ECJ

Ownership and Management

OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT POLICY

English Community Journal (ECJ) is an academic, peer-reviewed, open-access journal published under the institutional responsibility of Universitas Muhammadiyah Palembang, Indonesia, and managed by the English Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP), Universitas Muhammadiyah Palembang.

The university provides institutional support for the journal's administration, publishing infrastructure, operational continuity, and academic development. The management of editorial activities, including manuscript screening, peer review, editorial evaluation, and publication decisions, is entrusted to the journal's authorized editorial team in accordance with established editorial policies and publication ethics.

1. Institutional Ownership and Responsibilities

Universitas Muhammadiyah Palembang serves as the institutional publisher of English Community Journal and supports its sustainable development as a scholarly publication.

Institutional responsibilities include:

  • Providing appropriate administrative, technical, and institutional support.

  • Supporting the maintenance and development of the journal's Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.

  • Facilitating the appointment and organization of the editorial board through applicable institutional procedures.

  • Supporting the implementation of publication ethics, digital preservation, and research dissemination policies.

  • Promoting institutional accountability and the sustainable operation of the journal.

Institutional oversight concerns governance, resources, and operational accountability and must not interfere with independent editorial decisions.

2. Journal Management

The English Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Palembang, is responsible for coordinating the journal's academic and administrative management.

The journal's editorial board manages:

  • Manuscript submission and preliminary editorial assessment.

  • Reviewer selection and coordination of peer review.

  • Communication with authors and reviewers.

  • Evaluation of reviewer recommendations and revised manuscripts.

  • Editorial decisions concerning manuscript acceptance, revision, or rejection.

  • Preparation and publication of accepted manuscripts.

  • Implementation of editorial policies and publication ethics.

  • Maintenance of editorial quality and publication consistency.

The journal's management operates in coordination with the institutional publisher while maintaining professional editorial independence.

3. Editorial Independence

English Community Journal is committed to safeguarding editorial autonomy, objectivity, transparency, and academic integrity.

Editorial decisions are made independently by the Editor-in-Chief and authorized editorial team based on:

  • Originality and scholarly contribution.

  • Scientific merit and academic relevance.

  • Methodological rigor and analytical quality.

  • Relevance to the journal's Focus and Scope.

  • Compliance with research and publication ethics.

  • Recommendations from qualified peer reviewers.

Institutional ownership, administrative authority, financial considerations, personal relationships, and other external interests must not improperly influence manuscript evaluation or publication decisions.

The institutional publisher respects the editorial team's authority to make independent decisions regarding scholarly content.

4. Appointment and Responsibilities of Editors

The appointment of the Editor-in-Chief and editorial board members is conducted through the applicable institutional procedures of Universitas Muhammadiyah Palembang.

Where required, editorial appointments are formalized through an official appointment decree (Surat Keputusan) issued by the authorized institutional official.

Appointments should clearly establish the editor's:

  • Position, responsibilities, and scope of authority.

  • Term of service and applicable appointment conditions.

  • Editorial independence and decision-making responsibilities.

  • Obligations concerning publication ethics and conflicts of interest.

  • Responsibilities for maintaining editorial quality and publication continuity.

  • Procedures for reporting, evaluation, and resolution of professional concerns.

Editors are expected to exercise their responsibilities professionally, impartially, and in accordance with established scholarly publishing standards.

5. Editorial Performance Evaluation

The institutional publisher may periodically evaluate journal management and editorial performance to support quality improvement and sustainable development.

Evaluation may consider:

  • Consistency and timeliness of publication.

  • Quality and integrity of peer-review procedures.

  • Compliance with editorial policies and publication ethics.

  • Manuscript processing and editorial decision timelines.

  • Journal visibility, readership, and scholarly engagement.

  • Implementation of indexing, metadata, and digital preservation practices.

  • Editorial board participation and operational effectiveness.

Performance evaluation must respect editorial independence and must not create pressure to accept manuscripts, manipulate acceptance rates, or compromise scholarly standards.

6. Dismissal and Replacement of Editors

The dismissal, replacement, or non-renewal of an editor's appointment must follow applicable institutional procedures and principles of fairness, transparency, and professional accountability.

Relevant considerations may include:

  • Serious violations of publication ethics or professional responsibilities.

  • Proven research or editorial misconduct.

  • Persistent failure to fulfill agreed editorial duties.

  • Significant conflicts affecting the effective management of the journal.

  • Serious breaches of professional trust or institutional regulations.

  • Organizational restructuring or completion of the appointed term.

Where appropriate, the editor concerned should have an opportunity to respond to substantive allegations before a final decision is made.

Changes in editorial leadership should be managed to ensure the continuity of journal operations and the confidentiality of manuscript and peer-review records.

7. Governance and Accountability

English Community Journal maintains a clear distinction between institutional governance and editorial decision-making.

The publisher provides oversight and institutional support, while the Editor-in-Chief and editorial board retain responsibility for the academic evaluation and selection of manuscripts.

All parties are expected to uphold principles of academic freedom, transparency, fairness, accountability, and compliance with the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, Conflict of Interest Policy, and Peer Review Process.

Through this policy, English Community Journal affirms its commitment to responsible institutional governance, independent editorial management, and the publication of credible scholarly research in English Language Education, Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, and Literature and Cultural Studies.