Publication Ethics

This statement outlines the ethical guidelines for all parties involved in the publication of articles in J+PLUS UNESA, including authors, editors, peer reviewers, and the publisher (Department of Nonformal Education, Faculty of Education, Universitas Negeri Surabaya). This statement is based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors and Core Practices.

Publication of an article in a peer-reviewed journal is an essential building block in the development of a coherent and respected body of knowledge. It reflects directly on the quality of the work of the authors and their supporting institutions. Peer-reviewed articles support and embody the scientific method, and it is therefore essential to agree on standards of expected ethical behavior for everyone involved: authors, editors, reviewers, the publisher, and the wider academic community.

Duties of the Publisher

The Department of Nonformal Education, Faculty of Education, UNESA, as the publisher of J+PLUS, takes its role of guardianship over all stages of publishing seriously and is committed to:

• Ensuring editorial decisions are made independently and are free from any influence of advertising, reprint income, or other commercial interests.
• Supporting the Editorial Board in maintaining the integrity of the academic record, including facilitating communication with other journals and/or publishers when necessary.
• Providing the infrastructure and policies necessary for the journal to operate to the highest ethical standards, including plagiarism screening and archiving of published content.

Duties of Editors

Publication decisions
The Editorial Board is responsible for deciding which submitted articles are published, guided by the validity and significance of the work to researchers and readers. Editors act in accordance with the journal's editorial policies and are constrained by applicable legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. Editors may consult with other editors or reviewers in reaching these decisions.

Fair play
Editors evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

Confidentiality
Editors and editorial staff must not disclose information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest
Unpublished material disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author. Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest.

Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to editorial decisions
Peer review assists editors in making editorial decisions and, through editorial communication with the author, may also help the author improve the manuscript.

Promptness
Any invited reviewer who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript, or who knows a timely review will be impossible, should notify the editor and decline the invitation.

Confidentiality
Manuscripts under review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

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

Acknowledgement of sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work not cited by the authors. Any claim that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. Reviewers should also bring to the editor's attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and any other published work of which they have personal knowledge.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest
Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers must not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the work.

Duties of Authors

Reporting standards
Authors of original research reports should present an accurate account of the work performed, along with an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data must be represented accurately. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable. Discriminatory language of any kind must not be used.

Data access and retention
Authors may be asked to provide the raw data underlying a manuscript for editorial review and should be prepared to provide public access to such data where practicable, and to retain it for a reasonable period after publication.

Originality and plagiarism
Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original, and that any work and/or words of others are appropriately cited or quoted. Authors must avoid fabrication (inventing data or results), falsification (manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or altering/omitting data), and data fragmentation (splitting a single dataset into multiple manuscripts to inflate publication output). All submitted manuscripts undergo similarity screening, with a maximum accepted similarity index of 20% (excluding the reference list and properly attributed quotations).

Multiple, redundant, or concurrent publication
Authors should not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable.

Acknowledgement of sources
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.

Authorship of the paper
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors, while others who participated in certain substantive aspects of the project should be acknowledged. The corresponding author must ensure that all appropriate co-authors — and no inappropriate ones — are included, and that all co-authors have seen, approved, and agreed to the submission of the final manuscript.

Hazards and human or animal subjects
If the work involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment with unusual inherent hazards, authors must clearly identify these in the manuscript. Research involving human participants or animal subjects must comply with relevant ethical standards and, where applicable, include a statement of ethical approval (ethical clearance) and informed consent.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest
All authors must disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their work, along with all sources of financial support for the project.

Fundamental errors in published works
When authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, they are obligated to promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate in retracting or correcting the paper.

Handling of Allegations of Misconduct

J+PLUS follows COPE guidelines and flowcharts in addressing allegations of research or publication misconduct, including but not limited to plagiarism, data fabrication/falsification, duplicate publication, and undisclosed conflicts of interest. Allegations may be raised by editors, reviewers, readers, or third parties and will be investigated by the Editorial Board in a fair and confidential manner. Where misconduct is confirmed, appropriate action will be taken, which may include correction, retraction, or notification to the author's institution.

Corrections and Retractions

The journal will issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions in line with COPE's retraction guidelines when errors, ethical violations, or misconduct are identified in a published article. Retracted articles remain accessible online but are clearly marked as retracted, along with the reason for retraction.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision or wish to raise a concern regarding the handling of their manuscript may submit a written appeal to the Editor-in-Chief via the journal's official contact channel. Appeals will be reviewed by the Editorial Board, and a response will be provided within a reasonable timeframe.