Allegation of Research Misconduct

1. General Policy

IJST is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. All allegations of research misconduct will be handled fairly, confidentially, objectively, and in accordance with the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

2. Types of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • Plagiarism and self-plagiarism.

  • Data fabrication and falsification.

  • Duplicate or redundant publication.

  • Authorship manipulation or misrepresentation.

  • Citation and peer-review manipulation.

  • Unethical research practices.

  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest.

  • Misuse of artificial intelligence to fabricate or misrepresent scientific content.

3. Reporting Research Misconduct

Authors, reviewers, readers, and other concerned parties may report suspected research misconduct to the IJST editorial office.

Reports should include a clear description of the allegation and relevant supporting evidence. All reports will be treated confidentially to the extent reasonably possible.

4. Investigation and Editorial Procedures

The editorial board will conduct an initial assessment of reported allegations.

When necessary, the journal may request explanations, supporting documentation, or clarification from the parties involved.

Serious allegations may be referred to the authors' affiliated institutions or other appropriate authorities for further investigation.

All parties will be given a fair opportunity to respond before editorial decisions are made.

5. Editorial Actions and Sanctions

Depending on the findings and severity of the misconduct, IJST may take appropriate actions, including:

  • Requesting clarification or manuscript correction.

  • Suspending the editorial or publication process.

  • Rejecting the manuscript.

  • Publishing a correction or expression of concern.

  • Retracting a published article.

  • Notifying relevant institutions when appropriate.

Editorial actions will be proportionate to the evidence and consistent with applicable publication ethics guidance.

6. Confidentiality and Appeals

IJST will protect the confidentiality of individuals involved in misconduct investigations as far as reasonably possible.

Authors may submit an appeal against an editorial decision by providing a written explanation and supporting evidence.

Appeals will be evaluated objectively, and the final decision will be made by the authorized editorial leadership.