ALLEGATIONS OF RESEARCH MISCONDUCT

AGRITEPA: Jurnal Ilmu dan Teknologi Pertanian

Publisher: Unived Press, Universitas Dehasen Bengkulu, Indonesia

1. Policy Statement

AGRITEPA: Jurnal Ilmu dan Teknologi Pertanian is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity, academic honesty, and ethical scholarly publishing. The journal takes all allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously and addresses them fairly, confidentially, and objectively in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

This policy applies to all submitted and published manuscripts, as well as the conduct of authors, editors, and reviewers.

2. Types of Research Misconduct

Research and publication misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

  1. Fabrication and Falsification: Creating, altering, or misrepresenting research data, experimental results, survey findings, or scientific evidence.

  2. Plagiarism: Using another person's work, ideas, or findings without proper acknowledgement.

  3. Duplicate Publication: Submitting or publishing substantially identical research in multiple journals without appropriate disclosure.

  4. Authorship Misconduct: Inappropriately including, excluding, or misrepresenting the contributions of authors.

  5. Unethical Research Practices: Conducting research without necessary ethical approval, informed consent, or compliance with applicable research standards.

  6. Peer-Review Manipulation: Interfering with reviewer selection, submitting fraudulent reviews, or compromising the integrity of editorial decisions.

  7. Other Ethical Violations: Concealing significant conflicts of interest, manipulating research images, or misusing artificial intelligence to fabricate or misrepresent scientific content.

3. Reporting Allegations

Allegations of misconduct may be submitted by authors, reviewers, editors, readers, or other concerned parties.

Reports should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief of AGRITEPA through the journal's official contact channel and should include a clear description of the concern and any available supporting evidence.

The journal also considers anonymous allegations where sufficient verifiable evidence is provided.

4. Investigation Procedures

All allegations will be assessed using a fair and evidence-based procedure consistent with COPE guidance.

The editorial process includes:

  1. Initial Assessment: The Editor-in-Chief examines the allegation and available evidence to determine whether further investigation is warranted.

  2. Author Clarification: The individuals concerned are informed of the allegations and given a reasonable opportunity to provide explanations and supporting documentation.

  3. Further Investigation: Where necessary, the journal may consult independent experts, the publisher, or relevant research institutions.

  4. Editorial Decision: Appropriate action is determined based on the evidence, seriousness of the misconduct, and its implications for the reliability of the scholarly record.

Investigations will be conducted impartially, with due regard for confidentiality, procedural fairness, and the rights of all parties involved.

Where the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict of interest, responsibility for handling the allegation will be assigned to an independent editor.

5. Editorial Actions and Consequences

Depending on the findings, AGRITEPA may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Request clarification, additional evidence, or manuscript corrections.

  • Suspend manuscript processing pending investigation.

  • Reject a manuscript where serious misconduct is substantiated.

  • Publish a correction or an expression of concern.

  • Retract a published article when its findings or integrity are seriously compromised.

  • Refer substantiated concerns to the relevant institution or research authority when appropriate.

All editorial actions will be proportionate to the available evidence and consistent with the journal's publication ethics and retraction policies.

6. Confidentiality and Fair Treatment

AGRITEPA protects the confidentiality of individuals involved in misconduct allegations to the extent reasonably possible.

All allegations will be handled without discrimination, retaliation, or premature judgement. Individuals accused of misconduct will be given a fair opportunity to respond before an editorial decision is reached.

The journal will maintain appropriate records of investigations and editorial decisions.

7. Commitment to Research Integrity

AGRITEPA is committed to preserving the accuracy, credibility, and integrity of the scientific record.

The journal follows relevant COPE recommendations when addressing suspected misconduct and takes appropriate corrective action to protect the reliability of published research.

This policy will be reviewed periodically to maintain consistency with developments in research ethics and scholarly publishing standards.

Official Journal Website: https://jurnal.unived.ac.id/index.php/agritepa

Publisher: Unived Press, Universitas Dehasen Bengkulu, Indonesia.