Ethics Statement

Statement
This statement outlines the ethical standards expected of all parties involved in the publication process of this journal, including Authors, Managing Editors, Editors, Reviewers, and the Publisher. All parties are required to fully understand and adhere to this ethical policy prior to submitting or agreeing to review a manuscript. The journal strictly condemns and does not tolerate any form of copyright infringement or unethical publishing practices. This statement is formulated in accordance with the Core Practices established by COPE's Core Practices.

Duties of Publisher
The Publisher is responsible for providing the necessary infrastructure and administrative support to ensure the efficient and ethical publication of the journal. This includes maintaining publishing systems, ensuring the long-term preservation and accessibility of published content, and supporting digital archiving.

The Publisher also ensures that the journal adheres to recognized standards of publication ethics and facilitates the implementation of corrections, retractions, or updates when required, in coordination with the editorial board.

Duties of Editor
Publication Decisions
All manuscripts submitted for consideration in Mandala: Jurnal Ilmu Hubungan Internasional must undergo a peer review process involving at least two experts in the relevant field. The Principal Editor holds the responsibility for determining which manuscripts are suitable for publication. This decision is made based on the manuscript’s significance to readers, the validity of its content, feedback from reviewers, and compliance with applicable legal standards concerning copyright, defamation, and plagiarism. In reaching this decision, the Principal Editor may also consult and deliberate with other editors and reviewers.

Fair Play
Editors evaluate submitted manuscripts primarily based on academic merit, including clarity, significance, originality, validity, and the rigor of the study, as well as their relevance to the journal’s scope. These assessments are conducted without regard to the authors’ ethnicity, political views, sexual orientation, race, gender, citizenship, institutional affiliation, or religious beliefs. Editorial decisions are made independently, free from the influence of governmental bodies or external agencies. The Principal Editor retains full authority over both the timing and the editorial content of all published materials.

Confidentiality
Under no circumstances shall the editor or any member of the editorial staff disclose any information regarding a submitted manuscript to individuals other than the publisher, the corresponding author, reviewers, prospective reviewers, or other editorial advisers, as deemed appropriate.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Editors must not disclose any unpublished information contained in a submitted manuscript to any party without the explicit written consent of the author. All privileged information obtained through the review process must be treated as strictly confidential and must not be used for personal advantage or any form of misconduct. In cases where an editor identifies a potential conflict of interest—whether arising from collaborative, competitive, or other relationships with the author or the author’s institution—the manuscript must be reassigned to another member of the editorial board to ensure an impartial review process.

Duties of Author
Reporting Standards
Authors of original research are required to present an accurate and transparent account of their work and findings, accompanied by an objective discussion of the significance of the results. Manuscripts should provide sufficient detail and appropriate references to enable replication by other researchers. Review articles must be comprehensive and precise, while perspective or editorial pieces should be clearly identified as such. Any form of inaccurate or misleading statement constitutes unacceptable conduct.

Data Access and Retention
For each submitted manuscript, authors are required to provide the underlying raw data to support the editorial review process. Where appropriate, authors should also facilitate public access to such data. Furthermore, all data associated with the manuscript must be retained for a reasonable period following publication. Authors are encouraged to include a data availability statement specifying where and how the supporting data can be accessed, including repository links where applicable.

Originality and Plagiarism
Authors are required to submit only original work, and any use of others’ ideas, words, or findings must be properly cited and quoted. All forms of plagiarism—including paraphrasing or reproducing another author’s work without proper attribution, as well as presenting another person’s work as one’s own—constitute unethical publishing practices and are strictly unacceptable. All submitted manuscripts will be screened using plagiarism detection software, such as Turnitin, to ensure the originality and authenticity of each article. The journal may apply a similarity threshold in assessing plagiarism, and manuscripts exceeding acceptable limits may be rejected or returned for revision.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publications
Manuscripts reporting the same research must not be published in more than one journal or primary publication. Accordingly, authors must not submit work that has already been published elsewhere, as such practices constitute unethical publishing behavior and are strictly unacceptable.

Acknowledgment of Sources
Authors must provide proper acknowledgment for all works of others that are used, including appropriate citation of publications that have influenced the nature of the reported study. Any information obtained privately—such as through discussions, correspondence, or conversations—must not be disclosed without the explicit written consent of the source. Furthermore, authors are prohibited from using information acquired through confidential processes, including grant applications or manuscript reviews, unless they have obtained written permission from the original authors involved.

Authorship of the Paper
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All individuals who have contributed substantially should be listed as co-authors, while those who have provided more limited or practical support should be acknowledged as contributors. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and have agreed to its submission and subsequent publication.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works
If an author identifies a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are obligated to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher so that appropriate corrective actions—such as retraction or the issuance of a correction—can be undertaken. If the error is brought to attention by a third party, the author must cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the publication as necessary or provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate the accuracy of the revised work.

Declaration of Competing Interest
Authors must disclose all personal and financial relationships with individuals or organizations that could be perceived as inappropriately influencing their work. All sources of financial support for the research and preparation of the manuscript must be clearly identified, along with a statement describing the role of any sponsor(s) in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, as well as in the writing of the manuscript and the decision to submit it for publication. If the funding sources had no such involvement, this must be explicitly stated. A formal declaration of competing interests must be included in the manuscript.

Image Integrity
The enhancement, relocation, removal, obscuring, or addition of specific features within an image is strictly prohibited. Adjustments to contrast, brightness, or color balance are permissible only if they do not obscure, eliminate, or misrepresent any information contained in the original image. Image modifications may be undertaken solely for the purpose of improving clarity; any manipulation beyond this constitutes scientific misconduct and will be addressed accordingly. Authors must also comply with applicable journal policies regarding graphical data, including the submission of images as supplementary materials or their deposition in an appropriate repository.

Ethical Oversight
Research involving human participants or sensitive data must include a statement confirming that ethical approval has been obtained from an appropriate ethics committee, and that informed consent has been secured from participants where applicable. Authors must ensure the protection of privacy and confidentiality of research subjects.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools
Authors must disclose any use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the preparation of manuscripts. AI tools must not be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the content, even when AI tools are used.

Duties of Reviewer
Collaboration of Editorial Decisions
Peer review serves as a fundamental mechanism for informing editorial decisions and enhancing the quality of manuscripts through constructive feedback and communication. It constitutes a critical component of the journal’s evaluation process.

Promptness
Any selected reviewer who recognizes that they are unable to complete a timely review, or who does not feel sufficiently qualified to assess the manuscript, must promptly inform the editor and withdraw from the review process.

Confidentiality
Every manuscript received for review is a private document and should be treated as a confidential document. It should not be shown or discussed by other experts for any reason whatsoever.

Standards of Objectivity
All reviews must be conducted objectively. Reviewers should express their assessments clearly and support their evaluations with reasoned arguments and evidence, avoiding personal criticism of the authors.

Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers are expected to identify any relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. When a manuscript contains statements, derivations, or arguments that have been previously reported, appropriate and relevant citations should be recommended. Reviewers should also promptly inform the editor of any substantial similarity between the manuscript under review and other publications of which they are aware.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
Any ideas or privileged information obtained through the peer review process must be treated as strictly confidential and must not be used for personal advantage. Reviewers should refrain from evaluating manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest arising from collaborative, competitive, or other relationships with the authors, affiliated institutions, or organizations connected to the work.

Complaints and Appeals
Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions by submitting a formal request to the editorial office. The journal will handle complaints and appeals in accordance with COPE guidelines, ensuring a fair and transparent process.

Handling of Misconduct
The journal will follow COPE guidelines in handling cases of suspected misconduct. This includes investigation of allegations, communication with relevant parties, and, where necessary, the publication of corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.