal (e.g., double-blind).

4. Authors’ Duties and Responsibilities

Authors must:

  • Ensure that all listed authors qualify for authorship and that all who qualify are included. Authors must agree on the order of authors before submission. (Adopt ICMJE-style authorship criteria.)

  • Submit original work that is not published or under consideration elsewhere. Duplicate or redundant publication is unacceptable.

  • Accurately report research methods and results, including limitations, and provide sufficient detail and data to enable reproducibility where appropriate.

  • Disclose all sources of funding and any potential conflicts of interest.

  • Obtain and provide evidence of ethical approval for research involving human participants or animals, and confirm informed consent for publishing identifiable data or images.

  • Provide a Data Availability Statement indicating whether and how supporting data can be accessed; deposit data in recognised repositories where appropriate.

  • Cooperate with editors to correct errors; if significant errors or ethical breaches are found post-publication, authors must agree to retraction or correction as appropriate.

  • Respond to reviewer and editor requests professionally and in a timely manner.

  • Provide statements on author contributions and any acknowledgements (e.g., technical support, funding).

  • Ensure permissions for third-party copyrighted material (images, tables) and supply these upon request.

5. Peer-Review Model, Timelines & Screening

  • Gorga uses a documented peer-review model (e.g., double-blind). The review workflow, expected timelines, and criteria are published on the journal website.

  • All submissions undergo initial editorial screening for scope, format, and basic ethical compliance (including similarity checks).

  • Estimated target timelines (published): editorial check (7–14 days), peer review (typically 4–8 weeks), revision rounds (varies). Editors should update authors if delays occur.

6. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

  • Definitions: misconduct includes plagiarism, data fabrication/falsification, redundant publication, unethical research, and undisclosed conflicts of interest.

  • Procedure: Upon receiving an allegation, the editor will acknowledge receipt within 7 calendar days, perform an initial assessment, and—if warranted—investigate in cooperation with the author’s institution and the publisher.

  • Confidentiality: investigations are confidential and records retained securely.

  • Outcomes: actions may include correction, retraction, expression of concern, notification to institutions, or editorial sanctions (e.g., ban on future submissions). The journal follows COPE flowcharts and principles in investigations.

  • Timeline: efforts made to conclude investigations in a timely manner (typically within 30–90 days), with updates provided to relevant parties.

7. Corrections, Retractions & Expressions of Concern

  • Corrections (errata) are issued for honest errors that do not invalidate findings.

  • Retractions are issued if findings are unreliable due to misconduct or honest error, or if there is redundant publication or unethical research. Retraction notices state the reason and who is retracting.

  • Expressions of concern may be published if an investigation is ongoing and there is reason to alert readers.

  • All notices are linked to the original article and are freely accessible.

8. Conflicts of Interest & Disclosure

  • Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any relevant competing interests (financial, personal, academic).

  • Disclosures are published alongside articles for transparency. When an editor has a conflict with a submission, they must recuse themselves and delegate handling to an uninvolved editor.

9. Privacy, Data Protection & Confidentiality

  • The journal stores personal data only as needed for publication and in compliance with applicable data protection laws. Personal data is not shared without consent, except as required for investigations or to comply with legal obligations.

  • Reviewer identities and confidential reviewer comments are not disclosed unless required and agreed.

10. Intellectual Property & Licensing

  • Authors retain intellectual ownership of their work unless otherwise agreed. The journal’s copyright and licensing policy (CC-BY-SA for open access) is stated clearly, and authors sign the relevant agreement at acceptance.

  • Authors must secure permission for reproduction of third-party copyrighted material.

11. Data Availability & Reproducibility

  • Authors must include a Data Availability Statement. Where possible, data, materials, and code should be deposited in recognised repositories and cited in the manuscript. The journal encourages transparency and reproducibility.

12. Appeals & Complaints

  • Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a clear, respectful appeal to the editorial office within 30 days of the decision, stating grounds and supporting information. Appeals are evaluated by senior editors who were not involved in the original decision.

  • Complaints about any aspect of the journal should be sent to gorgajurnalsenirupa@unimed.ac.id and will be handled confidentially and impartially.

13. Enforcement, Sanctions & Recordkeeping

  • Proven breaches of publication ethics may result in sanctions including retraction, publication of notices, reporting to institutions, and bans on future submissions (temporary or permanent).

  • The journal maintains records of submissions, reviews, and investigations for a reasonable retention period.

14. Contact & Publication of Policies

  • This Publication Ethics statement, together with related policies (peer review, authorship, fees, complaints), is published on the journal website and reviewed regularly.

  • For enquiries or to report suspected misconduct, contact: gorgajurnalsenirupa@unimed.ac.id (or replace with the journal’s official contact).