Soshum: Jurnal Sosial dan Humaniora is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. This Publication Ethics Statement is based on the principles and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and is intended to ensure ethical conduct by authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

The journal follows the principles of responsible research and publication, including originality, transparency, fairness, confidentiality, appropriate authorship, disclosure of conflicts of interest, ethical research conduct, and correction of the published record.

Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

1. Reporting Standards

Authors must present their research accurately, honestly, and objectively. Research results must not be fabricated, falsified, manipulated, or selectively reported. Manuscripts should contain sufficient information and appropriate references to enable readers to understand and, where applicable, reproduce the research.

Authors must comply with the journal's Author Guidelines and provide accurate information throughout the submission and publication process.

2. Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are original and have not been published previously in substantially the same form.

All sources, ideas, statements, data, and works of other researchers must be appropriately acknowledged and cited. Direct quotations must be clearly identified and properly referenced.

The journal may use plagiarism or similarity-detection software as part of its editorial screening process. Manuscripts suspected of plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct may be rejected or investigated in accordance with applicable ethical procedures.

3. Multiple, Redundant, and Concurrent Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal.

Authors must not publish substantially the same research in more than one publication without appropriate justification and disclosure. When multiple publications arise from the same research project, the relationship between the publications must be transparently identified and relevant previous publications must be cited.

4. Authorship and Contributions

Authorship must accurately reflect substantial contributions to the conception, design, conduct, analysis, interpretation, or reporting of the research.

All individuals who have made substantial contributions should be appropriately recognized as authors, while individuals whose contributions do not qualify for authorship should be acknowledged where appropriate.

All listed authors must have approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission and publication.

Changes to authorship after submission must be justified and approved by all authors. The journal may request written confirmation from all affected authors before approving any change in authorship.

5. Acknowledgement of Sources

Authors must properly acknowledge all sources of information, data, ideas, methods, and other materials used in their research.

Relevant prior publications, including the authors' own previous work, must be cited appropriately. Authors must not intentionally omit relevant references or manipulate citations.

6. Data and Research Materials

Authors should retain appropriate research data and supporting materials and should be prepared to provide clarification or supporting information to the editor when reasonably requested, subject to ethical, legal, privacy, and confidentiality restrictions.

Authors must not fabricate, falsify, manipulate, or selectively alter research data.

7. Disclosure of Funding

All sources of financial support for the research must be disclosed in the manuscript.

Authors should clearly state the role of the funder, where applicable, in the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, writing, and decision to submit the manuscript.

8. Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, personal, professional, institutional, or other relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.

If no relevant conflict exists, authors should state that there is no conflict of interest.

9. Research Ethics

Research involving human participants, personal data, or animals must comply with applicable ethical standards, regulations, and institutional requirements.

Where applicable, authors must provide information regarding ethical approval and informed consent. Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants.

10. Fundamental Errors in Published Work

If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must promptly notify the editor and cooperate in correcting the published record.

Authors must not conceal significant errors that could affect the interpretation or reliability of the published work.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Authors may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools for appropriate purposes such as language improvement, grammar checking, translation, or other forms of writing assistance.

AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the content of a scholarly publication.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of their manuscripts.

When AI tools are used to generate or substantially modify text, analyze data, generate images, or otherwise contribute materially to the research or manuscript, such use must be appropriately disclosed in accordance with the journal's Author Guidelines.

AI-generated content must be carefully checked by the authors for accuracy, originality, potential bias, fabricated references, and copyright or other intellectual-property concerns.

The use of AI tools must not replace the authors' responsibility for the scholarly work.

Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

1. Publication Decisions

Editors are responsible for making fair, objective, and evidence-based publication decisions.

Editorial decisions must be based primarily on the manuscript's academic quality, originality, relevance, methodological soundness, and contribution to the field, rather than on the authors' identity, institutional affiliation, nationality, gender, religion, ethnicity, political views, or other irrelevant characteristics.

Editors may consult reviewers, members of the editorial board, or other experts when making publication decisions.

2. Editorial Independence and Fair Play

Editors must maintain editorial independence and integrity.

All manuscripts must be evaluated fairly and consistently. No author or manuscript should receive preferential or discriminatory treatment.

3. Initial Screening and Peer Review

Editors must conduct an appropriate initial assessment of submitted manuscripts before peer review.

Manuscripts considered suitable for publication must undergo peer review according to the journal's Peer Review Process.

Editors must select reviewers with appropriate expertise and should avoid reviewers who have conflicts of interest with the authors, institutions, or research concerned.

4. Confidentiality

Editors must keep information about submitted manuscripts confidential.

Information concerning a manuscript may only be disclosed to individuals directly involved in the editorial and peer-review process or when disclosure is required by law or applicable ethical procedures.

Editors must not use unpublished information contained in submitted manuscripts for their own research or personal advantage without the author's written permission.

5. Conflicts of Interest

Editors must not participate in editorial decisions concerning manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest.

If an editor submits a manuscript to the journal, the manuscript must be handled independently by another editor who has no conflict of interest with the submitting editor or the manuscript.

The submitting editor must not participate in the peer-review process or editorial decision concerning their own manuscript.

6. Editorial Board Members as Authors

Editorial board members are permitted to submit manuscripts to the journal. However, their manuscripts must be handled through the same independent peer-review process as other submissions.

The editorial board member who is an author must not influence the selection of reviewers, editorial decision, or publication process concerning their manuscript.

The journal will take appropriate measures to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure editorial independence.

Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers

1. Confidentiality

Reviewers must treat all manuscripts received for review as confidential documents.

Reviewers must not share, copy, distribute, or discuss the manuscript or its contents with others without authorization from the editor.

2. Objectivity and Constructive Review

Reviews must be conducted objectively, fairly, and constructively.

Reviewers should provide clear explanations and evidence supporting their comments and recommendations. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate.

3. Acknowledgement of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been appropriately cited.

If reviewers identify substantial similarity between the submitted manuscript and another published or submitted work, they should inform the editor.

4. Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that could affect their judgment.

Reviewers should decline an assignment if they have a personal, professional, financial, competitive, collaborative, or other relationship with the authors or institutions involved that could compromise the impartiality of the review.

5. Use of Privileged Information

Information, ideas, data, or methods obtained through peer review must remain confidential and must not be used for personal, professional, or financial advantage.

6. Promptness

Reviewers should accept an assignment only when they have sufficient expertise and can complete the review within the agreed time.

If a reviewer cannot complete the review within the required period, the reviewer should promptly inform the editor so that an alternative reviewer can be considered.

Allegations of Misconduct

The journal takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously.

Potential misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

• plagiarism;

• fabrication or falsification of data;

• inappropriate manipulation of images or research materials;

• duplicate or redundant publication;

• simultaneous submission to multiple journals;

• inappropriate authorship or authorship manipulation;

• citation manipulation;

• undeclared conflicts of interest;

• unethical research involving humans or animals;

• reviewer or editorial misconduct; and

• other practices that violate accepted standards of research and publication ethics.

When an allegation of misconduct is received, the editor will conduct an appropriate preliminary assessment.

Where necessary, the journal may request clarification or supporting documentation from the authors, reviewers, editors, institutions, or other relevant parties.

The journal may also contact the relevant research institution or other appropriate authority when an investigation by the institution is required.

The journal will handle allegations confidentially and fairly and will follow appropriate COPE guidance and procedures when determining the appropriate course of action.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors have the right to raise legitimate concerns or appeal an editorial decision.

Complaints or appeals should be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief with sufficient explanation and supporting information.

The journal will review complaints and appeals objectively and in a timely manner.

An appeal will normally be considered only when the author provides substantive reasons indicating that the editorial decision may have resulted from a significant error, misunderstanding, procedural irregularity, or relevant information that was not previously considered.

The journal will not reconsider a decision solely because an author disagrees with the academic judgment of the reviewers or editor.

Complaints concerning the Editor-in-Chief will be handled by an appropriate senior editorial or publishing authority who has no conflict of interest with the case.

Corrections, Retractions, and Withdrawal

The journal is committed to maintaining the integrity and accuracy of the published record.

Corrections

A correction may be issued when an error is identified that does not invalidate the overall findings or conclusions of the article but requires correction to ensure the accuracy of the published record.

Retractions

An article may be retracted when there is clear evidence that its findings or conclusions are unreliable, or when serious publication or research misconduct has occurred.

Reasons for retraction may include, but are not limited to, fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, major ethical violations, substantial errors, or redundant publication.

Retraction notices will clearly identify the retracted article and explain the reason for the retraction. The original article will normally remain accessible with a clear indication that it has been retracted, in order to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Withdrawal

A manuscript may be withdrawn before publication when there are valid ethical, legal, technical, or editorial reasons.

Withdrawal of a published article will be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as serious legal or ethical problems where the article should no longer remain publicly available.

The journal will maintain an appropriate record of corrections, retractions, and withdrawals.

Post-Publication Discussions

The journal welcomes responsible and evidence-based communication concerning published articles.

Readers who identify substantial errors, ethical concerns, or other issues affecting the integrity of a published article are encouraged to contact the journal.

The editor will assess credible concerns and, where necessary, initiate an appropriate investigation or correction of the published record.

Post-publication concerns will be handled fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with applicable publication-ethics principles.

Ethical Oversight

The journal is committed to appropriate ethical oversight of all published research.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that research complies with applicable ethical standards and institutional requirements.

Where applicable, manuscripts must provide information regarding ethical approval, informed consent, participant confidentiality, or other relevant ethical safeguards.

The journal may request evidence of ethical approval or other supporting documentation when necessary.

Copyright and Intellectual Property

Authors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts do not infringe copyright, intellectual-property rights, privacy rights, or other legal rights.

Authors must obtain appropriate permission for copyrighted material where required.

The journal's copyright and licensing arrangements are stated separately in its Copyright Notice and Open Access Policy.

Editorial and Peer-Review Integrity

The journal maintains a peer-review process designed to ensure that manuscripts are evaluated by qualified reviewers.

Reviewers and editors are expected to disclose conflicts of interest and maintain confidentiality.

The journal does not tolerate manipulation of the peer-review or editorial process, including attempts to influence editorial decisions through inappropriate means.

Publisher's Responsibilities

The publisher, Unit Publikasi Ilmiah, P3M, Politeknik Negeri Bali, supports the Editor-in-Chief and editorial team in maintaining academic and publication integrity.

The publisher will provide reasonable support for investigating suspected ethical violations and for maintaining the integrity of the published record.

The publisher does not interfere with editorial decisions based on academic or scholarly judgment.

Policy on Ethical Conduct

All parties involved in the publication process—authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—are expected to comply with this Publication Ethics Statement.

Where a situation is not explicitly covered by this policy, the journal will refer to applicable publication-ethics principles and established best practices, including relevant COPE guidance.

Soshum: Jurnal Sosial dan Humaniora reserves the right to reject manuscripts, suspend publication, issue corrections or retractions, or take other appropriate action when serious ethical violations are identified.