ALLEGATION OF RESEARCH MISCONDUCT

Research misconduct refers to fabrication, falsification, citation manipulation, or plagiarism in producing, performing, reviewing, or reporting research results. When authors are found to have been involved in research misconduct or other serious irregularities in articles published in scientific journals, editors have the responsibility to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the scientific record.

In cases of suspected misconduct, the editors and editorial board will follow best practices from COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) and guidelines on Allegations of Research Errors, Falsification, and Fabrication by Elsevier to assist in resolving complaints and addressing misconduct fairly. This will include an investigation of the allegation by the editors. Manuscripts found to contain misconduct will be rejected. If a published paper is found to involve misconduct, a retraction will be issued and linked to the original article.

The first step in such a process involves validating the allegation and assessing whether it aligns with the definition of research misconduct. This step also includes determining whether the individuals making the allegations have any relevant conflicts of interest.

If there is a possibility of scientific misconduct or significant research irregularities, the allegations will be shared with the corresponding author, who will be asked to provide a detailed response on behalf of all co-authors. After evaluating the response, additional reviews and involvement of experts (such as statistical reviewers) may be necessary. In cases where it is unlikely that misconduct occurred, clarifications, additional analyses, or both, published as letters to the editor, often accompanied by a correction notice and revisions to the published article, may be sufficient.

Institutions are expected to conduct appropriate and thorough investigations of allegations of scientific misconduct. Ultimately, authors, journals, and institutions have a vital responsibility to ensure the accuracy of scientific records. By responding appropriately to concerns about scientific misconduct and taking necessary actions based on the evaluation of such concerns such as corrections, retractions with replacement, or retractions, QUANTA Journal: Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling dalam Pendidikan will continue to fulfill its role in ensuring the validity and integrity of the scientific record.

The explanation of Allegation of Research Misconducts follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), which can be accessed at https://publicationethics.org/misconduct

Retraction

Papers published in QUANTA Journal: Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling dalam Pendidikan will be considered for retraction if:

  1. There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable, either due to misconduct (e.g., data fabrication) or honest error (e.g., miscalculation or experimental error).
  2. The findings have been previously published elsewhere without proper cross-referencing, permission, or justification (i.e., cases of redundant publication).
  3. The paper constitutes plagiarism.
  4. The research involves unethical practices.

The mechanism of retraction follows the Retraction Guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), which can be accessed at https://publicationethics.org/files/retraction%20guidelines.pdf.