Allegations of Miscounduct

Isoquant: Journal of Economics, Management, and Accounting is fully committed to maintaining the integrity of the scientific record and ensuring the highest standards of publication ethics. This policy outlines our procedures for handling allegations of research and publication misconduct. We adhere to the Core Practices and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in handling all such allegations. Our goal is to ensure a fair, thorough, and transparent process for all parties involved, while maintaining confidence in the research we publish.

2. Description
Research and publication misconduct compromises the integrity of the research and the scientific record. Isoquant: Journal of Economics, Management, and Accounting defines misconduct according to established ethical guidelines. This includes, but is not limited to:

Falsification: Making up data or results and recording or reporting them.
Embezzlement: Manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or altering or omitting data or results so that the research is not accurately represented in the research record.

Plagiarism: Taking the ideas, processes, results, or words of another person without giving appropriate credit. This includes self-plagiarism or redundant publication.
Authorship Issues: Inappropriate attribution of authorship, such as gift, ghost, or guest authorship, or denying authorship to individuals who meet the criteria for authorship.
Citation Manipulation: Practices intended to increase the number of citations or otherwise misrepresent the importance or context of cited work.
Undeclared Conflicts of Interest: Failure of authors, reviewers, or editors to disclose financial or other interests that might inappropriately influence their actions.
Research Ethics Violations: Violation of established ethical standards for research involving human or animal subjects, or failure to obtain necessary ethics approval.
Peer Review Manipulation: Undermining the peer review process, for example, by suggesting fraudulent reviewers or attempting to inappropriately influence reviewers or editorial decisions.

Allegations of misconduct can arise at any stage of the publication process (pre-publication or post-publication) or relate to the conduct of the research itself. Isoquant will investigate such allegations regardless of the source, which may include authors, reviewers, editors, readers, or reporters.

3. Policy
Commitment to Investigate: Isoquant will take all allegations of potential misconduct seriously and will investigate them thoroughly and impartially, following COPE guidelines.
Confidentiality: We will strive to maintain confidentiality for all parties involved in an allegation to the extent possible. The identity of the complainant will be protected, and information will only be disclosed to those who need to be involved in the investigation or as required by legal or institutional process.
Fairness and Objectivity: Isoquant is committed to ensuring a fair, objective, and impartial investigation process for all parties. Alleged individuals will be presumed innocent until proven guilty and will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to any allegations.

Timeliness: While ensuring thoroughness, Isoquant will strive to conduct investigations in a timely manner. All parties will be kept informed of progress and estimated timelines, where appropriate.
Cooperation: We expect full cooperation from all parties involved in the investigation, including authors, reviewers, and institutional representatives, where applicable.
Handling of Whistleblowers: Isoquant has a clear policy for handling allegations from whistleblowers, ensuring they are treated fairly and protected from retaliation to the extent possible within the journal's scope.
Scope: This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to or published in JOSI, and to all individuals involved in the publication process.

4. Technical Matters for Achieving and Implementing the Policy
Reporting Allegations:
Allegations of misconduct should be reported directly to the Editor-in-Chief of Isoquant. Contact details are available on the journal's website.

Allegations should be made in writing and provide as much detail and evidence as possible to support the claim (e.g., manuscript ID, details of the alleged misconduct, relevant documents or data). Anonymous allegations may be considered if accompanied by sufficient and verifiable evidence.

Initial Assessment:
Upon receipt of an allegation, the Editor-in-Chief (or a designated ethics committee/officer, if established) will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether the allegation is credible, sufficiently specific, and falls within the scope of this policy.

If the allegations are deemed not credible or beyond the scope of the case, the allegation may be dismissed at this stage, with communication to the complainant, if possible.

Investigation Process:
If the initial assessment indicates a credible allegation of misconduct, a formal investigation will be initiated.
The Editor-in-Chief will investigate, potentially forming a small committee consisting of members of the editorial board or seeking external expert advice if necessary.
Notification to the Accused: The accused individual will be notified of the allegation (without disclosing the complainant's identity if requested and appropriate) and provided with supporting evidence. They will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to the allegation in writing.
Evidence Collection: The investigation will involve a careful examination of all relevant evidence, which may include the manuscript or article in question, raw data, statistical analyses, peer-review reports, correspondence between the authors and the journal, and other relevant documentation.
Consultation: For complex cases, Isoquant may consult with COPE for advice or seek legal advice.
Institutional Involvement: If the alleged misconduct relates to the research process or involves a serious ethical violation, Isoquant may notify and coordinate with the accused author's relevant institution or other relevant bodies (e.g., funding agencies), requesting them to conduct an investigation in accordance with their internal procedures. Isoquant will typically await the results of the institutional investigation before making a final decision, but may take interim action (e.g., issuing a Statement of Concern) if deemed necessary.
Outcomes and Actions: Based on the investigation findings, Isoquant will determine the appropriate course of action in accordance with COPE guidelines. Possible outcomes include:

No Violation: If the investigation concludes that the allegations are unfounded, all relevant parties will be notified, and the matter will be closed. Isoquant may consider issuing a statement if public allegations are filed.
Minor Misconduct: If minor misconduct or misconduct is found (e.g., minor plagiarism, undeclared conflicts of interest without a significant impact on the findings), possible actions may include:
Issuing a formal warning or explanatory letter to the author.
Requesting the author to correct the manuscript or published article (e.g., by issuing an erratum or corrigendum).

Serious Misconduct: If serious misconduct is confirmed (e.g., fabrication, forgery, substantial plagiarism, or other violations that compromise the validity or integrity of the work), actions that may be taken include:
Rejection of the submitted manuscript.

Retraction of the published article: A formal retraction notice will be issued, clearly stating the reason for the retraction and linking to the original article. The retraction will be clearly identifiable in indexing services.
Statement of Concern: If the investigation is inconclusive but substantial doubts remain about the integrity or reliability of the published work, Isoquant may issue a Statement of Concern.
Notification to Institution/Agency: Notify the authors' institutions, employers, funding bodies, or relevant professional organizations of the findings so they can take appropriate action.
Embargo on Future Submissions: Isoquant reserves the right to impose an embargo on future submissions from authors found to have committed serious misconduct for a specified period.

Appeals: Authors or others who wish to appeal a decision made by Isoquant regarding an alleged ethical violation must submit a formal appeal in writing to the Editor-in-Chief, outlining the reasons for the appeal and providing any new evidence. The appeal will be considered by the Editor-in-Chief and potentially by the editorial board or an independent advisor.

Recordkeeping and Communication:

Isoquant will maintain confidential records of all allegations, investigations, and their outcomes.

The journal will communicate the results of investigations and any actions taken to the relevant parties (complainants, accused persons, and institutions, as appropriate). Public statements (e.g., retractions, corrections) will be made in the journal for published articles.
Preventive Measures: Isoquant is committed to preventing ethical violations by:

Providing clear ethical guidelines for authors and reviewers.

Implementing a robust peer review process.

Using tools such as plagiarism detection software.
Educating editors, reviewers, and authors about publication ethics.

This policy will be reviewed periodically and updated as needed to reflect current best practices in publication ethics.

COPE Resources
Publication Retraction Guidelines — COPE
Expression of Concerns —COPE
Responding to concerns raised directly — COPE
Responding to concerns raised via social media — COPE
Responding to anonymous concerns (discussion documents) — COPE
Addressing concerns about the integrity of published research — COPE
False data in submitted manuscripts — COPE
False data in published articles — COPE
Plagiarism in submitted manuscripts — COPE
Plagiarism in published articles — COPE
Inappropriate image manipulation in published articles — COPE
Addressing concerns about systematic manipulation of the publication process — COPE