Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Harmonia : Journal of Music and Arts is a peer-reviewed open-access international journal published by Indonesian Scientific Publication (IDSCIPUB). The journal is dedicated to upholding the highest ethical standards in scholarly publishing and preventing all forms of publication malpractice.

This statement is aligned with international ethical guidelines from:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
  • World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)
  • International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
  • Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)
  • Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT)

All parties involved in the act of publishing — authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher — are required to adhere to the following ethical responsibilities.

 

  1. Ethical Guideline for Journal Publication

Publication in Harmonia represents a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of public administration, political science, and international relations. The integrity of the academic record depends on the honesty and transparency of each stakeholder.

The Editorial Board and the publisher take their role seriously in ensuring that commercial or financial interests do not influence editorial decisions. Advertising, sponsorships, and reprint revenue have no impact on editorial independence.

The journal pledges to cooperate with other publishers and institutions in addressing cases of misconduct and upholding the accuracy of the scientific record.

 

  1. Allegations of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data or citations;
  • Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism;
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest;
  • Peer-review manipulation or unethical authorship practices.

When allegations arise, the Editor-in-Chief will follow COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. The process includes:

  1. Preliminary assessment of validity and conflict of interest.
  2. Notification to the corresponding author for explanation.
  3. Independent investigation by the Editorial Board or external experts.
  4. Appropriate actions — correction, retraction, or expression of concern — depending on the severity.

Institutions are expected to conduct parallel investigations when necessary. Harmonia will ensure all outcomes preserve the transparency and accuracy of the academic record.

 

  1. Publication Decisions

Editors are responsible for deciding which manuscripts to publish based on their scholarly merit, originality, methodological soundness, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
Decisions are made independently and in accordance with legal and ethical standards regarding defamation, copyright, and plagiarism.
Editors may consult the editorial board or reviewers but retain full authority in publication outcomes.

 

  1. Complaints and Appeals

Harmonia maintains a clear procedure for handling complaints concerning editorial decisions, peer review, ethical breaches, or publication processes. Complaints must be submitted in writing to journal@idscipub.com.

All cases are handled objectively following COPE’s Guidelines for Complaints and Appeals, ensuring fairness and confidentiality throughout the process.

 

  1. Fair Play and Editorial Independence

Manuscripts are evaluated solely on their intellectual content, regardless of the authors’ race, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, nationality, or political orientation.
Editorial decisions are based entirely on academic merit.

 

  1. Confidentiality

The editor, reviewers, and editorial staff must not disclose any details about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, or editorial advisors, as appropriate.
Information obtained during the peer-review process must not be used for personal advantage.

 

  1. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s or reviewer’s own research without written consent from the author.
All parties must declare any conflicts of interest that could influence their judgment, including financial, professional, or personal relationships related to the manuscript.

 

  1. Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers assist editors in making publication decisions and improving manuscript quality through constructive feedback.
Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review are confidential documents and must not be shared or discussed with others without permission.
Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted impartially, with clear and well-supported arguments. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate.
Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant work not cited by the authors and report any overlap with other publications.
Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must decline to evaluate manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist with the authors or institutions involved.

 

  1. Duties of Authors

Reporting Standards: Authors must provide an accurate and objective account of their research, including data and methods, ensuring reproducibility.
Data Access and Retention: Authors may be requested to provide raw data for editorial review and retain it for a reasonable period post-publication.
Originality and Plagiarism: Manuscripts must be original, and proper citation must be given when using others’ ideas or words.
Multiple or Redundant Publication: Submitting the same research to more than one journal concurrently is unethical and unacceptable.
Authorship: Only those who made significant contributions should be listed as authors. The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors have approved the final version of the paper.
Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects: Authors must clearly identify any hazardous procedures or ethical concerns involving human or animal subjects.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All funding sources or financial interests that may influence the results must be disclosed.
Fundamental Errors: Authors discovering significant errors in their published work must promptly inform the editor to issue corrections or retractions.
Ethical Oversight: Authors must ensure compliance with ethical standards when research involves humans, animals, or sensitive data and provide relevant ethical clearance documentation.

 

  1. Intellectual Property and Copyright Policy

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication. Articles are distributed under an open-access license (CC BY 4.0), allowing sharing and adaptation with proper attribution.
Details of our copyright and open-access policy are available at https://journal.idscipub.com/index.php/index.php/harmonia/copyright  

 

  1. Peer Review Process Policy

All submissions undergo a double-blind peer review by at least two independent reviewers. The process ensures objectivity, confidentiality, and scholarly quality. The detailed peer-review policy can be found at https://journal.idscipub.com/index.php/index.php/harmonia/prp

 

  1. Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections

The journal encourages scholarly debate and post-publication engagement. Readers may submit letters to the editor addressing published articles.
Accepted discussions or corrections will be published in subsequent issues, with authors invited to respond in a professional and transparent manner.
Corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern will follow COPE guidelines to preserve the integrity of the record.