Journal of Public Health and Health Services (JPHHS) is committed to maintaining integrity, transparency, and quality throughout the scholarly publication process. This publication ethics policy follows internationally recognized principles of publication ethics, including the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), while taking into consideration applicable standards and best practices in scholarly publishing.

This publication ethics policy applies to authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for:

• ensuring that submitted manuscripts are original works and have not been previously published or submitted for publication in another journal;
• ensuring that all data and information presented in the manuscript are accurate, verifiable, and accountable;
• providing appropriate attribution and citation for the work of others and avoiding plagiarism in any form;
• including all individuals who meet the criteria for authorship and excluding individuals who have not made a contribution that qualifies them for authorship;
• disclosing research funding sources and potential conflicts of interest;
• ensuring that research involving human participants, animals, or personal data has received approval from an authorized ethics committee when required;
• providing information regarding informed consent and the protection of participant confidentiality when relevant;
• being willing to correct errors identified in the manuscript after publication;
• refraining from fabrication, falsification, data manipulation, or other unethical research practices;
• disclosing the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or AI-based tools in writing or developing the manuscript in accordance with the journal's policy.

2. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

• conducting the editorial process objectively, fairly, transparently, and without discrimination based on religion, gender, ethnicity, nationality, institutional affiliation, academic status, or personal characteristics of the authors;
• evaluating manuscripts based on scientific quality, relevance to the journal's focus and scope, and compliance with journal guidelines;
• maintaining the confidentiality of manuscripts throughout the editorial process;
• selecting reviewers with appropriate expertise who have no conflicts of interest with the authors;
• making publication decisions based on scientific considerations and the results of the peer review process;
• addressing suspected publication ethics violations seriously, objectively, and in accordance with applicable procedures;
• issuing corrections, clarifications, or retractions when serious errors or ethical violations are identified after publication;
• not using information obtained from unpublished manuscripts for personal or research purposes without the author's permission;
• disclosing and avoiding conflicts of interest in editorial decision-making;
• not using AI to replace professional responsibility and judgment in editorial decision-making.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are responsible for:

• conducting reviews objectively, constructively, and professionally;
• maintaining the confidentiality of all information contained in the manuscript;
• not using data, ideas, methods, or information from the manuscript for personal purposes;
• identifying potential conflicts of interest and declining a review assignment when such conflicts may affect objectivity;
• providing comments and recommendations supported by scientific reasoning and helping authors improve the quality of their manuscripts;
• informing the editor of any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data manipulation, or other ethical violations;
• completing reviews within the specified timeframe or promptly informing the editor if they are unable to meet the deadline;
• not using generative AI tools to process, analyze, or upload the content of a manuscript under review into an AI system, as the manuscript is a confidential document.

4. Plagiarism and Unethical Publication Practices

JPHHS does not tolerate:

• plagiarism;
• inappropriate self-plagiarism;
• data fabrication;
• data falsification or manipulation;
• duplicate or redundant publication;
• citation manipulation;
• authorship that does not accurately reflect contributions;
• misuse of the peer review process;
• or any other form of academic integrity violation.

All manuscripts may undergo similarity checking before or during the editorial process. Similarity-checking results are not the sole basis for determining plagiarism and will be further assessed by the editor.

5. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any circumstances that may constitute a potential conflict of interest, whether financial or non-financial.

A conflict of interest does not necessarily result in rejection of a manuscript, but it must be disclosed and appropriately managed to maintain the objectivity and integrity of the publication process.

6. Corrections and Retractions

If an error is identified after publication that may affect the interpretation, reliability, or integrity of an article, JPHHS may publish a correction, clarification, or retraction, depending on the nature and severity of the issue.

Such decisions will be made based on the available evidence and investigation and in accordance with the principles of publication integrity.

7. Use of Artificial Intelligence

The use of AI in the writing or development of a manuscript must be conducted responsibly and transparently.

AI cannot be listed as an author. Authors remain fully responsible for the content, accuracy, originality, and integrity of their manuscripts.

If AI is used substantively in writing or developing a manuscript, its use must be disclosed in accordance with JPHHS policy.

AI must not be used to generate or manipulate research data, create unverified references or citations, or conceal information necessary to ensure research integrity.

8. Handling Allegations of Ethical Misconduct

All allegations of ethical misconduct will be handled objectively, fairly, and confidentially. Editors may request clarification or supporting evidence from the parties involved and, when necessary, seek advice from reviewers, other editors, the author's institution, or other appropriate authorities depending on the nature of the alleged violation.

Possible actions include:

1. requesting clarification or correction;
2. rejecting the manuscript;
3. terminating the publication process;
4. issuing a correction or editorial statement;
5. retracting a published article;
6. taking other appropriate actions based on the severity of the violation and the principles of publication integrity.

9. Publisher's Commitment

Damar Ilmiah Nusantara is committed to supporting the editors in maintaining the integrity of the publication process, ensuring editorial independence, promoting transparency in scholarly publishing, and taking appropriate action when publication ethics violations are identified.

The publisher does not interfere with editorial decisions that are based on scientific considerations and the peer review process.