Research Missconduct

Franconesia  is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity, publication ethics, and academic responsibility. The journal takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously, whether they arise before or after publication, and handles them fairly, objectively, confidentially, and in accordance with the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).This policy applies to authors, reviewers, editors, and other parties involved in the publication process. It establishes the types of research misconduct, preventive measures, reporting procedures, investigation processes, and possible actions to address suspected or confirmed violations.

Types of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following practices:

Fabrication
Fabrication is the invention of data, research participants, interviews, activities, results, or other research information and presenting them as genuine. In community service publications, this includes reporting activities that were never conducted, inventing participant attendance, or fabricating program outcomes.

Falsification
Falsification involves manipulating research materials, procedures, data, images, or results, or selectively omitting information to misrepresent the actual research or community service outcomes. Examples include altering evaluation results, manipulating documentation, or selectively reporting program outcomes that do not reflect the actual implementation.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use of another person's ideas, words, data, methods, or work without appropriate acknowledgment. It includes direct copying, improper paraphrasing, translation plagiarism, and the use of unpublished materials without permission or attribution.

Duplicate and Redundant Publication
Submitting or publishing the same or substantially overlapping manuscript in more than one journal without appropriate disclosure is considered misconduct. Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals.

Self-Plagiarism and Text Recycling
Authors must not reuse substantial portions of their previously published work without appropriate acknowledgment and disclosure. Any legitimate reuse must comply with applicable copyright requirements and publication ethics standards.

Authorship Misconduct
Authorship misconduct includes gift or guest authorship, ghost authorship, and the addition or removal of authors without the agreement of all authors. Authorship must accurately reflect each individual's substantial scholarly contribution to the work.

Research and Community Engagement Ethics Violations
Authors must ensure that community service activities and related research are conducted ethically and responsibly. Violations include obtaining data without appropriate authorization, failing to obtain informed consent where required, violating participant confidentiality, misusing photographs or personal information, and exposing community members or vulnerable groups to unnecessary harm.

Authors are responsible for obtaining ethical approval, institutional permission, and other relevant authorizations when required by the nature of their activities and applicable regulations.

Citation Manipulation
Citation manipulation includes excessive self-citation, coercive citation, or citation practices intended primarily to inflate citation metrics rather than improve the scholarly quality of a manuscript.

Peer-Review Manipulation
Peer-review manipulation includes suggesting fictitious reviewers, impersonating reviewers, attempting to influence reviewers improperly, or engaging in other activities intended to compromise the integrity of the peer-review process.

Paper Mills and Fraudulent Manuscripts
The journal prohibits the purchase, sale, or brokerage of manuscripts or authorship, the submission of fabricated manuscripts, and the use of deceptive practices intended to disguise plagiarism or misrepresent scholarly contributions.

Inappropriate Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence
Authors must comply with the journal's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy. Generative AI tools must not be used to fabricate research data, participant responses, activity documentation, results, or references. AI tools must not be listed as authors. Any AI use requiring disclosure must be transparently reported, and authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their manuscripts.

Misconduct by Reviewers and Editors
Reviewers and editors must maintain confidentiality, declare potential conflicts of interest, and conduct their responsibilities objectively. Misconduct includes unauthorized disclosure of manuscripts, misuse of unpublished information, unauthorized uploading of confidential manuscripts to AI tools, and biased or deliberately unfounded assessments.

Prevention and Detection

Sarwahita implements appropriate measures to prevent and detect research misconduct, including:

  1. Originality screening: Manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism-detection software before acceptance or publication. Similarity reports are assessed contextually by the editorial team; a similarity score alone does not establish plagiarism.
  2. Editorial assessment: Editors examine manuscripts for inconsistencies in data, questionable documentation, irrelevant or unverifiable references, duplicated content, and other indicators of possible misconduct.
  3. Author declarations: Authors are required to confirm the originality of their submissions, authorship contributions, relevant ethical approvals, and disclosure of funding, conflicts of interest, and AI use where applicable.
  4. Verification of community service activities: When necessary, editors may request supporting evidence, such as activity reports, anonymized evaluation data, research instruments, participant consent documentation, or other relevant records.
  5. Confidentiality and conflict-of-interest management: Editors and reviewers must protect confidential information and disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their judgment.
  6. Compliance with journal policies: Authors must comply with the journal's Author Guidelines, Publication Ethics, Peer Review Policy, Plagiarism Policy, AI Policy, and other applicable editorial policies.

Reporting Suspected Research Misconduct

Anyone, including authors, reviewers, editors, research participants, community partners, readers, and members of the public, may report suspected research misconduct to the Editor-in-Chief of Sarwahita.

Reports should include, where available:

  • The manuscript title, article DOI, or manuscript identification number.
  • A clear description of the suspected misconduct.
  • Supporting evidence, such as relevant documents, overlapping passages, data discrepancies, or questionable activity documentation.
  • The reporter's contact information and any relevant conflict of interest.

Anonymous reports may be considered when they contain sufficiently specific and verifiable evidence. All reports will be assessed fairly and confidentially. The identity of the reporter will be protected to the extent possible and consistent with a fair assessment of the allegation. Allegations must not be treated as established misconduct before the available evidence has been evaluated.

Procedures for Handling Allegations

Suspected Misconduct Before Publication

When suspected misconduct is identified in a submitted manuscript, the journal will:

  1. Conduct a preliminary assessment to determine whether the allegation is credible and supported by relevant evidence.
  2. Temporarily suspend the review or publication process when necessary.
  3. Examine the available evidence and, where appropriate, consult independent experts or relevant institutional representatives.
  4. Contact the corresponding author and provide an opportunity to explain the concern and submit supporting evidence.
  5. Evaluate the author's response and determine the appropriate action.
  6. Reject the manuscript if serious misconduct is established or if the concerns remain unresolved. Minor and correctable issues may be addressed through revision when appropriate.
  7. Refer serious cases to the author's institution, relevant authorities, or funding body when warranted.

All decisions will be documented, and the journal will maintain appropriate confidentiality throughout the process.

Suspected Misconduct After Publication
When allegations concern an already published article, the journal will:

  1. Acknowledge receipt of the report and conduct a preliminary assessment.
  2. Gather and evaluate relevant evidence, including the published article, supporting documentation, and any additional materials provided.
  3. Contact the corresponding author and, where appropriate, the other authors to request an explanation and supporting evidence.
  4. Consult the authors' institution or independent experts when necessary, particularly in cases involving potentially fabricated data, falsified documentation, or serious ethical violations.
  5. Determine the appropriate action based on the available evidence and any relevant institutional findings.

Depending on the outcome, the journal may take no further action, publish a correction, issue an Expression of Concern, or retract the article. Removal of a published article will be considered only in exceptional circumstances and in accordance with applicable ethical and publishing standards.

Any correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction will be clearly identified and linked to the original article to maintain the transparency and integrity of the scholarly record.

Allegations Involving Reviewers or Editors
Allegations involving reviewers will be assessed by the Editor-in-Chief or an independent editor. Allegations involving an editor will be handled by another qualified and impartial authority who is not involved in the case. Allegations involving the Editor-in-Chief will be referred to an appropriate independent authority within the journal's publishing institution.

Individuals implicated in an allegation must not participate in decisions concerning their own cases.

Actions and Sanctions

Depending on the nature, severity, and recurrence of the misconduct, Sarwahita may take one or more of the following actions:

  1. Request clarification, additional documentation, or manuscript revision.
  2. Issue a formal warning or provide guidance on publication ethics.
  3. Reject the submitted manuscript.
  4. Refer the case to the author's institution or other relevant authorities.
  5. Apply appropriate restrictions on future submissions in cases of serious or repeated misconduct, where justified by applicable policies.
  6. Take appropriate action concerning a published article in accordance with the journal's Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections Policy.

All actions will be based on the available evidence and implemented fairly and proportionately.

Appeals and Confidentiality

Authors or other parties directly affected by a decision may submit a written appeal to the Editor-in-Chief, providing specific reasons and relevant supporting evidence. Appeals will be reviewed impartially by an individual who was not responsible for the original decision whenever practicable.

Information concerning allegations and investigations will be treated confidentially and shared only with individuals who need it to assess or resolve the case. The journal will maintain appropriate records of allegations, evidence, correspondence, and decisions in accordance with applicable institutional policies and legal requirements.

Related Policies

This policy should be read together with Sarwahita's Author Guidelines, Publication Ethics, Plagiarism Policy, Authorship Criteria, AI Policy, Peer Review Policy, and Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections Policy.