PUBLICATION ETHICS

Publication Ethics

JOPFE (Journal of People, Forest and Environment) is a peer-reviewed journal published by the Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Lampung. JOPFE is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and preventing all forms of research misconduct. This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

Ethical Guidelines

Publication in JOPFE contributes to the advancement of scientific knowledge and public trust in research findings. Therefore, all parties involved are expected to adhere to principles of honesty, transparency, and accountability in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.

The Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Lampung, as the publisher, ensures that editorial decisions are made independently, free from commercial influence, and that ethical standards are consistently applied throughout the publication process.

 Handling of Ethical Misconduct

Publication misconduct includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, and citation manipulation.
In the event of suspected misconduct, JOPFE will follow these steps:

  1. Initial Assessment: The editor evaluates the validity and severity of the allegation.
  2. Author Notification: The corresponding author is contacted for clarification.
  3. Investigation and Action: If misconduct is confirmed, possible actions include manuscript rejection, article retraction, or notification to the author’s institution.

All investigations are handled confidentially and fairly.

Authorship and Responsibility

Authorship should reflect significant contributions to the conception, design, data collection, or analysis of the study.

Authors are required to:

  • Ensure the manuscript is original and not under review elsewhere.
  • Approve the final version of the manuscript prior to publication.
  • Avoid ghost or guest authorship.
  • Declare any conflicts of interest and ethical approval where applicable.

Simultaneous submission to multiple journals is strictly prohibited.

Ethical Oversight of Research

Studies involving humans or animals must have received ethical clearance from a recognized institution. Authors must also ensure:

  • Informed consent from participants or their guardians.
  • Protection of vulnerable populations.
  • Responsible and transparent handling of confidential data.

Conflict of Interest

All parties — authors, editors, and reviewers — must disclose any personal, professional, or financial relationships that could influence their judgment.
Undisclosed conflicts identified after publication may result in article retraction.

Copyright and Licensing Policy

Authors retain the copyright of their work but grant JOPFE a non-exclusive license to publish it.
All published articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license, allowing sharing and adaptation with proper attribution.

Data and Reproducibility

Authors are encouraged to provide access to their underlying data for verification during the review process or upon request.
Research data should be stored in a trusted repository and retained for at least five years after publication.

Complaints and Appeals

Complaints or appeals regarding editorial decisions, peer review fairness, or ethical concerns should be submitted via:
📧 jopfe@fp.unila.ac.id

All reports will be reviewed confidentially and handled impartially following COPE’s best practice guidelines. Appeals must include the manuscript ID, issue description, and supporting evidence.

AI and Image Policy

Artificial Intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Midjourney) cannot be listed as authors.
AI-generated text or images may only be used if relevant to the study’s focus and transparently disclosed within the manuscript.