Publication Ethics

Indonesia Sport Journal (ISJ)

1. Introduction

Indonesia Sport Journal (ISJ) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. This policy establishes ethical principles and responsibilities for authors, editors, reviewers, and the journal publisher to ensure that all manuscripts are evaluated and published in a fair, transparent, accountable, and professional manner.

ISJ expects all parties involved in the publication process to uphold honesty, objectivity, confidentiality, respect, and responsibility in scholarly communication.

2. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to ISJ must ensure that:

Originality: The manuscript represents original work and has not been plagiarized or improperly reproduced from other sources.
Accuracy and integrity: Research data, findings, and interpretations are reported honestly. Fabrication, falsification, and manipulation of data are strictly prohibited.
Authorship: All individuals listed as authors have made significant scholarly contributions to the research and have approved the final manuscript.
Original submission: The manuscript is not under consideration by another journal and has not been published previously, except where prior dissemination is explicitly permitted and fully disclosed.
Citation and acknowledgment: All relevant sources, ideas, data, and contributions from other researchers are properly cited and acknowledged.
Conflict of interest: Authors disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence the research or its interpretation.
Research ethics: Studies involving human participants, athletes, students, or other vulnerable groups must comply with applicable ethical standards, including informed consent, confidentiality, participant protection, and institutional ethics approval where required.
Use of artificial intelligence: Authors must disclose the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools when required by the journal's applicable policy. AI tools cannot be listed as authors, and authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the submitted work.

3. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

Editors of ISJ are responsible for ensuring a fair and impartial editorial process. They must:

Evaluate manuscripts based on their scholarly merit, originality, relevance, methodological rigor, and contribution to sport science and related fields.
Avoid discrimination based on authors' nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, religion, or other irrelevant personal characteristics.
Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and associated editorial communications.
Manage conflicts of interest and ensure that manuscripts are handled by editors who can make impartial decisions.
Select qualified reviewers with relevant expertise and no disqualifying conflicts of interest.
Make editorial decisions based on reviewers' assessments, the journal's scope, and established publication standards.
Take appropriate action when plagiarism, research misconduct, ethical violations, or substantial errors are suspected or identified.
Protect the independence and integrity of editorial decisions from inappropriate commercial, institutional, or personal influence.

4. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play an essential role in maintaining the academic quality of ISJ. They are expected to:

Conduct reviews objectively, constructively, and within the agreed review period.
Assess the manuscript's originality, theoretical contribution, research design, methodology, data analysis, interpretation, and relevance to the journal's scope.
Maintain strict confidentiality and not use unpublished information for personal or professional advantage.
Declare any actual or potential conflict of interest and decline the review when impartiality cannot be maintained.
Identify relevant published work that has not been cited and report suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data manipulation, or other ethical concerns to the editor.
Provide evidence-based comments and recommendations without personal attacks, discriminatory language, or unsupported allegations.
Refrain from contacting authors directly about a manuscript under review unless authorized by the editor.

5. Plagiarism and Publication Misconduct

ISJ does not tolerate plagiarism, self-plagiarism that constitutes inappropriate text or data recycling, duplicate publication, fabricated data, falsified results, manipulated images, or other forms of research and publication misconduct.

All manuscripts may be screened using appropriate similarity-detection tools. Similarity scores are considered alongside the nature, context, and attribution of the overlapping material; a similarity score alone does not determine whether plagiarism has occurred.

When potential misconduct is identified, the editorial team will examine the available evidence and may request an explanation or supporting documentation from the authors. Appropriate actions may include rejection, correction, retraction, or notification of the relevant institution, consistent with the seriousness of the case and applicable ethical guidelines.

6. Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving athletes, coaches, students, teachers, or other human participants must comply with applicable laws, institutional requirements, and recognized research ethics principles.

Authors must obtain informed consent where required, protect participants' privacy and confidentiality, and explain relevant ethical safeguards in the manuscript. Research involving minors or vulnerable participants must include appropriate additional protections and consent or assent procedures.

Where ethical approval is required, authors must provide the name of the approving ethics committee or institution and the relevant approval reference. Any exemptions must be justified and reported transparently.

7. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing their professional judgment. Such interests may include financial relationships, employment, institutional affiliations, personal relationships, academic competition, or involvement with organizations related to the research.

The editorial team will assess disclosed conflicts and take appropriate measures to preserve the fairness and credibility of the publication process.

8. Corrections and Retractions

ISJ is committed to correcting the scholarly record when errors or ethical problems are identified after publication.

Minor errors that do not affect the validity of the research may be addressed through a correction notice. Articles containing serious errors, unreliable findings, plagiarism, fabricated data, or other substantial ethical violations may be retracted when justified.

Correction and retraction decisions will be handled transparently, with appropriate notices explaining the reasons for the action while respecting confidentiality and due process.

9. Complaints and Allegations of Misconduct

ISJ welcomes good-faith concerns regarding editorial decisions, reviewer conduct, authorship disputes, data integrity, plagiarism, or other possible ethical violations.

Complaints should include sufficient information and supporting evidence to permit a fair assessment. The editorial team will review allegations objectively, maintain confidentiality as far as practicable, and provide relevant parties with an appropriate opportunity to respond.

Retaliation against individuals who raise legitimate ethical concerns in good faith is unacceptable.

10. Commitment to Ethical Publishing

By submitting a manuscript to ISJ, authors acknowledge their responsibility to comply with this Publication Ethics policy and all applicable submission requirements. Editors and reviewers are likewise expected to follow these principles throughout the editorial and peer-review process.

ISJ aims to foster a trustworthy scholarly environment that advances knowledge, supports responsible research practices, and promotes integrity in sport science, physical education, health, fitness, and related disciplines.