Editorial Policies

Focus and Scope

Placentum: Jurnal Kesehatan dan Aplikasinya is an applied health journal published by Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta. The journal publishes original research articles and review articles with a primary and explicit focus on Maternal and Child Health.

All manuscripts submitted to Placentum must demonstrate a clear and direct relevance to the health of women, mothers, newborns, infants, children, adolescents, or families. Studies in health promotion, epidemiology, public health, behavioral sciences, or related disciplines will only be considered when their research questions, populations, outcomes, or implications are specifically linked to maternal and child health.

The journal welcomes multidisciplinary and applied research addressing clinical, behavioral, social, epidemiological, and public health issues across the maternal and child health continuum.

  • Maternal and Child Health: includes research on women’s health, maternal health, newborn health, child health, adolescent health, and family health. Topics may include obstetrics, gynecology, reproductive health, midwifery, pediatrics, neonatology, nutrition, family planning, breastfeeding, perinatal mental health, adolescent reproductive health, maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, and continuity of care.
  • Health Promotion in Maternal and Child Health: includes health promotion, health education, behavior change, communication, psychological, social, cultural, and community-based interventions only when they are directly related to maternal and child health populations or outcomes. Relevant studies may draw on psychology, sociology, anthropology, communication, education, nursing, public health, midwifery, and allied health disciplines, but must clearly contribute to the prevention, promotion, care, or improvement of maternal, newborn, child, adolescent, reproductive, or family health.
  • Epidemiology of Maternal and Child Health: includes descriptive, analytical, clinical, and population-based epidemiological studies specifically focused on maternal and child health populations, conditions, determinants, services, or outcomes. Topics may include disease burden, risk factors, determinants of health, health disparities, service utilization, maternal and child morbidity and mortality, surveillance, screening, prevention, and evaluation of programs or interventions, provided that these are directly relevant to maternal, reproductive, newborn, child, or adolescent health.

The journal particularly encourages multidisciplinary, integrative, community-based, and implementation-oriented research with clear practical implications for improving maternal and child health services, policies, programs, and outcomes.

Manuscripts that focus solely on general health promotion, general epidemiology, or public health issues without a clear and direct connection to maternal and child health are considered outside the scope of the journal.

 

Section Policies

Articles

Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed
 

Peer Review Process

The articles submitted to Placentum: Jurnal Kesehatan dan Aplikasinya will be processed through a formatting review by the editor and a substantial review by a minimum two independent reviewers. The reviewing process is conducted by the double blind review. The reviewers are chosen by a section editor. The decision regarding article publication is based on the review result.

 

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

Placentum: Jurnal Kesehatan dan Aplikasinya is a peer-reviewed journal published by Midwifery Department Medical Faculty, Universitas Sebelas Maret. 

The journal is committed to maintaining the integrity, accuracy, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record. Authors are expected to conduct and report their research in accordance with accepted principles of research and publication ethics.

The journal follows the principles recommended by the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) and, where allegations of research or publication misconduct arise, applies appropriate publication-ethics guidance, including relevant COPE procedures. WAME recommends that journals establish clear policies for handling research misconduct, complaints and appeals, conflicts of interest, post-publication discussion, corrections, and retractions.

1. Research Misconduct
Research and publication misconduct includes practices that compromise the integrity, reliability, or transparency of research or the publication process.
Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • fabrication or falsification of data;
  • plagiarism;
  • inappropriate image manipulation;
  • duplicate or redundant publication;
  • inappropriate authorship or contributorship;
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest;
  • citation manipulation;
  • manipulation of the peer-review process;
  • unethical research involving human participants or animals; and
  • other forms of deliberate misrepresentation or manipulation of the scholarly record.

Authors are responsible for the integrity of all data, analyses, interpretations, references, and other materials included in their submissions.

2. Reporting Suspected Misconduct
Concerns regarding a submitted manuscript or published article may be reported by authors, reviewers, readers, editors, institutions, or other parties.
Reports of suspected misconduct should be submitted to the *Editorial Office through the journal's official contact channel* and should include, where possible:

  • the title and identification number of the manuscript or published article;
  • a clear description of the concern;
  • supporting documentation or evidence; and
  • the name and contact information of the person submitting the report.

The journal may consider anonymous reports where the allegations are sufficiently specific, credible, and supported by verifiable evidence.
The identity of complainants and other parties will be treated confidentially as far as reasonably possible.

3. Procedure for Handling Allegations
When an allegation of research or publication misconduct is received, the journal will normally:

  • conduct an initial assessment to determine whether the allegation is sufficiently specific and supported to warrant further examination;
  • review available documentation and evidence;
  • identify and manage any potential conflict of interest among the editors responsible for handling the case;
  • notify the author or other relevant party of the concern where appropriate and provide an opportunity to respond;
  • request additional information, original data, ethics documentation, analysis records, or other supporting materials where necessary;
  • seek advice from independent experts or relevant members of the Editorial Board when appropriate;
  • refer the matter to the relevant institution, ethics committee, research integrity office, funding body, or other competent authority when formal investigation is required; and
  • determine the appropriate editorial action on the basis of the available evidence and, where applicable, the outcome of an institutional investigation.

The journal will not normally attempt to replace the role of institutions or competent authorities in formally determining whether research misconduct has occurred. However, the journal remains responsible for protecting the integrity of its publication record.

4. Fabrication and Falsification of Data
The journal does not tolerate fabrication or falsification.
*Fabrication* refers to inventing data, observations, participants, measurements, interviews, results, or other research information that did not occur.
*Falsification* refers to manipulating research materials, methods, images, data, analyses, or results, including the inappropriate alteration, omission, or selective reporting of information in a way that misrepresents the research record.
Authors may be required to provide:

  • anonymised raw data;
  • original images or source files;
  • research protocols;
  • statistical or analytical records;
  • ethics approval documentation;
  • consent documentation where applicable; or
  • other materials necessary to verify the reported research.

Where fabrication or falsification is confirmed or where the reliability of the work is substantially compromised, the manuscript may be rejected. For published articles, the journal may issue a correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction, depending on the seriousness and effect of the problem.

5. Citation Manipulation
References should be included because they are relevant to the scientific context, methods, interpretation, or discussion of the manuscript.
The journal considers the following practices unacceptable:

  • including irrelevant references solely to increase citation counts;
  • excessive or inappropriate self-citation;
  • excessive citation of a particular journal, author, institution, or research group without scholarly justification;
  • reciprocal or coordinated citation practices intended to influence citation metrics;
  • reviewer requests for unnecessary citations primarily intended to increase citations to the reviewer’s own work or another journal; and
  • editorial requests for citations that are not scientifically justified.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that cited sources are accurate, relevant, and appropriately support the statements for which they are cited.
Where citation manipulation is identified, the journal may require removal of inappropriate citations, disregard improper reviewer recommendations, reject the manuscript, or take post-publication action where warranted.

6. Peer-Review Manipulation
The integrity and independence of peer review must not be compromised.
Authors must not attempt to manipulate the peer-review process by:

  • providing false reviewer identities;
  • creating or using fictitious reviewer accounts;
  • impersonating another researcher;
  • providing fraudulent or misleading reviewer contact details;
  • attempting to control reviewer selection through deceptive means;
  • arranging undisclosed reciprocal or coordinated peer review; or
  • engaging third parties to improperly influence the review process.

Where peer-review manipulation is suspected, editorial processing may be suspended while the matter is assessed.
Confirmed manipulation may result in rejection of the manuscript. If the article has already been published and the integrity of the peer-review process has been materially compromised, the journal may issue an Expression of Concern, correction, or retraction as appropriate.

7. Conflict of Interest in Handling Misconduct
Allegations must be handled by editors who do not have a relevant conflict of interest with the authors, complainant, institution, manuscript, or subject of the allegation.
An editor must recuse themselves from handling a case where their impartiality could reasonably be questioned.
If the allegation concerns the handling editor, the matter will be transferred to the Editor-in-Chief or another independent editor.
If the allegation concerns the Editor-in-Chief, the case will be handled by an independent member of the Editorial Board, journal owner, publisher, or other designated authority who is not involved in the dispute.
Editorial decisions concerning allegations of misconduct must be based on evidence rather than the identity, institutional affiliation, seniority, or status of the parties involved.

8. Editorial Decisions and Actions
After assessment of the available evidence, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

  • take no further action where the allegation is not substantiated;
  • request clarification or additional documentation;
  • require revision or correction of the manuscript;
  • remove inappropriate citations or other material;
  • reject the manuscript;
  • discontinue the peer-review process;
  • refer the matter to the relevant institution or authority;
  • publish a correction;
  • publish an Editor’s Note or equivalent notice;
  • publish an Expression of Concern; or
  • retract the article.

The action taken will be proportionate to the nature and seriousness of the concern and its effect on the reliability and integrity of the scholarly record.

9. Post-Publication Discussion
The journal welcomes evidence-based discussion and scholarly criticism of published articles.
Readers, authors, institutions, and other interested parties may notify the Editorial Office of:

  • factual errors;
  • methodological concerns;
  • statistical or analytical problems;
  • ethical concerns;
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest;
  • concerns about data or images;
  • concerns about authorship or citation practices; or
  • other matters that may affect the reliability or integrity of a published article.

The journal will assess substantive post-publication concerns and may invite the authors to respond. Independent expert review may be sought when necessary.
Scientific disagreement alone does not necessarily constitute misconduct. Where a concern represents a legitimate difference in interpretation and does not undermine the reliability or integrity of the publication, the journal may facilitate scholarly discussion without taking corrective action.

10. Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions
The journal is responsible for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the published record.
A *correction* may be issued where an error affects part of the publication but does not invalidate the principal findings or conclusions.
An *Expression of Concern* may be issued where serious concerns have been raised regarding a publication, but the evidence is not yet conclusive or an institutional investigation is ongoing.
A *retraction* may be issued where there is reliable evidence that the findings are substantially unreliable as a result of major error, fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, manipulation of the peer-review or publication process, serious ethical violations, or other major breaches of publication ethics.
Correction notices, Expressions of Concern, and retraction notices will be clearly identified and linked to the original article so that readers can readily determine the publication's current status.
Retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record and protect readers; it is not primarily intended as a punishment of authors.

11. Authors’ Responsibility to Cooperate
Authors are expected to cooperate fully with legitimate editorial inquiries concerning their submitted or published work.
Authors may be required to provide supporting documents, original research records, anonymised data, ethical approvals, or other information necessary to resolve concerns regarding the integrity of the work.
Failure to respond to reasonable editorial inquiries will not necessarily prevent the journal from taking appropriate action to protect the scholarly record.

12. Continuing Responsibility After Publication
Authors' responsibilities do not end when an article is published.
If authors discover a significant error, inaccuracy, ethical issue, or other matter that may affect the reliability of their publication, they should promptly notify the Editorial Office and cooperate in determining whether a correction, retraction, or other action is required.

13. Complains and Appeals

The journal handles complaints and appeals concerning editorial decisions, peer review, editorial conduct, and publication misconduct in a fair, confidential, and independent manner. Appeals should be submitted within *30 days* with clear reasons and supporting evidence. Complaints may involve conflicts of interest, reviewer misconduct, plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, citation manipulation, peer-review manipulation, or other ethical concerns.

Cases will be handled by an editor without relevant conflicts of interest. The journal may request supporting documents, consult independent experts, or refer serious cases to the appropriate institution. Actions may include reconsideration, rejection, correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction.

 

Screening for Plagiarism

  1. Plagiarism and self-plagiarism are not allowed;
  2. The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others that this has been appropriately cited or quoted;
  3. An author should not in general publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable;
  4. Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.

Working Process:

  1. Editorial Team checking manuscript on offline and online database manually (checking proper citation and quotation);
  2. Editorial Team checking manuscript by using Turnitin app. If it is found plagiarism indication (more than 25%), the board will reject the manuscript immediately.

 

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Policy

Authorship and Accountability

Authors retain full responsibility for all aspects of the submitted manuscript, including the accuracy and reliability of the data, the soundness of the analysis and arguments, and the accuracy and integrity of all references and citations.

 

Permitted Uses of AI :

  1. Authors may use AI-assisted tools for language-related purposes, such as copy-editing, translation, grammar and spelling correction, and formatting, provided that these uses do not alter the substantive meaning or intellectual content of the manuscript.
  2. AI tools may also support data organisation or preliminary coding activities, provided that these processes remain under direct author supervision and are transparently described in the Methodology section where relevant.

 

Prohibited Uses of AI :

  1. AI tools must not be used to independently produce substantive arguments, scholarly interpretations, intellectual contributions, or conclusions presented as the authors’ own work.
  2. The use of AI to generate literature reviews, reference lists, or bibliographies is prohibited because of the risk of fabricated, inaccurate, or misrepresented sources and citations.
  3. AI must not be used to create, alter, fabricate, or falsify research data, interview quotations, visual materials, or study findings.

 

Mandatory Disclosure and Declaration :

  1. All submitted manuscripts must include an "AI Usage Declaration" section, placed immediately before the Reference list. Authors must use one of the following statements:
  2. The author(s) declare the use of [Name of AI Tool, e.g., ChatGPT-4] for the purpose of [specify purpose, e.g., language editing and translation]. The tool was not used to generate original ideas, arguments, or citations. The author(s) have reviewed all AI-assisted content and take full and sole responsibility for the final manuscript.

 

Indexing