Allegation of Research Misconduct

Allegations of Research Misconduct

1. Policy Statement

Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat – JPKM is committed to upholding academic integrity, scientific honesty, transparency, and accountability throughout the publication process. The journal considers any allegation of research and publication misconduct a serious matter that must be handled objectively, fairly, confidentially, and on the basis of sufficient evidence.

This policy applies to alleged misconduct involving manuscripts that have been submitted, are under review, have been accepted, or have been published in the journal. It also covers misconduct related to community service activities when such misconduct concerns the data, methods, results, documentation, or claims presented in an article.

2. Types of Alleged Misconduct

Allegations of research and publication misconduct may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Data fabrication, which involves inventing data, activity results, respondents, or information that was never actually obtained or that never occurred.

  2. Data falsification, which involves manipulating materials, procedures, data, documentation, or results so that the information presented does not accurately reflect the actual circumstances.

  3. Plagiarism, which involves using the ideas, text, data, images, or works of others without appropriate attribution.

  4. Image and documentation manipulation, which involves altering, fabricating, or misleadingly using activity photographs, images, tables, or other forms of evidence.

  5. Violations of activity ethics, including the alleged use of personal data without a lawful basis, failure to obtain necessary consent, or violations of the rights and safety of community partners and activity participants.

  6. Improper authorship practices, including listing individuals as authors without contributions that meet the authorship criteria or excluding individuals who are entitled to authorship.

  7. Duplicate publication and simultaneous submission, which involve republishing substantially the same content or submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously without appropriate disclosure.

  8. Concealment of conflicts of interest, which involves failing to disclose relevant interests that could potentially influence the implementation of activities, analysis, or reporting of results.

  9. Misleading statements of results, which involve presenting claims regarding the success, impact, or benefits of activities that are not supported by sufficient evidence.

  10. Other breaches of integrity, including any other conduct that violates applicable ethical standards for research, community service, or scholarly publication.

An allegation of misconduct shall not automatically be considered proven. Every report must be assessed based on the available evidence, context, seriousness of the alleged conduct, and explanations provided by the parties concerned.

3. Reporting Alleged Misconduct

Alleged misconduct may be reported by authors, reviewers, editors, readers, community partners, institutions, or other parties possessing relevant information.

Reports should be submitted to the editorial team through the official contact details provided on the Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat – JPKM website. Complainants are encouraged to include the following information:

  • The complainant’s identity and contact information, if they are willing to provide them.

  • The title of the article or the identification details of the manuscript concerned.

  • A clear description of the alleged misconduct.

  • Relevant supporting evidence or documentation, such as comparative sources, data, photographs, or links to publications.

  • Any additional information that may assist the investigation.

The journal will assess each report based on its relevance and the available evidence. Reports that do not include complete evidence may still be considered if the preliminary information is sufficient to warrant further examination.

4. Investigation Procedures

Allegations of misconduct shall be handled through the following stages.

Stage 1: Preliminary Assessment

The editor assesses the relevance of the report, the adequacy of the information provided, and its connection to the integrity of the manuscript or published article. If necessary, the editor may request additional information from the complainant.

Stage 2: Evidence Collection and Review

The editorial team examines the available documents and evidence, including the manuscript, supporting data, activity documentation, similarity-check results, and relevant comparative sources.

Stage 3: Request for Clarification

Where necessary, the editor contacts the author or other relevant parties to request explanations and supporting evidence. The parties asked to provide clarification shall be given a reasonable opportunity to respond.

Stage 4: Editorial Evaluation

The editor objectively evaluates the evidence and responses received. In complex cases or cases requiring specialized expertise, the journal may seek advice from independent reviewers, relevant experts, or the institutions concerned.

Stage 5: Determination of Action

Based on the findings of the investigation, the editorial team determines appropriate and proportionate action, taking into account the nature, seriousness, impact, and supporting evidence of the alleged misconduct.

Stage 6: Documentation and Follow-Up

The investigation process, communications, relevant evidence, and editorial decisions shall be adequately documented. Where necessary, the journal shall undertake further action in accordance with applicable publication ethics policies.

5. Principles for Handling Allegations

In handling allegations of misconduct, Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat – JPKM applies the following principles:

  • Objectivity: Decisions shall be based on evidence and accountable evaluation.

  • Fairness: The parties concerned shall be given an opportunity to provide clarification.

  • Confidentiality: Information concerning reports and investigations shall be restricted to relevant parties, to the extent practicable.

  • Timeliness: Reports shall be handled without undue delay.

  • Proportionality: Editorial actions shall be commensurate with the seriousness and impact of the misconduct.

  • Protection Against Retaliation: The journal does not tolerate intimidation or adverse actions against complainants who submit reports in good faith.

  • Accountability: Decisions and follow-up actions shall be adequately recorded to ensure consistency in the editorial process.

6. Editorial Actions

If misconduct is established or there are sufficient grounds for taking action, the journal may take one or more of the following measures, depending on the severity of the misconduct:

  1. Request clarification or additional documentation from the author.

  2. Request corrections or revisions to the problematic sections of the manuscript.

  3. Temporarily suspend the editorial process while the investigation is ongoing.

  4. Reject the manuscript before publication.

  5. Publish a correction or editorial notice for an article that has already been published.

  6. Retract the article if the misconduct is established and is sufficiently serious to compromise the integrity of the publication.

  7. Contact the author’s affiliated institution or other relevant authorities, where necessary.

  8. Take other actions consistent with applicable publication ethics policies and regulations.

Decisions to correct or retract an article shall be based on the investigation findings and the impact on the reliability of the scholarly record, rather than solely on the existence of a report or allegation.

7. Coordination with Relevant Institutions

If an allegation requires an investigation beyond the journal’s authority, such as matters involving the authenticity of field data, the implementation of community service activities, or serious alleged ethical violations, the journal may contact the institution with which the author is affiliated or another institution with the relevant authority.

The journal may request clarification or information regarding the findings of the institution’s investigation. However, the journal remains responsible for editorial decisions concerning manuscripts and articles published in the journal.

8. Handling Alleged Misconduct After Publication

Allegations of misconduct that arise after an article has been published may still be investigated. If errors or misconduct are found to affect the reliability of the article, the journal may publish a correction, an editorial statement, or a retraction notice in accordance with applicable policies.

Such notices must explain the article’s status and the reasons for the action taken in a proportionate manner, while respecting the confidentiality and rights of the parties concerned. If an article is retracted, its retracted status must be clearly displayed so that readers do not mistakenly regard the article as valid and unaffected by any concerns.

9. Protection of Complainants and Reported Parties

The journal endeavors to protect the confidentiality of complainants’ identities when requested and practicable, and to protect individuals who report concerns in good faith against retaliation related to their reports.

At the same time, reported parties must be treated fairly and shall not be declared guilty of misconduct before an adequate investigation has been conducted. The journal does not tolerate allegations that are deliberately made in bad faith or intended to harm others.

10. Closing Statement

Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat – JPKM is committed to addressing allegations of research and publication misconduct transparently, objectively, and responsibly. All authors, reviewers, editors, and other relevant parties are expected to support the implementation of this policy to safeguard the integrity, credibility, and trustworthiness of the journal’s publications.

Policy URL: https://etdci.org/journal/patikala/AllegationofResearchMisconduct