Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Jurnal Pengabdian Nasional (JPN) Indonesia

Find clear answers regarding manuscript submissions, peer review workflows, publishing platform features, publication ethics, Article Processing Charges (APC), and open-access licensing across our journals.

Jump to Category: Submission 9 Review Process 6 Publication 6 Fees (APC) 4 Ethics & Policy 7 Account & OJS 4

1. Manuscript Submission & Author Guidelines How do I submit an article to a journal in this portal? Submissions are accepted exclusively through our online Open Journal Systems (OJS) portal for each respective journal. Authors must first register an account and ensure the "Author" role is activated for the target journal. Once logged in, navigate to Submissions → New Submission and complete the standard wizard: agree to the Submission Checklist, upload the manuscript file, complete metadata details (title, abstract, keywords, and contributor roles), upload supplementary files if needed, and confirm the submission. Submissions sent via personal email are not accepted. What file format and template must authors use? Manuscripts must strictly be prepared in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format using the official article template provided on the specific journal's Author Guidelines page. Standalone PDF uploads are not accepted for initial submission because copyediting, typesetting, and verification require editable text files. Does the manuscript file need to be anonymized for review? Yes. In accordance with our double-blind peer review policy across all hosted journals, the manuscript document uploaded during initial submission must have all author names, institutional affiliations, contact emails, and self-identifying acknowledgements removed. Author identity details are entered securely and independently in the OJS metadata submission form. What is the recommended manuscript length and structure? Manuscripts typically range between 4,000 to 8,000 words (around 8 to 15 pages including tables, figures, and references), though exact boundaries may vary slightly based on each individual journal's author guidelines. Submissions should generally follow the standard IMRAD structure: Introduction, Method, Results and Discussion, Conclusion, and References. Can manuscripts be submitted in languages other than English? Accepted languages depend on the specific journal's policy as specified in its Author Guidelines (typically English or Indonesian). Regardless of the main manuscript language, every submission across our journals must provide a complete title, abstract, and keywords written in English to support global scholarly indexing and discoverability. Can a submitted manuscript be withdrawn by the author? Withdrawal is permitted without restriction during the initial desk review phase before peer reviewers are formally assigned. Once peer review is in progress, withdrawal requests must include a formal written explanation signed by all co-authors submitted to the handling journal's Editor-in-Chief. Unilateral withdrawals after an acceptance decision are generally not accommodated. Is simultaneous submission to multiple journals permitted? No. Submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one publication venue, including across different journals within this publishing platform, is a severe ethical violation. Manuscripts found to be under concurrent evaluation elsewhere will be rejected immediately, and the journal may notify the authors' affiliated institutions. Is there a limit on the number of co-authors per paper? While there is no strict numerical limit, every listed co-author must have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the research. Submissions with unusually high author counts may be asked to provide an itemized CRediT contributor statement detailing each author's exact role. Can an author submit multiple manuscripts to different journals in this platform simultaneously? Yes, authors may submit distinct, entirely separate research papers to different journals hosted on this platform at the same time. However, each submitted manuscript must be completely independent in content, data, and analysis, and must adhere to the specific focus, scope, and formatting template of the respective receiving journal.

2. Peer Review Process & Evaluation What type of peer review do the journals operate? All journals on this platform operate a strict Double-Blind Peer Review model. The identities of both authors and reviewers remain completely anonymous to each other throughout the evaluation cycle. Each qualifying paper is assessed by at least two independent expert reviewers. How long does the review and decision workflow take? Turnaround times generally follow these approximate stages across our journals:

Initial Desk Evaluation: 3–7 business days from submission.
Peer Review Round: Approximately 2–4 weeks per round.
Author Revision Window: 14 days for minor revisions; 21–30 days for major revisions.
Acceptance to Online First Publication: 7–10 days post-final proof approval.

What is an editorial desk evaluation? A desk evaluation is the initial administrative and academic screening conducted by the editorial board prior to assigning peer reviewers. The handling editor examines scope relevance, template compliance, required statements (CRediT, AI, funding, COI), general writing quality, and plagiarism similarity results. Manuscripts not meeting core standards may be returned or declined at this stage. What is the difference between "Minor Revision" and "Major Revision"? Minor Revision: Small corrections, bibliographic improvements, or typographical adjustments are required; revisions are usually validated directly by the handling editor.
Major Revision: Substantial theoretical, methodological, or empirical revisions are needed; resubmitted manuscripts are typically sent back to original reviewers for secondary evaluation. How can authors track the real-time status of their manuscript? Authors can track progress at any time by logging into their user account on the target journal and visiting the Submissions dashboard. The system displays current workflow stages in real time (Submission → Review → Copyediting → Production), accompanied by automated email alerts whenever editorial milestones are reached. Can an author request manuscript transfer to another journal on this platform? If a manuscript is deemed scientifically sound during desk review but falls outside the specific focus and scope of the receiving journal, editors may suggest transferring the submission to a more suitable sister journal within the platform. Such transfers occur only with explicit author consent, and the manuscript must be formatted according to the recipient journal's author guidelines.

3. Publication, DOI & Indexing What is the publication frequency and schedule? Each journal on this platform operates under its own defined publication schedule (e.g., biannual, triannual, or quarterly). Specific issue publication months are detailed on the individual journal's About page. Manuscripts finalized after an upcoming issue's editorial closing date are automatically scheduled into the subsequent regular issue. Do journals publish articles via "Online First" or "Early Access"? Yes. Accepted manuscripts that have completed layout typesetting and author proofreading are commonly published online ahead of scheduled issue collation. These articles receive active persistent identifiers, allowing immediate readership and citation. Do authors receive a publication certificate and Letter of Acceptance? Yes. A formal electronic Letter of Acceptance (LoA) is issued upon final peer review acceptance. After online publication, digital Publication Certificates are distributed electronically to authors for institutional or academic verification. Are published articles assigned a persistent DOI? Yes. Every published article across our journals receives a unique, globally registered Digital Object Identifier (DOI) through Crossref. The DOI ensures persistent linking, immutable citation discovery, and automated metadata harvesting across international academic databases. Are journals on this platform fully Open Access? Yes. All journals provide immediate, permanent open access to content under the principle that making research freely available supports global knowledge exchange. Articles are published under the standard Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). What citation format and reference tools should authors use? Citations and bibliographies must be prepared using dedicated reference management software (such as Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote) in accordance with the citation style stipulated in the respective journal's Author Guidelines (e.g., IEEE or APA). Authors are encouraged to cite recent peer-reviewed primary literature.

4. Article Processing Charges (APC) & Waivers Is there any submission fee or screening charge? No. There are no submission fees charged upon uploading a paper to any journal on this portal. Initial desk screening and peer review are conducted unconditionally free of charge. Charges apply only if a manuscript is formally accepted for publication. What is the Article Processing Charge (APC)? The APC covers administrative workflows, copyediting, typesetting, Crossref DOI registration, and permanent digital archiving. Complete fee schedules for domestic and international authors, institutional subsidies, or optional physical copy services are detailed transparently on each individual journal's official Fees page. Are APC waivers or financial assistance available? Yes. Partial or full fee waivers may be granted to authors demonstrating genuine financial constraints or scholars originating from low-income economies. Waiver applications must be submitted in writing prior to submission. Waiver requests are handled independently and do not impact editorial review outcomes. When is the APC paid, and is it refundable? The APC is invoiced following formal acceptance after peer review completion. Once payment is confirmed and editorial production resources are allocated, the APC is non-refundable, including in instances of subsequent manuscript withdrawal requested by authors.

5. Publication Ethics & Integrity Policies What is the maximum similarity index allowed for plagiarism? All submissions undergo automated similarity screening (e.g., Turnitin, iThenticate). The acceptable overall similarity index is typically below 20% (with no single individual source contributing an excessive percentage, excluding bibliographies and common phrasing). Manuscripts exceeding standard thresholds are returned for rewriting or rejected. What constitutes self-plagiarism or text recycling? Self-plagiarism involves republishing significant portions of an author's own previously published writings or datasets without proper citation or attribution. Our journals apply rigorous standards against duplicate publication, and authors must transparently disclose and cite any prior related works. Does the journal accept expanded conference proceedings papers? Conference proceedings papers may be considered only if substantially expanded (typically requiring at least 50% new data, analysis, or technical discussions) and where publication does not infringe upon the original proceedings' copyright. Authors must disclose the prior presentation in their submission cover letter. What is the post-publication correction and retraction policy? All journals on this platform adhere strictly to COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines. Minor typographical or layout errors are handled via direct corrections. Substantive errors affecting scientific integrity are issued via formal Corrigenda. Major academic misconduct (such as data fabrication, redundant publication, or severe plagiarism) results in formal Retraction. Is ethical clearance mandatory for research involving human subjects? Yes. Studies involving human subjects, questionnaires, educational trials, or personal data must state institutional review board (IRB) ethical approval and conform to the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent documentation must be verified and noted in the Method section. What is the policy regarding AI writing tools (e.g., ChatGPT)? Artificial Intelligence tools may be used solely to assist with language editing and readability refinement. AI tools cannot be designated as authors, cannot perform data interpretation or draw conclusions, and their usage must be disclosed transparently in the manuscript. Authors remain entirely responsible for all submitted work. What are the mandatory end-matter declarations required in every manuscript? Every manuscript submitted to any journal on this platform must feature 4 Mandatory Declarations located immediately preceding the References:

Author Contributions: Formatted explicitly using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) framework.
Funding Statement: Acknowledging sponsoring grants, project codes, or affirming the research received no external financial support.
Conflict of Interest: Disclosing potential financial, commercial, or personal competing interests, or explicitly affirming their absence.
AI Usage Statement: Detailing generative AI tools utilized for linguistic editing or declaring zero AI usage.

6. Account, OJS System & Technical Support How do I register an account on the journal portal? Click the Register button located at the top-right corner of the journal portal. Complete the required profile fields (name, institutional affiliation, country, and valid email address), ensure the Author checkbox is ticked for the relevant journal, and follow the account confirmation instructions sent to your email. Can I use one user account across multiple journals on this portal? Yes. In our multi-journal OJS platform, a single registered user account can be utilized across all hosted journals. Once registered, you can log in and manage your roles (Author, Reviewer, or Reader) for other journals by navigating to User Profile → Roles without needing to register a new username. What should I do if I forget my account credentials? Click Login → Forgot your password? on the login interface. Enter your registered email address to receive an automated password reset link. If you do not receive the email, inspect your Spam/Junk folder or reach out directly to the journal support team. How can I apply to become a peer reviewer? Scholars with relevant subject expertise and active publication track records may apply to join our reviewer pool. Please contact the editorial office through the specific journal's Contact page, providing a brief CV, institutional profile link (ORCID, Scopus, or Google Scholar), and your specific areas of expertise. Need Additional Assistance? If your question is not listed above, please feel free to reach out to the editorial secretariat through the official Contact page for personal support during office hours.