Allegations of Research Misconduct

Allegations of Research Misconduct

Indonesian Journal of Management and Accounting (IJMA) is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity, publication ethics, and scientific rigor. We strictly follow the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in handling all allegations of research misconduct before or after publication.

  1. Definition of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • Plagiarism: The appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit or citation.
  • Data Fabrication: Making up data, results, or research findings and recording or reporting them as real.
  • Data Falsification: Manipulating research materials, equipment, processes, or changing/omitting data/results such that the research is not accurately represented in the publication record.
  • Duplicate / Redundant Submission or Publication: Submitting the same manuscript (or substantially similar work) to multiple journals concurrently or publishing duplicate works without proper disclosure and permission.
  • Inappropriate Authorship: Inclusion of authors who do not meet ICMJE/COPE authorship criteria (gift or guest authorship) or omission of individuals who significantly contributed (ghost authorship).
  • Citation Manipulation: Excessive or irrelevant self-citation, or forced citation of specific authors or journals to artificially increase citation metrics.
  • Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest: Failure to declare financial, personal, or professional conflicts of interest that could influence the outcome or interpretation of the research.
  1. Whistleblowing & Reporting Mechanism

IJMA welcomes complaints, concerns, or reports regarding potential research misconduct from readers, reviewers, editors, authors, or third parties.

  • How to File a Complaint: Reports must be submitted in writing via email to the Editor-in-Chief at [ijma@almaata.ac.id] with the subject line "Allegation of Misconduct - [Manuscript Title / Article DOI]".
  • Required Details: The report should include:
    1. Title of the manuscript/article and author name(s).
    2. Specific details and nature of the alleged misconduct.
    3. Supporting evidence (e.g., side-by-side text comparisons, similarity reports, original data discrepancies).
  • Anonymity & Confidentiality: Whistleblowers may choose to remain anonymous. All allegations will be treated with strict confidentiality to protect both the whistleblower and the accused party during the investigation.
  1. Investigation Process

The investigation will be conducted impartially by the Editorial Board in accordance with COPE flowcharts:

  1. Preliminary Review: The Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor will perform an initial assessment to determine if there is sufficient evidence to warrant a formal investigation.
  2. Contacting the Author(s): If a plausible issue is identified, the corresponding author will be contacted and given an opportunity to respond to the allegations and provide original data or explanations within 14–30 days.
  3. Institutional Involvement: If the response is unsatisfactory or indicates severe misconduct, the journal may contact the author's institution or funding body for further investigation.
  4. Editorial Decision: Based on the evidence and responses, the Editorial Board will make a final decision.
  1. Corrective Actions and Sanctions

If research misconduct is proven, IJMA reserves the right to take appropriate action depending on the severity of the violation:

  • Under Review Stage: Immediate rejection of the manuscript and notification to the authors' institution or employer.
  • Post-Publication Stage:
    • Corrigendum / Erratum: Issued for minor errors or unintentional omissions that do not invalidate the scientific conclusions.
    • Expression of Concern: Published if an investigation is inconclusive or ongoing but serious doubt remains regarding the validity of the findings.
    • Formal Retraction: Published if data fabrication, falsification, severe plagiarism, or duplicate publication is established. The original article PDF will be marked as "RETRACTED", and a formal Retraction Notice will be linked to the publication.
  • Ban on Future Submissions: Authors found guilty of deliberate research misconduct may be barred from submitting manuscripts to IJMA for a specified period (e.g., 1 to 5 years).