Research Misconducts

Research misconduct refers to fabrication, falsification, citation manipulation, or plagiarism in conducting, presenting, reviewing, or reporting research. When authors are found to have engaged in research misconduct or other significant irregularities in articles published in scientific journals, editors are obligated to maintain the accuracy and integrity of scientific records.

In cases of suspected misconduct, the editors and editorial board adhere to best practices outlined by COPE and Elsevier's guidelines on research errors, falsification, and fabrication to handle complaints and address misconduct appropriately. This includes an investigation by the editors. Any submitted manuscript containing misconduct will be rejected. If misconduct is identified in a published paper, a retraction will be issued and linked to the original article.

The process begins with evaluating the validity of the allegations and ensuring they align with the definition of research misconduct. It also involves assessing whether the complainants have conflicts of interest related to the case.

If there is a possibility of scientific misconduct or substantial research irregularities, the corresponding author will be informed on behalf of all co-authors and asked to provide a detailed response. After evaluating the response, additional reviews or expert opinions (e.g., from statistical reviewers) may be required. For cases where misconduct seems unlikely, clarifications or additional analyses, published as letters to the editor, along with correction notices, are often sufficient.

Institutions are responsible for conducting thorough and appropriate investigations of allegations of scientific misconduct. Authors, journals, and institutions share the responsibility to ensure the accuracy of scientific records. By addressing concerns about misconduct and taking appropriate actions, such as issuing corrections, retractions with replacements, or retractions, the Journal of Integrated Elementary Education upholds its commitment to maintaining the validity and integrity of scientific records.

The policies regarding allegations of research misconduct are based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and Elsevier's recommendations on research errors, falsification, and fabrication, accessible here.

Retraction
Papers published in the Journal of Integrated Elementary Education may be retracted if:

• Clear evidence shows the findings are unreliable due to misconduct (e.g., data fabrication) or honest error (e.g., miscalculations or experimental flaws).
• The findings were previously published elsewhere without appropriate cross-referencing, permission, or justification (e.g., redundant publication).
• The paper involves plagiarism.
• The research conducted was unethical.

The retraction process adheres to the Retraction Guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), accessible here.