Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Advances in Tourism Studies (ATS) (ISSN: 2987-9450 online) is a peer-reviewed and open-access journal published by the Center for Tourism Studies and Journal Publication of Sekolah Tinggi Pariwisata Mataram.

This statement outlines the ethical standards expected of all parties involved in the publication process: authors, editors, editorial board members, reviewers, and the publisher. It is based on the COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

We are committed to publishing original research that contributes significantly to the academic community. We expect honesty, originality, and fairness from our authors, and objectivity, confidentiality, and integrity from our editorial team and reviewers. The journal adheres to best practices in handling errors, retractions, and ethical issues.

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Duties of Editors

Publication Decisions: The Principal Editor decides which submitted manuscripts will be published, based on peer reviews, the paper’s significance, originality, and relevance. Legal considerations such as libel, copyright, and plagiarism are also taken into account.

Fair Play: Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on academic merit, regardless of the author's identity or background. Editorial decisions are independent of government or institutional influence.

Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any details about submitted manuscripts to unauthorized individuals.

Conflicts of Interest: Editors will recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have competing interests and ensure unpublished content is not used for personal research without consent.

Unethical Behavior: Editors and publishers will investigate all allegations of unethical behavior. Retractions or corrections will be issued when necessary, even post-publication.

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Duties of Authors

Reporting Standards: Authors must present original and accurate data, including sufficient detail and references for replication. Fraudulent or knowingly false claims are unacceptable.

Data Access: Authors may be asked to provide raw data and must retain data post-publication for a reasonable period.

Originality and Plagiarism: Manuscripts must be original and properly cite all sources. All articles will be screened using Turnitin. A plagiarism declaration letter must accompany submissions.

Multiple Submissions: Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal is unethical and unacceptable.

Acknowledgments: Authors must acknowledge all sources, including private communications and unpublished materials, only with explicit permission.

Authorship: Only those who have made substantial contributions to the research should be listed as authors. All co-authors must approve the final version of the manuscript.

Errors in Published Work: Authors must notify the editor promptly upon discovering significant errors and cooperate in correcting or retracting the article.

Hazards and Ethics: Studies involving hazardous materials or human/animal subjects must comply with legal and institutional ethical guidelines, including informed consent and approval by relevant ethics boards.

Declaration of Competing Interests: Authors must disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest. If funding had no role in the research, this should also be declared. Conflicts must be stated in the ATS manuscript template.

Image Integrity: Image manipulation is not allowed beyond adjustments for clarity that do not alter the original content. Authors must follow image integrity guidelines and, where applicable, provide original images as supplementary files.

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Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers assist editors in evaluating manuscripts and guiding authors toward improvement.

Promptness: Reviewers who are unqualified or unable to review promptly must notify the editor immediately.

Confidentiality: Manuscripts must be treated as confidential. They must not be shared without editorial authorization.

Objectivity: Reviews should be objective, constructive, and devoid of personal criticism.

Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers must identify unacknowledged relevant work and notify editors of any suspected overlap with existing publications.

Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must declare any competing interests and recuse themselves when appropriate. They must not use privileged information for personal gain.