Journal Policy

1. General Policy

Contemporary Issues on Indonesian Social Justice and Legal Reform is a peer-reviewed academic journal committed to publishing high-quality scholarly works in the fields of social justice, legal reform, governance, human rights, and socio-legal studies, particularly within the Indonesian and Southeast Asian contexts. The journal aims to promote rigorous academic discussion, interdisciplinary research, and critical analysis concerning contemporary legal and social developments.

The journal is dedicated to maintaining international standards of scholarly publishing through transparent editorial management, ethical publication practices, academic integrity, and an objective peer-review process.

2. Open Access Policy

The journal adopts a full Open Access Policy, ensuring that all published articles are freely and permanently accessible to readers worldwide without subscription fees or access restrictions.

The journal believes that open access promotes:

  • Global dissemination of knowledge
  • Wider academic collaboration
  • Increased research visibility and citation impact
  • Equal access to scholarly information
  • Advancement of education and public scholarship

All articles published in the journal may be read, downloaded, copied, distributed, printed, and linked for lawful academic purposes with proper attribution to the original authors and the journal.

3. Peer Review Policy

The journal implements a strict Double-Blind Peer Review system to ensure objectivity, fairness, and academic quality.

Review Process

  • Every manuscript undergoes initial editorial screening.
  • Manuscripts that meet the journal’s requirements are reviewed by at least three independent expert reviewers in relevant fields.
  • Reviewer and author identities are concealed throughout the review process.

Review Criteria

Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on:

  • Originality and novelty
  • Relevance to the journal’s focus and scope
  • Methodological rigor
  • Theoretical contribution
  • Clarity of argumentation
  • Ethical compliance
  • Quality of references and academic writing

Editorial Decisions

Possible editorial decisions include:

  1. Accept without revision
  2. Accept with minor revisions
  3. Accept with major revisions
  4. Reject

The Editor-in-Chief holds the final authority regarding publication decisions.

4. Publication Ethics Policy

The journal upholds high ethical standards and expects all parties involved in publication—authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers—to adhere to responsible research and publication practices.

The journal prohibits:

  • Plagiarism
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Duplicate submission and redundant publication
  • Citation manipulation
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest
  • Unethical research practices

Ethical violations will be investigated seriously and may result in rejection, retraction, or reporting to relevant institutions.

5. Plagiarism Prevention Policy

All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before entering the peer-review process.

The journal does not tolerate:

  • Direct plagiarism
  • Mosaic plagiarism
  • Improper paraphrasing
  • Self-plagiarism
  • Unauthorized use of data, images, or figures

Manuscripts containing significant similarity or evidence of unethical publication practices may be rejected immediately.

The Editorial Board evaluates plagiarism reports carefully and contextually, considering legitimate academic citations and references.

6. Authorship Policy

Authorship must reflect significant academic contributions to the manuscript.

Authors listed in a manuscript must have contributed substantially to:

  • Research conception or design
  • Data collection or analysis
  • Drafting or revising the manuscript
  • Final approval of the submitted version

All authors share collective responsibility for the content of the manuscript.

The journal discourages:

  • Guest authorship
  • Gift authorship
  • Ghost authorship

Changes in authorship after submission require written approval from all listed authors and editorial consent.

7. Conflict of Interest Policy

Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, or personal relationships that could influence the objectivity of the publication process.

Conflicts of interest may include:

  • Research funding
  • Institutional affiliations
  • Employment relationships
  • Consultancy activities
  • Political or ideological interests

Disclosure ensures transparency and protects the integrity of scholarly communication.

8. Data Availability and Research Transparency Policy

Authors are encouraged to maintain transparency in research methodology and data presentation.

Where appropriate, authors should:

  • Provide access to supporting research data
  • Explain analytical methods clearly
  • Retain research data for verification purposes
  • Ensure data accuracy and authenticity

The journal supports responsible research transparency while respecting ethical and legal limitations concerning confidential or sensitive data.

9. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative Technology Policy

The journal recognizes the increasing use of artificial intelligence tools in academic writing and research assistance.

Authors may use AI technologies for limited editorial assistance such as:

  • Language improvement
  • Grammar correction
  • Technical formatting

However:

  • AI tools cannot be listed as authors
  • Authors remain fully responsible for all submitted content
  • AI-generated information must be verified for accuracy
  • Fabricated citations or misleading AI-generated content are prohibited

Substantial use of AI-assisted technologies must be disclosed appropriately in the manuscript.

10. Copyright and Licensing Policy

Authors retain copyright of their published work while granting the journal the right of first publication.

Published articles may be distributed and reused for academic and non-commercial purposes with proper citation and acknowledgment of the original publication source.

The journal supports responsible knowledge dissemination while protecting authors’ intellectual property rights.

11. Archiving and Preservation Policy

The journal is committed to ensuring long-term digital preservation and accessibility of published articles.

Published content is archived through:

  • Institutional repositories
  • Journal database systems
  • Digital preservation mechanisms
  • Indexing and abstracting services where applicable

This policy ensures continued accessibility and scholarly record preservation.

12. Retraction and Correction Policy

The journal may publish corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern, or retractions when necessary.

Reasons for retraction may include:

  • Plagiarism
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Serious methodological errors
  • Ethical violations
  • Duplicate publication

Retraction notices will remain publicly accessible to preserve academic transparency.

13. Submission Policy

Submitted manuscripts must:

  • Be original and unpublished
  • Not be under consideration elsewhere
  • Follow the journal’s author guidelines and formatting requirements
  • Be written in clear academic language
  • Include complete references and citations

The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject manuscripts that do not comply with submission requirements or journal standards.

14. Language Policy

The journal accepts manuscripts written in academic English. Authors are encouraged to ensure linguistic clarity, grammatical accuracy, and professional academic presentation prior to submission.

The editorial team may recommend language editing before peer review if necessary.

15. Publication Frequency Policy

The journal is published twice a year, in:

  • April
  • October

In addition to regular issues, the journal may publish Special Issues focusing on emerging topics, thematic discussions, conference proceedings, or contemporary socio-legal developments.

All Special Issues follow the same editorial and peer-review standards as regular issues.

16. Disclaimer

The opinions, arguments, and interpretations expressed in published articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board, reviewers, publisher, or affiliated institutions.

The journal does not assume responsibility for inaccuracies, ethical violations, or legal consequences arising from authors’ published works.

17. Commitment to Academic Excellence

Through rigorous peer review, ethical editorial practices, and interdisciplinary scholarship, Contemporary Issues on Indonesian Social Justice and Legal Reform is committed to contributing meaningfully to global academic discussions on justice, legal transformation, governance, and human rights.

The journal continuously strives to maintain high standards of integrity, professionalism, inclusiveness, and scholarly impact in accordance with international indexing and publication standards.