Allegation of Research Misconduct

Policy Statement
Jurnal Sains dan Kesehatan (JSIKA) takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously and handles them fairly, confidentially, transparently, and promptly. This policy applies to manuscripts under review as well as articles that have already been published. Procedures for handling allegations of misconduct follow the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and internationally recognized best practices in publication ethics.
Identification and Prevention
JSIKA implements reasonable measures to prevent and detect research and publication misconduct, including initial editorial screening, similarity checks, ethical compliance checks, and peer review. The journal management, editors, reviewers, and publisher must not encourage, facilitate, or knowingly tolerate any form of research integrity violation.

For research involving human participants, patients, animals, biological specimens, personal health information, or other sensitive research materials, authors may be required to provide evidence of approval from an appropriate research ethics committee or other competent authority, as applicable.
Scope of Allegations
Research and publication misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism and the use of others' ideas, data, images, research instruments, results, or scholarly work without proper attribution.

Duplicate or redundant publication, as well as simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to more than one journal.

Fabrication and falsification of research data, images, laboratory results, clinical findings, statistical analyses, or other research findings.

Manipulation of research images or data, including inappropriate alteration, selective presentation, or removal of data that misrepresents the research findings.

Citation manipulation, including excessive or inappropriate citation practices intended to influence citation metrics or the scholarly record.

Authorship misconduct, including gift authorship, guest authorship, and ghost authorship.

Undisclosed conflicts of interest or financial and other relationships that may influence the research or publication.

Unethical research practices, including research involving human participants without appropriate informed consent, required ethical approval, or compliance with applicable research-ethics requirements.

Animal research conducted without appropriate ethical approval or in violation of applicable standards for the humane treatment of research animals.

Violation of research participant confidentiality, including unauthorized disclosure of personal, clinical, medical, or other sensitive information.

Manipulation of the peer-review process, including unauthorized use of reviewer identities or interference with the integrity of peer review.

Use of artificial intelligence (AI) in violation of journal policies or failure to disclose AI use when disclosure is required.

Other forms of research or publication misconduct that may compromise the integrity, reliability, or credibility of the scholarly record.
Reporting an Allegation
Allegations of misconduct may be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief through the official email address listed on the JSIKA website. Complainants are encouraged to provide the following information:
1. The complainant's name, affiliation, and contact information. Anonymous reports supported by substantial evidence may also be considered
2. The title of the article or manuscript, the authors' names, and the DOI or article URL, if available.
3. A clear, specific, and objective description of the alleged misconduct.
4. Supporting evidence, such as potentially plagiarized text alongside the original source, comparative data, research records, images, ethical approval documentation, or other relevant documentation.
Assessment and Investigation
1. Initial Assessment. The Editor-in-Chief assesses whether the allegation falls within the scope of research integrity misconduct and whether the available evidence is sufficient to warrant further investigation. The confidentiality of both the complainant and the individual(s) accused is maintained throughout the process.
2. Notification to Authors. Where appropriate, the corresponding author is informed of the allegation and given a reasonable opportunity to respond on behalf of all authors.
3. Evidence Review. The Editor-in-Chief may involve members of the editorial board, peer reviewers, or relevant independent experts to evaluate the evidence and responses provided by the parties concerned.
4. Ethical and Research Documentation. Where relevant, the editorial team may request documentation concerning research ethics approval, informed consent, research protocols, data collection procedures, laboratory records, clinical research documentation, or other evidence necessary to assess the allegation.
5. Institutional Involvement . If further investigation is required, JSIKA may contact the authors' affiliated institutions, research ethics committees, funding agencies, or relevant organizations to request clarification and investigation findings, as appropriate and within their respective authority.
All investigations are conducted objectively, taking into account the available evidence, the authors' right to respond, confidentiality requirements, and the principles of procedural fairness.
Outcomes
Depending on the findings of the investigation and the severity of the misconduct, JSIKA may take the following actions:

For manuscripts under review: Reject the manuscript or request revisions when the issue is minor and can be corrected without compromising the scholarly integrity of the work.

For published articles: Issue a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction, depending on the nature and severity of the violation and the applicable editorial policies.

Notification to institutions: Contact the authors' affiliated institutions, research ethics committees, or funding agencies when necessary and appropriate based on the investigation findings.

Restrictions on future submissions: Restrict future submissions from authors found to have committed serious misconduct, based on a proportionate editorial decision.

> Other editorial actions: Take any additional measures necessary to protect the integrity and reliability of the scholarly record.

If the investigation finds insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegation, JSIKA will not impose sanctions on the authors. A clarification may be issued when necessary to ensure transparency and preserve the integrity of the publication record.

primary purpose of this policy is to protect research integrity and the reliability of the scholarly record, rather than merely to punish authors.
Communication and Closure
The complainant and the authors concerned will be informed of the final decision, subject to confidentiality requirements and applicable policies. A case is considered closed once all necessary editorial actions have been completed and the relevant documentation has been securely archived by JSIKA's editorial management.
Related Policies
This policy should be read in conjunction with other JSIKA policies, including the Authorship Policy, Conflict of Interest Policy, Plagiarism Policy, Artificial Intelligence Policy, Research Ethics Policy, and Correction and Retraction Policy, where available on the journal's website. In addressing allegations of research and publication misconduct, JSIKA follows the guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including its Retraction Guidelines , available at COPE – Publication Ethics.

JSIKA is committed to implementing this policy consistently, proportionately, and transparently to uphold academic integrity, strengthen readers' trust, protect research participants and research subjects, and maintain the quality and reliability of scholarly publications in science, medical and clinical sciences, medical records sciences, public health sciences, midwifery sciences, and pharmaceutical sciences. related fields.