Publication Ethics

LENSA TURISTIKA is a peer-reviewed academic journal managed and published by Yayasan Bale Beleq Indonesia. This statement clarifies the ethical behavior of all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher. This code of conduct strictly adheres to the Core Practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Peer Review Process (Single-Blind Review Policy)

Lensa Turistika operates a rigorous Single-Blind Peer Review system to ensure high academic standards:

• Review Mechanism: The identities of the reviewers are kept confidential and hidden from the authors throughout and after the evaluation process. However, reviewers are aware of the authors' identities, institutional affiliations, and track records.
• Evaluation Standards: Every submitted manuscript undergoes an initial editorial screening for scope alignment and a structural plagiarism check. Qualified manuscripts are assigned to a minimum of two independent, qualified external expert reviewers.

2. Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

• Publication Decisions: The Editor-in-Chief holds the final responsibility for deciding which submitted manuscripts will be published based on academic validity and contribution to tourism studies.
• Fair Play & Neutrality: Editors evaluate manuscripts purely for their intellectual and scientific content without bias or discrimination.
• Confidentiality: Editors and staff must protect the confidentiality of all submitted materials.
• Conflict of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have competitive, collaborative, or financial conflicts of interest.
• Unpublished Data Security: Unpublished materials or insights disclosed in a submission must not be used in an editor's personal research without explicit written consent.

3. Protocols for Internal Submissions

To maintain absolute academic integrity and prevent institutional bias, internal submissions authored by editors or reviewers are completely excluded from the editorial chain of that submission. Evaluation and final decisions are fully delegated to an independent guest editor, and a "Declaration of Interest" note is explicitly included upon publication.

4. Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers

• Contribution: Peer review assists editors in making informed decisions and helps authors enhance the quality of their manuscripts.
• Promptness: Reviewers unable to complete reviews within the timeframe must promptly notify the editor and decline.
• Confidentiality: Review documents must be treated as strictly confidential and not shared with third parties.
• Objectivity & Conflicts: Reviews must be objective with solid scientific arguments, and reviewers must decline assignments involving conflicts of interest.

5. Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

• Reporting Standards: Authors must present an accurate account of original research and objective discussions.
• Originality: Works must be entirely original, properly citing all data, ideas, and words of other researchers.
• No Concurrent Submission: Authors must declare that the manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration elsewhere.
• Authorship: Limited to those who made significant intellectual contributions, approved by all co-authors.
• Conflicts of Interest: Financial, institutional, or personal relationships influencing findings must be explicitly disclosed.

6. Plagiarism Policy & Misconduct Sanctions

Lensa Turistika enforces a zero-tolerance policy against intellectual dishonesty. All manuscripts are screened via Turnitin. The maximum acceptable similarity threshold is 20%.

Severe ethical violations result in immediate rejection, formal retraction notices, permanent blacklisting of authors, and official notifications sent to the author's affiliated institution.

7. Handling Ethical Complaints and Appeals

Formal complaints regarding editorial decisions or misconduct must be submitted in writing via email to the Editor-in-Chief. The Editorial Board investigates all complaints thoroughly following COPE flowcharts, responding with a definitive decision within 4–6 weeks.

8. Post-Publication Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

To maintain the integrity of the academic record, corrections (errata), official retractions (for data fabrication, severe plagiarism, or unethical practices), and expressions of concern are handled strictly in accordance with COPE guidelines.