Jurnal Lentera Kesehatan Masyarakat (JLKM) is committed to editorial independence, research integrity, transparency, and a fair scholarly record. These policies are informed by the COPE Core Practices; this statement does not claim COPE membership.

Editorial Independence and Decisions

Editors make decisions on the basis of relevance to the journal's scope, originality, methodological quality, clarity, ethical compliance, and scholarly contribution. Decisions must not be influenced by authors' nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, religion, political belief, commercial interests, or the payment of an article processing charge. The publisher supports the journal but does not interfere with individual editorial decisions.

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship is limited to people who made substantial contributions to the conception or design; acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; drafting or critical revision; approval of the submitted version; and accountability for the work. All authors must approve the manuscript and author order. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged with permission. Requests to change authorship after submission require a written explanation and agreement from all affected authors; changes after publication are handled through a formal correction when justified.

Originality, Citation, and Duplicate Publication

Authors must submit original work, cite sources accurately, identify quotations, and disclose related manuscripts or prior dissemination. Plagiarism, fabricated citations, redundant publication, undisclosed text recycling, data fabrication, data falsification, and inappropriate image manipulation are prohibited. Similarity reports support editorial assessment but do not replace contextual review.

Research Ethics and Informed Consent

Research involving humans, identifiable personal data, or animals must comply with applicable law and recognised ethical standards. Authors must state the approving ethics committee and approval number, or explain why approval was not required. Informed consent must be obtained when required, including consent for publication of identifiable information. Editors may request supporting documentation and may reject work when ethical safeguards are inadequate.

Conflicts of Interest and Funding

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose financial, personal, professional, institutional, or other relationships that could influence their work. Authors must identify all funding sources and the funder's role. An editor with a conflict must not handle the manuscript; another qualified editor without the conflict will oversee it.

Data, Reporting, and Reproducibility

Authors must report methods and results honestly and retain underlying data for a reasonable period consistent with legal, ethical, and institutional requirements. Data availability and material restrictions should be stated. When ethically and legally possible, authors are encouraged to share de-identified data, instruments, protocols, and analysis materials. Editors may request data or documentation needed to assess a concern.

Peer Review and Confidentiality

JLKM uses double-blind peer review with at least two independent reviewers. Manuscripts, reviews, and correspondence are confidential. Reviewers must provide objective, constructive, and timely assessments, cite relevant omissions where appropriate, disclose conflicts, and decline assignments outside their expertise. Editors and reviewers may not use unpublished information for personal advantage.

Allegations of Misconduct

Concerns may be raised before or after publication. The journal will assess allegations confidentially, preserve relevant records, notify the affected parties, and provide a reasonable opportunity to respond. Where warranted, JLKM may consult independent experts or contact institutions, funders, or ethics committees. Outcomes may include rejection, correction, expression of concern, retraction, or another notice appropriate to the evidence. Good-faith complainants and respondents will be treated fairly; knowingly false allegations are not acceptable.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors may appeal an editorial decision by emailing staff@jurnalkesmas.co.id with the manuscript ID, decision, and a concise evidence-based explanation. Complaints about process, conduct, or conflicts should use the same address. An appeal or complaint will be considered by the Editor-in-Chief or a senior editorial-board member who was not involved in the original decision and has no conflict. Appeals concern procedural or substantive error and are not a route to repeated resubmission of an unchanged manuscript.

Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Discussion

JLKM will preserve the scholarly record by publishing clearly linked corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when necessary. Retraction notices will remain accessible and explain the reason without being defamatory. Readers may report post-publication concerns to the editorial office; credible concerns will be assessed and, when appropriate, responses or notices will be linked to the article.

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright and grant JLKM the non-exclusive right of first publication. Reuse is governed by the license displayed on each article landing page and PDF. Historical licenses are not changed retroactively. See the journal's License and Copyright Notice.

Use of Generative AI

Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, citations, permissions, and confidentiality of all submitted content and must disclose material use of generative AI in writing or analysis. Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential manuscripts to external AI systems in ways that compromise confidentiality.

Contact

Ethics questions, complaints, appeals, and allegations may be sent to staff@jurnalkesmas.co.id. Please provide sufficient information for a fair assessment while avoiding unnecessary disclosure of sensitive personal data.