Allegations of Research Misconduct
JESI is committed to maintaining the integrity, transparency, and credibility of scholarly publications. The journal takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously and handles them in accordance with the principles and guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to, data fabrication, data falsification, plagiarism, citation manipulation, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, unethical research practices, and manipulation of the peer-review process. These violations may occur during research design, data collection, analysis, manuscript preparation, submission, peer review, or publication.
The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are responsible for evaluating allegations fairly, objectively, and confidentially while safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record.
Handling Allegations of Research Misconduct
1. Initial Assessment
All allegations of research misconduct submitted to JESI will undergo an initial assessment by the Editor-in-Chief or designated members of the Editorial Board. The assessment will determine whether the allegation is supported by sufficient evidence and falls within the scope of research misconduct.
The Editorial Board will also consider potential conflicts of interest involving the complainant, authors, editors, or reviewers to ensure an impartial investigation.
2. Notification and Author Response
When an allegation raises reasonable concerns about research integrity, the corresponding author will be formally notified and invited to provide a detailed explanation and relevant supporting evidence on behalf of all co-authors.
Authors will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond before the Editorial Board reaches a decision. All communications and supporting documents will be handled confidentially.
3. Investigation and Evaluation
The Editorial Board will evaluate the available evidence, the authors' responses, and any additional information necessary to establish the validity of the allegation.
Where appropriate, JESI may consult independent experts, methodological specialists, or relevant institutions to support the investigation.
The investigation will follow the principles of fairness, confidentiality, transparency, and due process as recommended by COPE.
4. Institutional Involvement
When allegations involve serious research misconduct requiring further verification, JESI may contact the authors' affiliated institutions and request a formal investigation.
The journal recognizes that research institutions have primary responsibility for investigating misconduct involving their researchers, while the Editorial Board remains responsible for decisions concerning submitted manuscripts and published articles.
5. Editorial Decisions and Outcomes
Based on the findings of the investigation, JESI may take one or more of the following actions:
- Reject a manuscript when substantial evidence of research misconduct is established.
- Request clarification, additional documentation, or revisions when concerns can be resolved without compromising research integrity.
- Publish a correction when errors are identified but the principal findings remain reliable.
- Issue an expression of concern when serious questions regarding research integrity remain unresolved.
- Retract a published article when its findings or publication integrity are fundamentally compromised.
- Notify the relevant institution or appropriate authority when further investigation is warranted.
All editorial decisions will be based on documented evidence and the seriousness of the identified misconduct.
Retraction
JESI may retract a published article when reliable evidence demonstrates that the publication contains serious violations affecting its validity, originality, or ethical integrity.
Grounds for retraction may include:
- Fabrication or falsification of research data or findings.
- Plagiarism or substantial unauthorized reproduction of previously published work.
- Duplicate or redundant publication without appropriate disclosure or justification.
- Serious methodological or analytical errors that invalidate the principal findings.
- Significant violations of research ethics, including the absence of required ethical approval or informed consent.
- Manipulation of the peer-review process, authorship information, or citation practices.
- Other serious violations that undermine the reliability and integrity of the scholarly record.
Retraction decisions will be made by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the Editorial Board, following a documented and impartial evaluation.
When an article is retracted, JESI will publish a formal retraction notice explaining the reasons for the decision. The notice will be linked to the original article, which will remain accessible in the journal archive and be clearly identified as retracted to preserve the transparency of the scholarly record.
Corrections and Expressions of Concern
JESI recognizes that not all errors or allegations require retraction.
A correction may be published when an article contains identifiable errors that do not substantially affect the reliability of its findings or conclusions.
An expression of concern may be issued when credible concerns about a published article remain unresolved, when an investigation is ongoing, or when available evidence is insufficient to determine whether retraction is necessary.
Any correction or expression of concern will be clearly linked to the relevant publication.
Confidentiality and Protection of Parties
JESI is committed to protecting the confidentiality of individuals involved in allegations of research misconduct, including complainants, authors, reviewers, and editors, to the extent reasonably possible.
All allegations will be assessed objectively without discrimination, retaliation, or premature judgment. Individuals involved in the investigation must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and refrain from participating in decisions where their impartiality may be compromised.
Commitment to Research Integrity
JESI considers the responsible handling of research misconduct allegations an essential component of ethical scholarly publishing.
The journal is committed to ensuring that all investigations and editorial decisions are conducted fairly, consistently, and transparently in accordance with internationally recognized publication ethics standards.
The primary purpose of corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions is to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.
Reference and Further Guidance
This policy is developed with reference to the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
COPE Core Practices: https://publicationethics.org/core-practices
COPE Guidelines: https://publicationethics.org/guidance