Post-Publication Discussion

Post-Publication Discussion

The Indonesian Health Science Journal (IHSJ) recognizes that scientific communication and evaluation continue after an article has been published. Post-publication discussion provides an opportunity for readers, authors, researchers, healthcare professionals, and other members of the scientific community to respond to, question, critically evaluate, or clarify published articles.

IHSJ welcomes relevant, constructive, and evidence-based discussions that contribute to the advancement of health sciences, improve the understanding of published research, and support the integrity of scientific knowledge.

  1. Forms of Discussion

Post-publication discussion may include the following:

  1. Letters to the Editor: Academic comments, questions, or critical responses concerning articles published in IHSJ.
  2. Author Responses: Responses from the original authors to substantive comments or questions about their published work.
  3. Scientific and Methodological Criticism: Discussion of research design, study methods, instruments, data analysis, interpretation of findings, limitations, and the consistency of conclusions with the reported evidence.
  4. Clarification of Published Information: Requests for clarification regarding research findings, references, data presentation, or other information in a published article.
  5. Concerns Regarding Research Integrity: Evidence-based concerns about research data, research ethics, authorship, conflicts of interest, plagiarism, or other potential publication ethics issues.
  1. How to Submit

Comments or responses concerning articles published in IHSJ may be submitted to the journal through its official editorial contact channel. Submissions should include:

  1. The submitter's full name, institutional affiliation, and email address.
  2. The title of the article, the authors' names, and the article's DOI or URL, if available.
  3. A clear and specific description of the comment, question, or concern.
  4. Supporting academic arguments, evidence, or references where appropriate.
  5. A disclosure of any potential conflicts of interest related to the article or the submitted discussion.
  1. Standards for Discussion

All comments must be professional, objective, respectful, and focused on the scientific content of the article. Submissions should be supported by relevant evidence and contribute meaningfully to scholarly discussion.

IHSJ will not consider comments containing personal attacks, discriminatory or offensive language, defamatory statements, unsupported allegations, confidential information disclosed without authorization, or content unrelated to the scientific discussion.

  1. Handling Process
  1. The Editorial Board evaluates the relevance, completeness, and suitability of submitted comments.
  2. Where appropriate, the comments may be forwarded to the corresponding author of the original article, who may be invited to provide a response within a reasonable period.
  3. The Editorial Board may consult independent experts when a discussion involves complex scientific, methodological, statistical, or ethical issues.
  4. Comments and author responses that meet the journal's editorial standards may be considered for publication and, where technically possible, linked to the original article.
  5. If a discussion raises concerns about factual errors or potential research misconduct, the matter may be referred for further consideration in accordance with the journal's applicable editorial and publication ethics policies.

The Editor-in-Chief or an authorized editor is responsible for the final decision regarding the suitability of comments and responses for publication. The publication of a comment or response does not necessarily imply endorsement by IHSJ of the views expressed.

  1. Policy Implementation

IHSJ currently does not have a formally established mechanism dedicated to publishing post-publication discussions. This policy serves as a proposed framework for consideration and approval by the Editorial Board. Its implementation will depend on the establishment of appropriate submission, assessment, and publication procedures.

  1. References

This policy may be informed by the publication ethics guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), available at https://publicationethics.org/.