About the Journal

Journal Policies

1. Journal Identity

Musamus Journal of Public Administration (MJPA) is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences Musamus University.

The journal publishes scholarly works in public administration and related fields within the social sciences.

Publication Frequency:

  • April

  • October

2. Focus and Scope

MJPA promotes theoretical advancement, empirical research, and critical analysis in:

  • Public Administration Theory and Practice

  • Public Policy Analysis and Evaluation

  • Governance and Public Sector Reform

  • Decentralization and Local Government

  • Public Management and Bureaucratic Reform

  • Public Service Innovation

  • Development Administration and Regional Development

  • Public Finance and Budgeting

  • Collaborative Governance and Public Participation

  • Digital Government and E-Governance

  • Comparative Public Administration

The journal accepts original research articles, conceptual papers, and analytical studies from academics, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners at national and international levels.

3. Open Access Policy

MJPA provides immediate open access to all published content. All articles are freely accessible without subscription or access fees.

The journal supports the principle that open access fosters global knowledge exchange and equitable dissemination of research.

4. Peer Review Process

MJPA applies a Double-Blind Peer Review system.

Initial Screening

The Editorial Board and Managing Editor conduct a preliminary evaluation to assess:

  • Relevance to the journal’s scope

  • Compliance with author guidelines

  • Methodological soundness

  • Plagiarism screening (similarity check)

Manuscripts that do not meet minimum standards may be rejected at this stage.

External Review

Eligible manuscripts are reviewed by at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise. Reviewers assess:

  • Originality and novelty

  • Theoretical and methodological rigor

  • Clarity of presentation

  • Contribution to the field

Editorial Decision

Based on reviewers’ recommendations, the Editor-in-Chief makes one of the following decisions:

  1. Accepted

  2. Accepted with Minor Revisions

  3. Accepted with Major Revisions

  4. Rejected

Editorial decisions are based solely on academic merit and peer review outcomes.

5. Publication Ethics and COPE Compliance

MJPA adheres to the ethical principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The journal maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward:

  • Plagiarism

  • Self-plagiarism without proper citation

  • Data fabrication or falsification

  • Duplicate submission

If ethical misconduct is suspected, the editorial board will conduct an investigation in accordance with COPE guidelines. Retractions, corrections, or clarifications will be issued when necessary.

All manuscripts are treated confidentially throughout the editorial and review process.

6. Author Responsibilities

Authors must:

Originality

Ensure submitted work is original and properly cited.

Authorship

List only individuals who made substantial scholarly contributions. All authors must approve the final manuscript before submission.

Data Integrity

Present accurate data and sufficient methodological detail to enable verification or replication.

Multiple Submission

Confirm that the manuscript is not under review or published elsewhere.

Conflict of Interest

Disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest.

Ethical Research Compliance

Ensure research involving human participants complies with applicable ethical standards.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Disclose any use of AI tools in manuscript preparation. Authors remain fully responsible for the content.

7. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must:

  • Provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based evaluations

  • Maintain confidentiality

  • Declare conflicts of interest

  • Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe

Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate.

8. Editorial Responsibilities

Editors must:

  • Make fair and unbiased publication decisions

  • Ensure confidentiality

  • Avoid conflicts of interest

  • Uphold ethical publishing standards

Editorial decisions are independent of financial considerations.

9. Article Processing Charges (APC) – Transparency Statement

MJPA operates under a full open access model.

Current APC Policy

  • Submission Fee: None

  • Article Processing Charge (APC): IDR 500,000 per accepted article

  • International Rate: Equivalent in USD based on the prevailing exchange rate at time of payment

  • Access Fee: None

The APC is charged only after formal acceptance.

The APC covers:

  • Editorial processing

  • Peer review administration

  • Copyediting and layout

  • DOI registration

  • Online publication and digital archiving

Payment of APC does not influence editorial decisions.

Waiver Policy

Partial or full APC waivers may be granted upon written request and editorial consideration.

10. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their published articles.

All articles are published under the:

Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0).

This license permits sharing and adaptation for any purpose, provided appropriate credit is given.

Authors grant MJPA the right of first publication while retaining the right to deposit the article in institutional repositories with proper citation.

11. Archiving and Digital Preservation

MJPA ensures long-term preservation through:

  • PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN)

  • Institutional repository of Musamus University

This guarantees permanent accessibility of published content.

12. Plagiarism Screening

All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software prior to peer review. Manuscripts exceeding acceptable similarity thresholds or containing evidence of misconduct will be rejected.

Aenal Fuad Adam, M.A.
Editor-in-Chief
Musamus Journal of Public Administration (MJPA)