Allegation of Research Misconduct

JOSEIT takes all concerns about the integrity of submitted or published work seriously. This page explains what constitutes research misconduct, who may raise a concern, how to report it, and how JOSEIT investigates and responds — following the guidance and flowcharts of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

 

What Counts as Research Misconduct

JOSEIT considers the following, among others, to be forms of research misconduct:

Fabrication — inventing data or results that were not actually obtained
Falsification — manipulating research materials, equipment, processes, or data
Plagiarism — using others' work or ideas without proper attribution
Duplicate or redundant publication — submitting substantially the same work to more than one journal
Undisclosed conflicts of interest — financial or personal interests not declared to the editor
Authorship disputes — including ghost authorship, gift authorship, or omitting qualified authors
Image or figure manipulation — inappropriate alteration of images or data visualizations
Citation manipulation — excessive self-citation or coordinated citation to inflate metrics
 

Who May Raise an Allegation

Anyone — including readers, reviewers, authors, editors, or the institutions involved — may raise a concern about a JOSEIT submission or published article. Concerns may be raised anonymously or with the complainant's identity disclosed; JOSEIT respects a complainant's request for anonymity wherever possible.

 

How to Submit an Allegation

1Send the allegation in writing to the Editor-in-Chief, via the email listed on the journal's Contact page
2Identify the specific article or manuscript (title, author(s), and DOI or submission ID if available)
3Describe the concern clearly and provide any supporting evidence available
4Indicate whether anonymity is requested
ⓘ All allegations are treated confidentially. Only the individuals directly involved in the assessment or investigation (the Editor-in-Chief, relevant Section Editor, and, where needed, the Advisory or Associate Editor) will have access to the details of the case.
 

Investigation Process

1
 
Preliminary assessment
The Editor-in-Chief reviews the allegation to determine whether it warrants formal investigation
2
 
Author is contacted
The corresponding author is informed of the concern and given the opportunity to explain or provide evidence
3
 
Editorial consultation
The Editor-in-Chief may consult the Advisory Editor, Associate Editor, or relevant Section Editor to assess the evidence
4
 
Institutional referral (if warranted)
For serious or unresolved cases, JOSEIT may refer the matter to the author's institution for formal investigation
✓
Decision and action
The Editor-in-Chief determines the outcome based on the findings (see below)

This process follows the approach set out in COPE's General approach to publication ethics for the editorial office flowchart.

 

Possible Outcomes

No Action
Allegation is found unsubstantiated after review.
Correction
A formal correction is published for a limited or unintentional error.
Expression of Concern
Published while an investigation is ongoing or inconclusive.
Retraction
The article is formally withdrawn for confirmed serious misconduct.

Where warranted, JOSEIT may also notify the author's institution and/or relevant funding bodies of the outcome, consistent with COPE guidance on institutional referral.