Publication Ethics

At Jurnal Fisika Unand (JFU), we are committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. Our policies are in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI). We believe in fostering a transparent, fair, and ethical publishing process that protects the rights of authors, editors, reviewers, and readers. To maintain the credibility and trustworthiness of scientific communication, JFU adheres to the following ethical principles:

  1. Authorship and Contributorship
    Authorship should reflect significant contributions to the research being reported. All authors listed on a manuscript must have:
    • Substantially contributed to the conception, design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of the work.
    • Been involved in drafting or revising the manuscript critically for important intellectual content.
    • Provided final approval of the version to be published.
    • Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
    • Any individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged. JFU discourages any practices of “honorary” or “guest” authorship and expects transparency regarding all contributions.
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  2. Peer Review Process
    JFU employs a Double-Blind Peer Review Process to ensure impartial and objective evaluation of submitted manuscripts. Reviewers are selected based on their expertise in the relevant field, and all reviews are expected to be constructive, timely, and confidential. Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and should not use any information from the manuscripts for personal advantage prior to publication. The confidentiality of submitted manuscripts will be maintained throughout the review process, and reviewers must not discuss or share the content with anyone outside the peer review process.
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  3. Conflicts of Interest
    Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest that could influence their work or judgment. Such disclosures ensure transparency and help maintain the integrity of the review and publication process. Authors are required to disclose all funding sources and any potential competing interests at the time of manuscript submission. Reviewers must also notify the editors of any conflicts that may prevent them from providing an unbiased review of the manuscript.
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  4. Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct
    JFU strictly prohibits plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, and any form of academic misconduct. All submissions will be screened for originality using plagiarism detection software. Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original and properly cite any sources or data used in their research. If plagiarism is detected at any stage of the publication process, the manuscript will be rejected or retracted, and the authors may face sanctions, including being barred from future submissions.
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  5. Data and Reproducibility
    We encourage authors to make their research data publicly available, where possible, to promote transparency and reproducibility in scientific research. Authors should retain raw data related to their submitted manuscript and provide it upon request from the editors. Data sharing should comply with the ethical standards of the relevant discipline, and where applicable, authors must ensure their research follows protocols approved by institutional review boards or ethics committees.
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  6. Allegations of Misconduct
    JFU takes all allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously, whether raised during or after the publication process. Allegations of fraud, fabrication, falsification of data, plagiarism, or other unethical behaviors will be thoroughly investigated. Editors will follow the COPE guidelines in handling such cases, which may result in manuscript retraction, correction, or other appropriate measures. Whistleblowers will be protected, and any findings of misconduct will be transparently disclosed.
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  7. Ethical Oversight
    All research involving human or animal subjects must be conducted according to ethical standards. Authors must confirm that their studies have received appropriate ethical approval from institutional review boards, and informed consent must be obtained where necessary. Any ethical concerns related to the publication of sensitive information, vulnerable populations, or potential conflicts must be addressed in the manuscript.
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  8. Editorial Independence and Decision-Making
    The editorial decisions at JFU are made with complete independence and are based solely on the academic merit, originality, and relevance of the manuscript to the journal’s focus and scope. Editorial decisions are not influenced by external factors such as commercial interests, personal relationships, or political considerations. The editors will ensure a fair, transparent, and timely review process, and will handle appeals and complaints according to the journal’s established policies.
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  9. Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Discussions
    JFU is committed to maintaining the accuracy of the scholarly record. Authors have a responsibility to promptly notify the editors of any significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work. Corrections or retractions will be issued where necessary, and the journal will provide mechanisms for post-publication discussion, including reader feedback and responses from authors. Any corrections or retractions will be clearly labeled and linked to the original article to maintain transparency.
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  10. Open Access and Copyright
    JFU follows the principles of the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) to ensure that all published content is freely available to readers. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, which allows users to copy, distribute, and use the content for non-commercial purposes, provided appropriate credit is given. Authors retain the copyright of their work, and we encourage the self-archiving of preprints and published articles to enhance accessibility.