Allegation of Research Misconduct

1. Policy Statement

JMEC takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously. The journal is committed to handling concerns fairly, confidentially, objectively, and in a timely manner, while respecting the rights of all parties involved.

Allegations may concern manuscripts under consideration, published articles, research data, authorship, peer review, or other activities associated with scholarly publication. All cases will be assessed in accordance with the principles of publication ethics and relevant institutional procedures.

2. Forms of Research Misconduct

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

• Fabrication and Falsification; nventing research data or results, manipulating research materials or processes, or altering, omitting, or selectively presenting data in ways that misrepresent the research.
• Plagiarism; Using another person's ideas, text, data, images, or other intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgment or attribution.
• Authorship Misconduct; Inappropriate attribution of authorship, including guest, gift, or ghost authorship, as well as unauthorized changes to authorship or the author order.
• Manipulation of the Publication Process; Manipulating peer review, submitting fabricated reviewer identities, engaging in citation manipulation, or attempting to improperly influence editorial decisions.
• Duplicate or Redundant Publication; Publishing substantially overlapping work without appropriate disclosure, or submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals contrary to applicable publication policies.
• Ethical and Disclosure Violations; Failing to obtain required ethical approval or informed consent, concealing relevant conflicts of interest, or misrepresenting permissions, sources, or research contributions.

  Honest errors, differences in scholarly interpretation, and good-faith disagreements do not automatically constitute research misconduct. Each allegation must be assessed on its own evidence and circumstances.

3. Reporting Allegations

Any individual who has credible concerns about possible research misconduct involving a manuscript submitted to or an article published in JMEC may report the matter to the editorial office.

Information to Include in a Report

• The title, DOI, or other identifying information of the manuscript or published article, if available.
• A clear description of the suspected misconduct.
• Relevant supporting evidence, such as documents, data, publication links, or correspondence.
• Contact information for follow-up, where the reporter is willing to provide it.

Reports should be made in good faith and provide sufficient information for an initial assessment. Anonymous reports may also be considered when adequate evidence is available.

4. Initial Assessment and Investigation

Upon receiving an allegation, the editorial team will assess whether the concern falls within the journal's remit and whether the information provided warrants further inquiry.

1. Receipt and Acknowledgment; The editorial office records the allegation and acknowledges receipt where the reporter's contact details are available.
2. Preliminary Assessment; The editor evaluates the nature of the allegation, available evidence, relevance to publication ethics, and whether additional information is needed.
3. Request for Explanation; Where appropriate, the author or other relevant party is given a reasonable opportunity to respond to the concerns. The journal will avoid presuming misconduct before the evidence has been assessed.
4. Further Inquiry or Referral; If the concern cannot be resolved through editorial review, JMEC may seek independent expert advice or refer the matter to the relevant author's institution or other appropriate body for formal investigation.
5. Decision and Follow-up; The journal determines appropriate editorial action based on the available evidence, the response received, and the outcome of any relevant investigation

5. Confidentiality and Fair Treatment

JMEC will handle allegations with appropriate confidentiality and disclose information only to individuals or institutions who need it to assess or investigate the matter, subject to applicable legal, ethical, and procedural requirements.

The journal will seek to protect complainants acting in good faith from inappropriate retaliation and will treat the person or parties accused of misconduct fairly. Allegations will not be treated as established findings until supported by an appropriate assessment or investigation.

Deliberately false or malicious allegations may be addressed where there is credible evidence of bad-faith conduct. An allegation that cannot be substantiated, however, is not by itself evidence that the report was malicious.

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6. Editorial Actions and Corrective Measures

Depending on the seriousness of the case, the strength of the evidence, and the stage of publication, JMEC may take one or more of the following actions:

• Request clarification, supporting data, corrections, or additional documentation.
• Pause editorial processing while a material concern is assessed.
• Reject a manuscript when serious ethical or integrity concerns are established.
• Publish a correction or an expression of concern when justified by the evidence.
• Retract a published article when the applicable criteria for retraction are met.
• Notify the relevant institution, publisher, or other appropriate body when necessary and justified.
• Apply additional editorial restrictions where permitted by the journal's policies and supported by the circumstances.

Apply additional editorial restrictions where permitted by the journal's policies and supported by the circumstances.
Any public notice or correction will be proportionate to the findings and consistent with applicable publication ethics guidance. The journal will not issue a public accusation solely on the basis of an unverified allegation

7. Institutional Cooperation

Where a formal investigation is necessary, JMEC may contact the relevant research institution, employer, funding body, or other competent authority. Institutions are generally better positioned to investigate research conduct, access original research records, and determine institutional responsibility.

The journal retains responsibility for editorial decisions concerning manuscripts and published articles within its publication process. Editorial action may be taken when warranted by reliable evidence, even when an institutional investigation is ongoing or unavailable.

8. Appeals and Reconsideration

A party directly affected by an editorial decision related to an allegation may submit a reasoned request for reconsideration, accompanied by relevant supporting information. The request should be addressed to the editor-in-chief or an appropriate editorial representative who was not materially involved in the original decision, where feasible.

Reconsideration will focus on relevant new evidence, procedural concerns, or a material misunderstanding of the facts. It does not guarantee reversal of the original decision.

9. Contact the Editorial Office

Allegations or concerns about research integrity should be submitted to the JMEC editorial office through the journal's official contact details listed on its website.

Please provide sufficient information to allow the editorial team to identify the relevant manuscript or article and understand the concern. Confidential information should be shared only when necessary for the assessment.