Journal Ownership and Governance Policy

1. Journal Ownership and Publisher

The Borneo Journal of Language and Education (BENJOLE) is owned and published by Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris (UINSI) Samarinda, Indonesia. The journal is published under the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training (Fakultas Tarbiyah dan Ilmu Keguruan).

UINSI Samarinda provides institutional support for the journal's operations, publication infrastructure, and long-term sustainability. The ownership and institutional affiliation of the journal do not determine the scholarly assessment of submitted manuscripts or the outcome of editorial decisions.

2. Journal Governance Structure

BENJOLE operates through an editorial management structure designed to support academic quality, transparency, accountability, and publication integrity. The principal roles and responsibilities are outlined below.

2.1. Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief provides academic and editorial leadership and is responsible for:

  • Establishing the journal's academic direction and editorial priorities.
  • Overseeing editorial policies and maintaining academic standards.
  • Making final editorial decisions based on scholarly merit, relevance to the journal's scope, and peer-review recommendations.
  • Ensuring that editorial decisions are fair, consistent, and ethically grounded.
  • Addressing significant editorial and publication ethics concerns.

2.2. Managing Editor

The Managing Editor coordinates the journal's editorial administration and publication workflow. Responsibilities include:

  • Managing manuscript processing and editorial records.
  • Coordinating communication among authors, editors, and reviewers.
  • Monitoring manuscript progress through the editorial workflow.
  • Supporting the timely implementation of editorial decisions.
  • Assisting with the preparation and publication of journal issues.

2.3. Editorial Team

The Editorial Team supports the academic and operational management of the journal. Its responsibilities include:

  • Assessing manuscript suitability for the journal's focus and scope.
  • Coordinating the peer-review process.
  • Evaluating reviewer recommendations and supporting editorial decisions.
  • Maintaining confidentiality and addressing potential conflicts of interest.
  • Upholding publication ethics and academic integrity.

2.4. Reviewers

Reviewers provide independent scholarly assessments of submitted manuscripts within their areas of expertise. They are expected to:

  • Evaluate manuscripts objectively and constructively.
  • Assess originality, academic relevance, methodological rigor, and contribution to the field.
  • Maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and the review process.
  • Disclose potential conflicts of interest.
  • Report suspected research or publication misconduct to the editorial team.

Reviewers provide recommendations but do not make final publication decisions.

3. Editorial Independence

BENJOLE is committed to maintaining editorial independence. Decisions concerning manuscript evaluation, revision, acceptance, or rejection are based on academic quality, originality, methodological soundness, relevance to the journal's scope, and the outcomes of peer review.

The journal owner, publisher, and affiliated institution must not improperly influence editorial decisions or interfere with the independent scholarly assessment of manuscripts.

The Editor-in-Chief and authorized editorial personnel are responsible for ensuring that editorial decisions are made fairly and consistently in accordance with the journal's published policies and ethical standards.

4. Responsibilities of the Owner and Publisher

The journal owner and publisher are responsible for supporting the institutional and operational conditions necessary for sustainable journal publishing. These responsibilities include:

  • Providing appropriate institutional support and publication infrastructure.
  • Supporting the continuity and long-term sustainability of journal operations.
  • Maintaining the journal's official website and publication records.
  • Supporting the implementation of publication ethics and editorial policies.
  • Respecting editorial independence and avoiding inappropriate interference in scholarly decisions.
  • Ensuring that material changes to ownership, publishing arrangements, or journal management are communicated transparently.

Institutional support must be provided in a manner that preserves the academic integrity and editorial independence of BENJOLE.

5. Publication Ethics and Accountability

BENJOLE is committed to responsible scholarly publishing and the fair handling of ethical concerns. The editorial team is responsible for responding to allegations of research or publication misconduct in accordance with the journal's published policies and applicable ethical guidance.

Where necessary, the journal may take appropriate editorial action, including requesting corrections, publishing notices, or retracting articles when justified by the evidence and applicable policies.

Authors, editors, and reviewers are expected to disclose relevant conflicts of interest and comply with the journal's requirements concerning confidentiality, research integrity, and responsible publication practices.

6. Transparency and Public Information

BENJOLE provides public information about its identity, ownership, publisher, editorial structure, peer-review process, publication ethics, and responsibilities of publication participants through its official website.

The journal seeks to ensure that authors, reviewers, readers, and other stakeholders can understand its governance arrangements and editorial procedures. Information presented on the website should be accurate, accessible, and updated when material changes occur.

7. Changes in Ownership or Governance

Any material change in journal ownership, publisher, institutional affiliation, or management structure will be communicated through the official BENJOLE website.

Such changes will be managed transparently and in a manner that protects the integrity of the scholarly record, respects authors' rights, and maintains the independence of editorial decisions.

Policy Statement

BENJOLE is committed to transparent, accountable, and responsible journal governance. Its ownership and management arrangements are intended to support academic quality, editorial independence, ethical publishing, and the long-term sustainability of the journal.