Allegations of Research Misconduct

Allegations of Research Misconduct

Allegations of Research Misconduct

Jurnal Teknologi dan Sistem Tertanam (JTST) is committed to maintaining the integrity, transparency, and credibility of scholarly publishing. Every allegation of research misconduct will be handled fairly, objectively, confidentially, and in accordance with applicable publication ethics principles.

Our Commitment

JTST takes all credible concerns seriously. An allegation will not automatically be regarded as proof of misconduct. Every concern will be assessed based on the available evidence, the seriousness of the issue, and its potential effect on the reliability of the scholarly record.

1. Scope of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct refers to actions that may compromise the integrity, reliability, originality, or ethical validity of a submitted manuscript or published article. Research misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

Type of Misconduct Description
Fabrication Creating research data, observations, results, participants, or experimental findings that did not actually exist.
Falsification Manipulating research materials, equipment, procedures, images, or data, including selectively omitting results in a way that misrepresents the research.
Plagiarism Using another person's ideas, words, data, images, methods, or other intellectual work without proper acknowledgment or citation.
Duplicate Publication Publishing substantially similar or overlapping work in more than one journal without appropriate disclosure, citation, or editorial approval.
Authorship Misconduct Improperly adding, omitting, removing, or changing an author's name, including ghost authorship, gift authorship, guest authorship, or failure to recognize eligible contributors.
Data or Image Manipulation Inappropriately modifying, duplicating, deleting, enhancing, or misrepresenting data, figures, photographs, graphs, or other research evidence.
Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest Failing to disclose financial, professional, institutional, or personal interests that could influence the research, review, or editorial decision.
Peer-Review Manipulation Interfering with the peer-review process, including using false reviewer identities, false email addresses, fabricated reviews, or attempts to improperly influence reviewers or editors.
Ethical Violations Conducting research involving humans, animals, personal information, or sensitive data without the required ethical approval, informed consent, or appropriate safeguards.
Misleading Declarations Providing false or materially inaccurate information about funding, ethical approval, authorship, data availability, conflicts of interest, or the use of artificial intelligence.

Honest errors, legitimate methodological disagreements, or differences in scientific interpretation do not automatically constitute research misconduct. Each case will be assessed according to the available evidence and relevant circumstances.

2. Reporting an Allegation

Any reader, author, reviewer, editor, institution, or other party who has reasonable concerns about possible misconduct in a manuscript submitted to or published by JTST may report the matter to the editorial office.

A report should include as much relevant information as possible, including:

  • The title of the submitted manuscript or published article;
  • The name of the author or authors, if known;
  • The DOI, URL, manuscript number, or publication details;
  • A clear description of the suspected misconduct;
  • Supporting evidence, documents, data, images, or references; and
  • Contact information for further clarification, where appropriate.
Reports must be made in good faith. JTST will not tolerate knowingly false, malicious, or retaliatory allegations against authors, reviewers, editors, or other parties.

3. Preliminary Assessment

After receiving an allegation, the Editor-in-Chief or an appointed editorial representative will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether:

  • The allegation falls within the responsibility of JTST;
  • The report contains sufficient information to be examined;
  • The issue may affect the reliability or integrity of the manuscript or article;
  • An immediate editorial action is required; and
  • Further clarification or supporting evidence is necessary.

The preliminary assessment may involve examining the manuscript, published article, similarity report, figures, citations, author declarations, ethical approval, research data, editorial records, and peer-review history.

4. Investigation Procedure

If the allegation requires further examination, JTST will conduct a fair and impartial investigation. Depending on the nature and seriousness of the concern, the process may include:

  1. Reviewing the allegation and all supporting evidence;
  2. Requesting clarification, explanations, research data, or supporting documents from the corresponding author and other relevant parties;
  3. Providing the person or parties concerned with an appropriate opportunity to respond;
  4. Consulting independent experts or reviewers when specialist assessment is required;
  5. Contacting the relevant university, research institution, ethics committee, funder, or competent authority when formal investigation is required;
  6. Evaluating all explanations and evidence objectively; and
  7. Reaching an editorial decision based on the findings and applicable publication ethics standards.

JTST's investigation is intended to determine the appropriate editorial response and protect the integrity of the published record. It does not replace a formal investigation conducted by an author's institution, ethics committee, funder, or authorized legal body.

5. Confidentiality and Fair Treatment

JTST will handle allegations confidentially to the extent reasonably possible and consistent with a fair investigation. Information will only be shared with individuals or organizations that need it to examine or resolve the concern.

An allegation will not be treated as proof of misconduct. No adverse conclusion will be reached before the available evidence has been appropriately assessed and the relevant parties have been given a reasonable opportunity to respond.

JTST seeks to protect the rights and reputations of complainants, authors, reviewers, editors, and other parties. Retaliation against individuals who raise genuine concerns in good faith or cooperate with an investigation is not permitted.

6. Editorial Actions and Outcomes

Depending on the nature, severity, and findings of the investigation, JTST may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Request clarification, correction, additional data, or supporting documentation;
  • Request revisions to a manuscript under editorial consideration;
  • Reject a manuscript when serious concerns remain unresolved;
  • Publish a correction, erratum, or corrigendum;
  • Publish an expression of concern while an investigation is ongoing or inconclusive;
  • Retract a published article when the findings justify retraction;
  • Notify the relevant institution, funder, ethics committee, publisher, or competent authority;
  • Restrict future submissions for a specified period when justified; or
  • Take other proportionate editorial measures necessary to protect the scholarly record.
Important: Editorial actions will be proportionate to the findings. Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions will be clearly identified, dated, linked to the affected article, and reflected in the publication metadata whenever technically possible.

7. Responsibilities of Authors, Reviewers, and Editors

Authors

Authors must report research accurately, cite sources appropriately, represent data honestly, recognize all eligible contributors, and provide complete declarations concerning funding, ethical approval, conflicts of interest, data availability, and the use of artificial intelligence.

Reviewers

Reviewers must report credible concerns about plagiarism, data integrity, authorship, ethical compliance, conflicts of interest, or other possible misconduct to the editor. Reviewers must maintain confidentiality and must not conduct unauthorized investigations or disclose manuscript content.

Editors

Editors must assess allegations objectively, manage conflicts of interest, preserve appropriate confidentiality, provide fair opportunities to respond, maintain relevant documentation, and take reasonable steps to protect the integrity of the publication process.

8. Appeals

Individuals who disagree with an editorial decision resulting from a misconduct investigation may submit a reasoned appeal to the JTST editorial office. The appeal must explain the basis of the disagreement and include relevant evidence or clarification.

The appeal will be reviewed by an editor or designated person who is not directly conflicted with the case. JTST may seek independent advice when necessary. An appeal does not automatically suspend an editorial action taken to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

9. Reporting Contact

Allegations or concerns regarding a submitted manuscript or published article may be sent to:

Editorial Office of JTST
Jurnal Teknologi dan Sistem Tertanam
Universitas Teknokrat Indonesia
ZA. Pagar Alam Street No. 9–11, Labuhan Ratu, Bandar Lampung, Indonesia 35132
Email: jtst@teknokrat.ac.id

10. Policy and Ethical Framework

JTST handles allegations of research misconduct in accordance with its publication ethics policies and relevant principles and guidance issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) .

This policy should be read together with JTST's policies on publication ethics, plagiarism, authorship and contributorship, conflicts of interest, peer review, ethical clearance, corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions.

Jurnal Teknologi dan Sistem Tertanam (JTST)
Universitas Teknokrat Indonesia
E-ISSN 2745-9500  |  P-ISSN 2986-1802