Publication Ethics and Misconduct

Ethical Framework and Commitment

BHINNEKA: Intercultural Counseling Insights adheres to the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. We follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and are committed to maintaining transparency, fairness, and accountability throughout the publication process. This comprehensive policy outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved: authors, editors, reviewers, and the publishing institution.

1. PUBLICATION ETHICS AND MALPRACTICE STATEMENT

BHINNEKA is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to advancing knowledge in intercultural counseling. This statement clarifies the ethical behavior expected from all participants in the publication process. Our policies are aligned with COPE's Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors, ensuring the integrity of scholarly communication.

Ethical Foundation of Scholarly Publishing

The publication of peer-reviewed articles represents a fundamental component in developing a reliable and respected knowledge network. Articles published in BHINNEKA reflect both the quality of authors' work and the institutions supporting them. As such, we maintain rigorous ethical standards for all stakeholders involved in the publishing process.

Publisher's Commitment

The publishing institution of BHINNEKA assumes guardianship over all publication stages with utmost seriousness. We are committed to ensuring that editorial decisions remain independent of commercial interests, advertising revenue, or external pressures. Our primary responsibility is to the scholarly community and the integrity of published research.

2. DUTIES OF EDITORS

Publication Decisions

The Editor-in-Chief and editorial team are responsible for deciding which submitted articles should be published. Decisions are based on:

  • Academic merit and contribution to the field

  • Originality and significance of research

  • Methodological rigor and validity

  • Clarity and quality of presentation

  • Compliance with legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism

Fair Play and Impartiality

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on intellectual merit without regard to:

  • Authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs

  • Ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy

  • Institutional affiliation or professional status

Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts. Information is disclosed only to:

  • Corresponding authors

  • Assigned reviewers

  • Potential reviewers

  • Editorial advisers

  • Publisher, as necessary

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

  • Editors must not use unpublished materials from submitted manuscripts in their own research without authors' explicit written consent.

  • Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist.

  • Any potential conflicts must be disclosed to the editorial board.

Vigilance Against Misconduct

Editors must:

  • Take reasonable steps to identify and prevent publication of fraudulent research

  • Pursue allegations of misconduct diligently

  • Follow COPE flowcharts for handling ethical concerns

  • Maintain documentation of ethical investigations

3. DUTIES OF REVIEWERS

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer review assists editors in making publication decisions and helps authors improve their manuscripts through constructive feedback.

Competence and Promptness

Reviewers should:

  • Accept review invitations only when competent in the subject area

  • Decline promptly if unqualified or unable to meet deadlines

  • Complete reviews within agreed timelines

Confidentiality

Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents:

  • Not share with others without editor's authorization

  • Not use information for personal advantage

  • Destroy or return materials after review completion

Objectivity and Constructiveness

Reviews should be:

  • Objective and evidence-based

  • Constructive rather than personally critical

  • Focused on scholarly merit and methodological soundness

  • Supported by clear arguments and specific examples

Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers should:

  • Identify relevant uncited published work

  • Alert editors to substantial similarity with other publications

  • Provide appropriate citations for previously reported findings

Disclosure of Conflicts

Reviewers must:

  • Declare any competitive, collaborative, or personal relationships with authors

  • Not review manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist

  • Maintain confidentiality of privileged information obtained during review

4. DUTIES OF AUTHORS

Reporting Standards

Authors must:

  • Present accurate accounts of original research

  • Provide objective discussion of significance

  • Represent underlying data accurately

  • Include sufficient detail for replication

  • Avoid fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements

Data Access and Retention

Authors are expected to:

  • Provide raw data for editorial review upon request

  • Retain research data for reasonable periods post-publication

  • Consider depositing data in appropriate repositories

  • Comply with field-specific data sharing standards

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure:

  • Work is entirely original

  • Proper citation of others' work

  • Appropriate quotation marks for verbatim text

  • No self-plagiarism without disclosure

  • Proper attribution of reproduced materials

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors must not:

  • Publish substantially similar research in multiple journals

  • Submit same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently

  • Fragment research to increase publication count

  • Republish previously published work without proper attribution

Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be limited to those who have made significant contributions to:

  • Research conception or design

  • Data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation

  • Drafting or critically revising the article

  • Final approval of the version to be published

All contributors must:

  • Be listed appropriately as authors or acknowledged

  • Review and approve final manuscript

  • Take public responsibility for content

Acknowledgment of Sources

Proper acknowledgment requires:

  • Citation of influential publications

  • Permission for reproduced materials

  • Disclosure of funding sources

  • Acknowledgment of technical assistance

Research Ethics and Safety

For research involving:

  • Human participants: Evidence of ethical approval and informed consent

  • Animal subjects: Compliance with ethical guidelines

  • Hazardous materials: Clear identification of risks and safety protocols

Disclosure of Conflicts

Authors must disclose:

  • All financial and personal relationships

  • Funding sources and their role

  • Any other conflicts that might influence results

Correction of Errors

Authors must:

  • Promptly notify editors of significant errors

  • Cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions

  • Provide necessary documentation for corrections

5. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY POLICY

Copyright

  • Authors retain copyright of published work

  • Articles are published under CC BY-SA 4.0 license

  • Authors grant BHINNEKA first publication rights

  • Proper attribution must be given for all reused content

Plagiarism Prevention

BHINNEKA implements:

  • Systematic plagiarism screening using Turnitin or similar tools

  • Cross-checking of references and citations

  • Review of self-plagiarism and text recycling

  • Investigation of all plagiarism allegations

Permissions

Authors are responsible for:

  • Obtaining permissions for reproduced materials

  • Providing evidence of permission upon submission

  • Ensuring third-party materials are properly attributed

Retraction Policy

Articles may be retracted for:

  • Plagiarism or copyright infringement

  • Data fabrication or falsification

  • Serious ethical violations

  • Fundamental errors invalidating conclusions

6. DATA SHARING AND REPRODUCIBILITY

Data Sharing Policy

BHINNEKA encourages:

  • Sharing of research data supporting published results

  • Deposition in recognized repositories (e.g., Zenodo, OSF)

  • Use of persistent identifiers (DOIs) for datasets

  • Clear data availability statements

Reproducibility Standards

Authors should provide:

  • Detailed methodology descriptions

  • Software and tool specifications

  • Access to analysis code when applicable

  • Sufficient information for replication

Data Management

  • Raw data should be retained for minimum 5 years

  • Data should be shareable unless restricted

  • Confidential data must be properly protected

7. COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS PROCEDURE

Complaints Procedure

BHINNEKA handles complaints through:

  1. Initial Contact: Email to editorial office within 30 days

  2. Acknowledgment: Response within 5 business days

  3. Investigation: Thorough review by editorial team

  4. Resolution: Written response within 30 days

  5. Escalation: Appeal to Editor-in-Chief if unresolved

Appeals Process

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by:

  1. Submitting written appeal within 14 days

  2. Providing specific grounds for appeal

  3. Including supporting evidence

  4. Allowing 30 days for review and decision

Confidentiality and Fairness

All complaints and appeals are:

  • Treated confidentially

  • Investigated impartially

  • Documented appropriately

  • Free from retaliation

8. CORRECTION AND RETRACTION PROCEDURES

Errata

Issued for publisher-introduced errors:

  • Minor typographical errors

  • Formatting issues

  • Production errors

  • Linked bidirectionally to original article

Corrigenda

Issued for author-requested corrections:

  • Significant errors affecting interpretation

  • Updated information

  • Additional relevant data

  • Author-approved changes

Retractions

Issued for serious issues:

  • Unreliable findings

  • Research misconduct

  • Ethical violations

  • Legal requirements

Procedure for Changes

  1. Identification of need for correction

  2. Evaluation of impact and significance

  3. Approval by Editor-in-Chief

  4. Publication of notice

  5. Linking to original article

9. MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT

Ethical Oversight

BHINNEKA maintains:

  • Regular review of ethical compliance

  • Documentation of ethical decisions

  • Training for editors and reviewers

  • Continuous policy improvement

Sanctions for Violations

Depending on severity, violations may result in:

  • Rejection of manuscript

  • Retraction of published article

  • Publication of notice

  • Reporting to institutions

  • Temporary or permanent banning

Transparency and Reporting

BHINNEKA publishes:

  • Annual ethics report

  • Statistics on corrections and retractions

  • Updates to policies and procedures

  • Responses to ethical challenges

10. CONTACT AND SUPPORT

Ethics Committee

For ethical concerns contact:
Editor-in-Chief, BHINNEKA: Intercultural Counseling Insights
Email: [Insert ethics contact email]
Subject: "ETHICAL CONCERN - [Brief Description]"

Confidential Reporting

Whistleblowers may report concerns:

  • Anonymously through secure portal

  • Directly to independent ombudsperson

  • With protection against retaliation

Resources and Guidance

BHINNEKA provides:

  • Detailed author guidelines

  • Ethics checklist for submissions

  • COPE resources and guidelines

  • Training materials on publication ethics

This comprehensive publication ethics policy ensures BHINNEKA: Intercultural Counseling Insights maintains the highest standards of scholarly integrity, transparency, and accountability. We are committed to fostering ethical research practices and contributing to the advancement of knowledge in intercultural counseling through responsible publishing.