Editorial Policies

Focus and Scope

The CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) journal is a distinguished peer-reviewed academic publication dedicated to advancing rigorous scholarly research on Middle Eastern studies. It publishes high-calibre research articles, theoretical studies, and critical reviews that engage with both contemporary and historical issues relevant to the region, employing a multidisciplinary approach.

The CMES journal serves as a dynamic intellectual platform for researchers, academics, and practitioners to exchange innovative findings and perspectives, advancing Middle Eastern studies through a multidisciplinary framework grounded in the epistemological foundations of the humanities and social sciences. In the humanities, the journal emphasises linguistics, literature, and Middle Eastern culture. At the same time, the social sciences focus on politics, economics, education, religions, and the social dimensions of Middle Eastern societies. CMES encourages scholarly work that engages these disciplines through monodisciplinary inquiry, interdisciplinary synthesis, or transdisciplinary dialogue, fostering conceptual integration and methodological interaction across disciplinary boundaries.

Manuscripts submitted to CMES must be pertinent to Middle Eastern studies and demonstrate clear engagement with the epistemic traditions of their respective fields. Submissions are expected to exhibit rigorous methodology, original insights, and significant contributions to regional studies, while appealing to a global academic audience.

 

Section Policies

Articles

Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed
 

Peer Review Process

The Center of Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) employs a double-blind manuscript review process. With a double‐blind review approach, the identity of both the author(s) and the reviewer is unknown to both parties.

All manuscripts submitted for publication in the Center of Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) are first evaluated by the Managing Editor, either individually or in consultation with the Editorial Board member(s), to assess its suitability for the journal in line with the journal's aims and scope. This is an important step to ensure that the content falls within the scope of the journal in terms of quality and/or impact on policy. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's expected standards are rejected with an explanation of the reasons behind a desk-reject decision. The reviewers are experienced researchers who have published in high-impact-factor SCOPUS journals and are part of the CMES reviewer database. Reviewers are given 14-21 days to provide a detailed report on the manuscript with their recommended decision, which can be either' accept ',' minor revision ',' major revision ', or' reject '. Where reviewer reports are in conflict, the Managing Editor reads the report(s) and the paper, and conveys the final decision to the corresponding author.

When a 'revise' decision is made, authors are given 2–3 months to complete minor revisions and 3–6 months to complete major revisions. When revised papers are submitted, in the case of minor revisions, the Managing Editor reads the paper and the rejoinder and makes a final decision. In the case of a major revision, resubmitted papers are again assigned to reviewers and the editorial decision proceeds from there.

In all cases, regardless of the reviewer recommendation, the final decision on whether or not to publish a paper rests solely with the Managing Editor, who, in making the editorial decision, keeps in mind the scope/aims of the journal.

 

Publication Frequency

Center of Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) is a scholarly journal published by the Arabic Literature Department, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), Surakarta, Indonesia. CMES Journal is published biannually, in June and December.

 

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

 

Archiving

This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration. More...

 

Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) (ISSN 2085-563X Print, ISSN 2502-1044 Online) is a peer-reviewed journal published by Arabic Literature Department, Faculty of Cultural Science, Sebelas Maret University.This statement clarifies ethical behaviour of all parties involved in the act of publishing an article in this journal, including the author, the chief editor, the Editorial Board, the peer-reviewer and the publisher. This statement is based on COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

1. Allegations of Misconduct

CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) upholds integrity in scholarly publication. Allegations of research or publication misconduct—including fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, redundant publication, manipulation of the peer review process, or undeclared conflicts of interest—will be handled according to COPE flowcharts.
All complaints or suspicions may be reported confidentially to the Editor-in-Chief. The editorial office will:

1. Record and acknowledge receipt of the allegation;

2. Conduct an initial assessment;

3. Seek a response from the author(s) within a reasonable time;

4. If necessary, involve the author’s institution or relevant ethics committee; and

5. Publish appropriate outcomes (correction, retraction, or expression of concern).
Confidentiality and fairness are maintained throughout

 

2. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship must be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission.
CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) encourages transparent author contribution statements (e.g., conceptualization, methodology, analysis, writing).
Any request for addition, removal, or rearrangement of authors after submission must be approved by all co-authors and justified in writing. Disputes regarding authorship will follow COPE’s guidance.

3. Complaints and Appeals

CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) provides a transparent mechanism for handling complaints about editorial conduct, decisions, or publication ethics.

1. Authors may appeal an editorial decision by writing to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days of notification, providing clear reasons and supporting evidence;

2. Complaints about editorial behaviour, bias, or ethical breaches can be submitted to the Managing Editor or Faculty of Cultural Science Ethics Committee.
All appeals and complaints will be acknowledged, reviewed independently, and concluded transparently. The final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief.

4. Conflicts of Interest

All parties—authors, reviewers, and editors—must disclose any financial, personal, or institutional relationships that could influence their work.

1. Authors must declare all funding sources and potential conflicts in their manuscripts.

2. Reviewers must decline assignments if a conflict exists (e.g., collaboration, competition, or personal connection).

3. Editors must recuse themselves when handling manuscripts involving potential conflicts.
Disclosures will be published within the article, and any undisclosed conflict discovered post-publication may lead to correction or retraction.

5. Data and Reproducibility

Authors must ensure that data supporting the results are accurately represented and available upon reasonable request.
CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) encourages data sharing through reputable repositories and requires a Data Availability Statement in each article.
Authors are responsible for transparency in methodology and adherence to appropriate reporting guidelines. Falsification or selective reporting constitutes misconduct.

6. Ethical Oversight

Research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data must comply with institutional and international ethical standards.

1. Authors must state that ethical approval was obtained (including IRB name and reference number).

2. For human research, informed consent must be obtained and participants’ privacy protected.

3. For animal studies, authors must confirm compliance with ethical standards and welfare protocols.

4. Failure to obtain proper ethical oversight may result in rejection or retraction.

7. Intellectual Property and Plagiarism

CMES Journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright but grant CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) the right of first publication.
All submissions are screened with plagiarism-detection software (Turnitin).
Plagiarism, duplicate or redundant publication, and self-plagiarism are strictly prohibited. Submissions exceeding the similarity threshold or reproducing copyrighted material without permission will be rejected or retracted.
Authors must ensure all figures, tables, and text are original or properly cited.

8. Journal Management

CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) is published by the Faculty of Cultural Science, Universitas Sebelas Maret.
Editorial independence is guaranteed: commercial, institutional, or sponsor interests shall not influence editorial decisions.
The journal’s management maintains transparency in:

1. Editorial board membership and responsibilities,

2. Peer review procedures,

3. Article processing charges and waiver policy, and

4. Training for editors and reviewers.
All processes are reviewed annually to ensure compliance with COPE and national standards (SINTA 3 accreditation).

9. Peer Review Process

CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) applies a double-blind peer review system. Manuscripts are evaluated by at least two independent experts based on originality, validity, ethical soundness, and relevance.
Editors ensure reviewers have no conflicts of interest. Reviewers are expected to maintain confidentiality, provide objective feedback, and return reviews promptly.
Authors may appeal review outcomes by providing justification and evidence. Review manipulation or coercion will be treated as misconduct.
Reviewer training and recognition are conducted regularly in line with COPE recommendations.

10. Post-Publication Discussion and Corrections

CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) supports open post-publication dialogue. Readers may submit comments or letters addressing published articles.
Corrections, corrigenda, errata, or retractions will be issued when errors or ethical breaches are verified.
Retractions follow COPE’s Retraction Guidelines and will clearly state the reason (e.g., error, misconduct, ethical non-compliance).
Expressions of concern may be published if investigations are ongoing. All updates remain permanently linked to the original article.

Author Fees

This journal charges the following author fees.

Article Submission: 0.00 (IDR)

Article Publication: 0.00 (IDR)
This journal is fully sponsored by the Arabic Literature Department, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Sebelas Maret, eliminating the need for authors to pay any fees for submission and publication. We are committed to ensuring that CMES Journal remains an accessible platform for researchers and scholars, supporting the dissemination of knowledge in Middle Eastern studies without imposing any financial burden on authors.

 

Plagiarism Policy

Every manuscript submitted for publication in CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) Journal is checked for plagiarism after submission and before being sent to an editor for editorial review.

CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) uses ‘Turnitin Software’ to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts.

How are manuscripts with plagiarism handled?

The manuscripts in which plagiarism is detected are handled based on the extent of plagiarism present in the manuscript.

<5% plagiarism - The manuscript is assigned a manuscript ID and it is immediately sent back to the authors for content revision.
5–20% plagiarism - The manuscript is NOT assigned a manuscript ID and it is immediately sent back to the authors for content revision.
>20% plagiarism - The manuscript is rejected without editorial review. The authors are advised to revise the plagiarized parts of the manuscript and resubmit it as a fresh manuscript.

 

Retraction

The papers published in CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) will be considered to retract in the publication if:

1. They have clear evidence that the findings are unreliable, either as a result of major error (eg, miscalculation or experimental error), or as a result of fabrication (eg, of data) or falsification (eg, image manipulation);

2. It constitutes plagiarism;

3. The findings have previously been published elsewhere without proper attribution to previous sources or disclosure to the editor, permission to republish, or justification (ie, cases of redundant publication);

4. It contains material or data without authorisation for use;

5. Copyright has been infringed or there is some other serious legal issue (eg, libel, privacy);

6. It reports unethical research;

7. It has been published solely on the basis of a compromised or manipulated peer review process;

8. The author(s) failed to disclose a major competing interest (a.k.a. conflict of interest) that, in the view of the editor, would have unduly affected interpretations of the work or recommendations by editors and peer reviewers;

The mechanism of retraction follows the Retraction Guidelines of Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) which can be accessed at:

https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.1.4

 

Plagiarism Policy

CMES Journal places a strong emphasis on academic integrity and originality. The journal adopts a strict policy on plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and the inappropriate use of AI-generated content to protect the authenticity of published works.

1. Plagiarism and AI Screening using Turnitin.com
All manuscripts submitted to CMES Journal are checked for similarity using plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin).

  • The editorial team conducts similarity checks twice: first before peer review, and again prior to final publication.

  • A similarity index and AI-generated score of no more than 20% is considered acceptable. Manuscripts exceeding this threshold will be returned to the authors for revision or may be rejected.

2. Originality
Manuscripts must represent original work that has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal. Any practice of plagiarism, including unattributed use of another author’s ideas, text, or data, is strictly prohibited and will lead to rejection.

3. Self-Plagiarism
Authors are expected to avoid duplicate or redundant publication of their own previously published work. Limited reuse of prior work is permitted only with proper citation and acknowledgement.

4. Use of AI Tools 
Generative AI and AI-assisted tools must not be used to create substantive content (e.g., ideas, arguments, data, or analysis) in manuscripts submitted to CMES Journal.

  • Authors may use AI tools only to improve language clarity or readability, with full author responsibility and oversight.

  • The editorial team reserves the right to screen for inappropriate or undisclosed AI-generated content.

CMES Journal upholds these policies to maintain rigorous scholarly standards and to safeguard the trust of the academic community.

 

Withdrawal Policy

The author is not allowed to withdraw the submitted manuscript once it has entered the review process. Withdrawal is considered a waste of valuable resources, as editors and reviewers spend a great deal of time processing and evaluating the manuscript, and the publisher has already invested efforts in handling the submission.

However, authors may request withdrawal if there is no update on the review progress after six (6) months from the date of submission, and no decision has been communicated by the journal.

Email for withdrawal requests: cmes@mail.uns.ac.id

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Policy

1. General Principle

CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine-learning tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Grammarly, etc.) can assist research and writing processes. However, AI cannot replace human authorship, accountability, or critical judgment.
Any use of AI in preparing manuscripts must uphold principles of transparency, integrity, and responsibility consistent with COPE Core Practices.

2. Prohibition of AI Authorship

AI tools and automated systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.
Authorship implies accountability for originality, intellectual contribution, and ethical responsibility—qualities that AI systems do not possess.
Only human contributors who meet authorship criteria (conceptualization, analysis, writing, approval) can be credited as authors.

3. Disclosure and Transparency

Authors must explicitly disclose in the manuscript if and how AI tools were used, including:

1. the name and version of the tool,

2. the purpose of use (e.g., grammar correction, data analysis, translation, image generation, text summarization), and

3. the extent of human oversight.

A statement such as the following must be included in the Acknowledgments or Methods section:

“Portions of this manuscript were assisted by [AI tool name, version], used for [describe purpose]. All interpretations, analyses, and conclusions are the author’s own responsibility.”

Failure to disclose AI use is considered a breach of publication ethics.

4. Integrity and Verification

Authors are fully responsible for:

1. the accuracy, originality, and truthfulness of all AI-generated or AI-assisted content,

2. verifying that AI output does not contain fabricated data, false citations, or plagiarized material, and

3. ensuring AI tools have not accessed confidential or restricted data.

Editors may request the submission of AI-prompt logs or methodological explanations when necessary to verify transparency.

5. Ethical and Legal Compliance

The use of AI must not:

1. compromise data privacy or participant confidentiality,

2. involve unauthorized use of copyrighted or personal data,

3. generate or manipulate images, audio, or text in a deceptive way,

4. be used to fabricate or falsify research results.

AI applications for predictive legal analysis, case generation, or text summarization must comply with data-protection law (including Indonesia’s Law No. 27 of 2022 on Personal Data Protection) and academic integrity standards.

6. Editorial and Peer Review Integrity

AI tools must not be used by editors or reviewers to:

1. read, summarize, or evaluate confidential manuscripts, or

2. generate review reports.
Peer review relies on expert human judgment; any use of AI by reviewers must be declared to the Editor-in-Chief and approved before use.
Editors will apply AI-detection tools only to support, not replace, human assessment of originality and language quality.

7. Data Management and Reproducibility

If AI or machine-learning models are part of the research method, authors must provide:

1. sufficient detail for reproducibility (model type, parameters, training data sources, validation process),

2. ethical approval (if human or legal data were used), and

3. a statement on data provenance and bias mitigation.

Datasets or algorithms trained on sensitive legal cases, personal data, or court documents must ensure anonymization and legal compliance.

8. Sanctions for Misuse

Undisclosed or unethical use of AI (e.g., ghostwriting, text fabrication, deepfake imagery, or citation falsification) constitutes scientific misconduct.
Sanctions include rejection before publication, retraction after publication, or notification to the author’s institution following COPE flowcharts.

9. Continous Monitoring

Editors and reviewers will receive training on identifying and responsibly integrating AI tools in research assessment.

Model Disclosure Example for Authors

AI-Use Disclosure: The authors used OpenAI’s GPT-5 (October 2025 version) to refine the English grammar of this manuscript. The authors reviewed, verified, and are responsible for all final content.

CMES (Center of Middle Eastern Studies) will periodically review its AI-ethics policy to adapt to evolving standards of COPE, WAME, and the Indonesian Committee on Publication Ethics (KNEP).
Editors and reviewers will receive training on identifying and responsibly integrating AI tools in research assessment.

 

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship is reserved for individuals who have made substantial and meaningful contributions to a manuscript. These contributions must go beyond routine or administrative tasks and involve intellectual input at various stages of the research process. To be listed as an author, one must meet all of the following conditions: (1) significantly contributed to the study’s conception or design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation; (2) participated actively in drafting the manuscript, providing substantial revisions, or critically reviewing it for important intellectual content; (3) approved the final version of the manuscript for submission and publication; and (4) agreed to be accountable for the integrity of the entire work, including resolving any questions related to its accuracy or ethical conduct.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that every listed co-author fulfills these criteria and that no inappropriate authors are included. All co-authors must have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and have agreed to its submission. Requests to add, remove, or reorder authors are discouraged after submission and will only be considered under special circumstances. In such cases, the corresponding author must provide a detailed justification and written consent from all affected authors. Once a manuscript is accepted, changes in authorship are subject to editorial approval and may be declined if appropriate documentation is not provided. If a change is required post-publication, it will be handled through a formal correction notice.

Contribution Details

To enhance transparency in scholarly publishing, The journal encourages authors to clearly outline the specific contributions made by each co-author. This should be done using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) framework, which provides standardized terms for different roles such as conceptualization, methodology, software development, validation, formal analysis, investigation, data curation, writing-original draft, writing-review and editing, visualization, supervision, project administration, and funding acquisition. Each author’s name should be followed by the roles they performed, and this contribution statement will appear alongside the published article. At least one author should serve as the guarantor who accepts full responsibility for the integrity of the work from start to finish.

In addition to named authors, individuals who contributed to the project in other capacities such as through technical support, funding acquisition, general supervision, or scholarly discussion should be acknowledged in a dedicated Acknowledgments section. Their full name and affiliation must be included, and authors are responsible for notifying them and obtaining their consent to be listed. If groups or institutions contributed to the study in a collective capacity (e.g., clinical investigators or supporting institutions), their role should be briefly described.

Any assistance from AI-based tools (such as large language models used for drafting or editing text) must be explicitly disclosed in the manuscript. While these tools may assist the writing process, the human authors remain fully responsible for ensuring the originality, accuracy, and ethical compliance of the content.

 

Allegation of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct involves fabrication, falsification, citation manipulation, or plagiarism in conducting, reviewing, or reporting research and writing articles. When authors are found guilty of such misconduct or other serious irregularities in published articles, Editors must maintain the scientific record's accuracy and integrity.

In suspected misconduct cases, Editors and the Editorial Board will follow COPE's best practices to resolve the complaint and address the issue fairly. This includes an investigation by the Editors. Manuscripts found to contain misconduct will be rejected. If a published paper is found to have misconduct, a retraction will be issued and linked to the original article.

The first step is to validate the allegation and assess if it aligns with the definition of research misconduct. This initial step also includes determining if the complainants have any conflicts of interest.

If there is a possibility of scientific misconduct or significant research irregularities, the allegations are shared with the corresponding author, who is asked to provide a detailed response on behalf of all coauthors. After evaluating the response, further review and expert involvement (e.g., statistical reviewers) may be necessary. If it appears unlikely that misconduct occurred, clarifications, additional analyses, or corrections published as letters to the editor, along with a correction notice, may suffice.

Institutions are expected to conduct thorough investigations of scientific misconduct allegations. Authors, journals, and institutions must ensure the scientific record's accuracy. By appropriately addressing concerns about scientific misconduct and taking necessary actions, such as corrections, retractions with replacement, and retractions, the journal will uphold the scientific record's validity and integrity.

 

Conflict of Interest

This journal is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of transparency and ethical conduct in academic publishing. This policy provides definitions of conflicts of interest and describes procedures for addressing conflicts of interest involving authors, reviewers, editors, the journal, and the publisher, whether identified prior to or after publication. The journal adheres to the Core Practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Definition of Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or entity has financial, personal, professional, or academic relationships or interests that could influence or appear to influence their objectivity, integrity, or decision-making in the context of research, review, editorial work, or publication processes.

2. Identification of Conflicts of Interest

All participants in the publication process including authors, reviewers, editors, and others are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest relevant to the work they are submitting, reviewing, editing, or publishing. These potential conflicts may include, but are not limited to:

Financial interests: Funding sources, stock ownership, employment, consultancy arrangements, or other financial ties related to the research.

Personal relationships: Close personal or familial relationships with individuals involved in the research or publication process.

Academic relationships: Collaborations or academic affiliations that could affect objectivity or create perceptions of bias.

Competing affiliations: Relationships with competing organizations that might have conflicting interests in the research or its outcomes.

Intellectual property: Ownership of patents, copyrights, or intellectual property rights potentially impacted by the research or publication.

3. Handling Conflicts of Interest

The management will address conflicts of interest with diligence and transparency.

For Authors: Authors are required to disclose all potential conflicts of interest during the manuscript submission process. If a conflict of interest is identified after publication, authors should promptly inform the editorial board. The editorial board will address the conflict transparently and, if necessary, issue corrections or retractions.

For Reviewers: Reviewers must decline invitations to review if they have conflicts of interest that could compromise their impartiality. If a conflict arises during the review process, reviewers should immediately notify the editorial board for appropriate action.

For Editors and Journal Staff: Editors and journal staff involved in the review and publication process must recuse themselves from handling submissions in which they have conflicts of interest. When uncertainty arises, the editorial board will decide on the appropriate course of action.

For Publishers: The publisher must implement policies to address potential conflicts of interest within its organization. The publisher should ensure that editorial decisions and processes are free from financial or competing interests.

4. Transparency and Disclosure

This journal will clearly outline its conflicts of interest policy and inform all stakeholders of the requirements for disclosure. Disclosures made by authors, reviewers, editors, and other stakeholders will be published alongside the relevant articles, reviews, or editorials to ensure transparency. Additionally, the journal will limit or restrict access to the publication process for editors, reviewers, and stakeholders who co-author articles submitted to the journal.

 

Post-publication Discussions

We recognizes that scholarly discourse continues beyond publication. The journal encourages constructive and respectful discussion of published articles as a means to advance understanding, clarify findings, and refine knowledge according to the focus and scope. In accordance with COPE’s core practices and WAME’s guidance, post-publication discussions should contribute to the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

Readers and authors may submit letters to the editor or short commentaries addressing articles published in the journal. Submissions should be concise, supported by relevant evidence, and directly related to the article under discussion. All submissions will undergo editorial assessment to ensure their relevance, scholarly value, and respectful presentation. Where online commenting is available, comments may be moderated to maintain constructive discussion.

Authors of the original article will normally be given an opportunity to respond to substantive comments or critiques. Accepted commentaries and author responses may be published and linked to the original article to facilitate further scholarly exchange. Discussions that identify potential errors or concerns about research integrity will be assessed under the journal’s Corrections and Retractions policy.

 

Correction and Retraction

This journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. Published articles may require amendment when significant errors, omissions, or concerns about research integrity are identified. Authors, readers, and reviewers are encouraged to report such issues to the Editor-in-Chief, providing specific details and supporting evidence. Reports will be assessed impartially, in consultation with the authors and, where appropriate, reviewers, editorial board members, or relevant institutions, following COPE’s guidance and WAME’s recommendations.

Corrections will be issued when confirmed errors affect the interpretation or understanding of an article but do not invalidate its principal findings or conclusions. Author-originated errors may be addressed through a corrigendum, while errors introduced during journal production may be addressed through an erratum. Each correction notice will clearly describe the error, explain the amendment, and be permanently linked to the original article. Any changes to the published article will be clearly identified to preserve a transparent publication record.

Retraction will be considered when there is clear evidence that an article’s findings are unreliable because of a major error, fabrication, or falsification, or when the publication involves plagiarism, redundant publication, or unethical research. Retraction decisions will be based on the available evidence and the need to protect the scholarly record. A formal retraction notice will identify the article, state who is retracting it, and explain the reasons, distinguishing between honest error and misconduct where possible. The article will ordinarily remain accessible but will be clearly marked as retracted and linked to the notice.

An expression of concern may be issued when substantial concerns exist about an article’s reliability or integrity but the available evidence is inconclusive, or an investigation is ongoing or likely to be prolonged. The notice will explain the concerns and be linked to the article. It will be updated or replaced with an appropriate notice when further evidence becomes available or the investigation concludes. Authors are expected to cooperate with the journal by providing relevant data, explanations, or clarifications needed to resolve post-publication issues.

 

Ownership & Management

This journal is published by Universitas Sebelas Maret. The journal is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity, ethical publishing, transparency, and operational sustainability in accordance with international best practices in scholarly publishing.

This journal upholds full editorial independence. All editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, including originality, scientific quality, relevance, clarity, and compliance with publication ethics. Editorial decisions are made independently by the Editor-in-Chief and editorial team without interference from the publisher or external parties.