Publication Ethics

Repong Damar: Jurnal Pengabdian Kehutanan dan Lingkungan (RDJ) is a peer-reviewed journal published by the Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Lampung. RDJ is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and preventing any form of research misconduct. This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

Ethical Guidelines

Publishing in RDJ represents a vital contribution to academic discourse and scientific integrity. All parties—authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—are expected to adhere to ethical behavior, transparency, and accountability as guided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agricultur, University of Lampung, as the publisher of RDJ, ensures that editorial decisions are free from commercial influence and that ethical standards are applied consistently across all publications.

Allegations of Misconduct

Research misconduct includes fabrication, falsification, citation manipulation, and plagiarism.
When suspected, RDJ will follow COPE best practices:

  1. Initial Assessment: Editors evaluate the validity and severity of the allegation.

  2. Author Communication: The corresponding author is notified for clarification.

  3. Investigation: If misconduct is confirmed, actions may include manuscript rejection, publication retraction, or author sanctions.

Confirmed misconduct may be reported to affiliated institutions, and retractions will be clearly linked to the original article.

Unethical Behaviour Handling

Complaints of unethical behavior can be reported to the Editor-in-Chief.
Cases are reviewed confidentially and classified as minor (e.g., misapplication of standards) or major (e.g., plagiarism, falsification).
Major offenses may result in retraction, author bans, or institutional notification.

Authorship and Responsibilities

Authorship signifies substantial contribution to conception, design, data collection, or analysis.
All authors must:

  • Approve the final manuscript.

  • Be accountable for its content.

  • Ensure originality and accurate data representation.
    Ghost or honorary authorship is strictly prohibited.

Authors must not submit to multiple journals simultaneously and must declare originality, ethical approvals, and potential conflicts of interest.

Complaints and Appeals

Complaints or appeals regarding editorial decisions, peer review fairness, or ethical concerns should be directed to:
📧 repong.damar@fp.unila.ac.id

Each complaint is acknowledged within seven working days and handled impartially following COPE guidelines. Appeals must include the manuscript ID, issue details, and supporting arguments.

Conflicts of Interest

All editors, reviewers, and authors must disclose any personal, financial, or professional relationships that could influence their objectivity.
Undisclosed conflicts identified post-publication may result in retraction.

Data and Reproducibility

Authors must ensure that their data is accurate, accessible, and reproducible. Raw data may be requested during peer review. Authors are encouraged to deposit data in reputable repositories and maintain it for at least five years post-publication.

Ethical Oversight

RDJ requires:

  • Ethical approval for studies involving humans or animals.

  • Informed consent from participants or guardians.

  • Protection of vulnerable populations.

  • Transparent handling of confidential and sensitive data.

Advertising or sponsorship does not influence editorial decisions.

Intellectual Property and Licensing

Authors retain copyright but grant non-exclusive publishing rights to RDJ.
All publications are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The publication fee is IDR 150,000 per accepted article. Preprints are allowed but must be disclosed during submission.

Post-Publication Discussions

Concerns about published articles, such as ethical violations or data errors, can be submitted to repong.damar@fp.unila.ac.id.
An Ethics Committee will investigate and may issue corrections or retractions. Appeals must be filed within 30 days of notification.

AI Authorship and Image Policy

AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Midjourney) cannot be listed as authors.
AI-generated text or images are prohibited unless directly relevant to AI research and disclosed transparently. RDJ regularly reviews this policy as technology evolves.