COPE Core Practices
The publication ethics and malpractice policy of Societas Law Review is grounded in the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and its Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. Authors, reviewers, and editors involved with this journal are expected to be familiar with these standards. This page summarizes the key principles; readers are encouraged to consult the original COPE guidelines, linked at the end of this page, for full detail.
Duties of Editors
Editorial independence and fair evaluation
Editors assess submitted manuscripts solely on their scholarly merit (originality, validity, and significance to legal scholarship) and on their fit with the journal's Focus and Scope, without regard to the authors' nationality, gender, religion, ethnicity, political views, or institutional affiliation. Editorial decisions are made independently of any external commercial or governmental interest, and the Editor-in-Chief holds final authority over the journal's editorial content and publication schedule.
Confidentiality
Editors and editorial staff do not disclose information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, assigned reviewers, and other relevant editorial parties.
Conflicts of interest
Editors and editorial board members will not use unpublished material from a submitted manuscript in their own research without the authors' written consent, and will treat all privileged information obtained through the editorial process as confidential. An editor with a conflict of interest concerning a manuscript, whether through a competing, collaborative, or other relationship with any author or affiliated institution, will recuse themselves and assign the manuscript to another editorial board member.
Publication decisions
Every manuscript considered for publication is evaluated by at least two qualified reviewers through a double-blind peer review process. The final decision to accept, request revision of, or reject a manuscript rests with the Editor-in-Chief, based on the manuscript's validity, its significance to the field, the reviewers' assessments, and applicable legal considerations regarding defamation, copyright, and plagiarism.
Responding to ethical concerns
When ethical concerns are raised about a submitted or published manuscript, the editorial board investigates the matter, regardless of how much time has elapsed since publication. Where an ethical concern is substantiated, the journal will publish an appropriate correction, expression of concern, or retraction, consistent with COPE's guidance.
Duties of Reviewers
Contribution to editorial decisions
Peer review supports editors in reaching sound publication decisions and helps authors strengthen their manuscripts. The journal considers rigorous, good-faith participation in peer review to be a shared professional obligation of scholars in the field.
Promptness
A reviewer who does not feel qualified to assess a manuscript, or who cannot complete the review within the requested timeframe, should notify the editor promptly so that an alternative reviewer can be identified.
Confidentiality
Manuscripts under review are confidential documents. Reviewers must not share or discuss a manuscript with others, except with the explicit authorization of the Editor-in-Chief under exceptional circumstances. This obligation also applies to invited reviewers who decline the assignment.
Objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively, with observations expressed clearly and supported by argument, so that authors can act on them constructively. Personal criticism of authors is not acceptable.
Acknowledgement of sources and overlap
Reviewers should point out relevant published work that the authors have not cited, and should alert the editor to any substantial similarity between the manuscript under review and any other work, published or unpublished, known to the reviewer.
Conflicts of interest
A reviewer with a conflict of interest, whether competitive, collaborative, or otherwise, concerning any author or affiliated institution should decline the review and notify the editor. Unpublished material disclosed through the review process must not be used in the reviewer's own research without the authors' written consent.
Duties of Authors
Reporting standards
Authors of original research must present an accurate, honest account of the work performed and its findings, together with an objective discussion of its significance, with sufficient detail and citation to allow the work to be assessed and, where applicable, replicated. Knowingly inaccurate or fraudulent statements are not acceptable.
Originality and plagiarism
Authors must submit only original work, and any use of others' work or words must be properly cited. Plagiarism, in any form, from presenting another's work as one's own to substantial uncredited paraphrasing or copying, constitutes unethical conduct and is not tolerated.
Redundant or duplicate submission
A manuscript describing substantially the same research should not be submitted to more than one journal at a time, nor submitted if it has already been published elsewhere. Simultaneous submission to multiple journals is not permitted.
Authorship
Only individuals who (i) made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or analysis of the study; (ii) participated in drafting or critically revising the manuscript; and (iii) approved the final version for submission should be listed as authors. Individuals who contributed in other ways (for example, technical assistance) should be acknowledged rather than listed as authors, with their permission. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that the author list is accurate and that all co-authors have approved the final manuscript prior to submission.
Disclosure of conflicts of interest
Authors must disclose, at the time of submission, any financial or non-financial interest that could be perceived to influence the manuscript's findings or interpretation, including funding sources.
Participation in peer review
Authors are expected to cooperate with the peer review process, including responding promptly and systematically to reviewers' comments and providing supporting data or documentation upon reasonable request.
Errors in published work
When authors identify a significant error in their own published article, they must promptly notify the journal's editors and cooperate in issuing a correction or retraction as appropriate.
Duties of the Publisher
Investigation and preservation
In cases of alleged or established research misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism, the publisher (Andalas Borneo Justice Publisher) works with the editorial board to investigate the matter and, where warranted, to issue a correction, clarification, or retraction. The publisher is committed to the long-term accessibility and preservation of the journal's published content.
Summary of Responsibilities
Reference Sources
For questions regarding this policy, please contact the editorial office at journal@aisholarborneo.org, or refer to the journal's related pages on Screening for Plagiarism and Peer Review Process.