The International Journal of Sustainable Competitiveness in Tourism (IJSCOT) is committed to maintaining research integrity, academic honesty, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing. The journal takes allegations of research misconduct seriously and seeks to ensure that all concerns are handled fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with recognized publication ethics standards.

1. Scope of Research Misconduct

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

• Fabrication: Making up data, research findings, or results and presenting them as genuine.

• Falsification: Manipulating research materials, data, procedures, or results in a way that misrepresents the research record.

• Plagiarism: Using another person's ideas, words, data, or work without appropriate acknowledgment.

• Duplicate or redundant publication: Publishing substantially overlapping work without appropriate disclosure or justification.

• Authorship misconduct: Improperly assigning, omitting, or manipulating authorship.

• Citation manipulation: Inappropriately manipulating citations or references to distort scholarly recognition.

• Undisclosed conflicts of interest: Failing to disclose relevant interests that could influence research or publication.

• Research ethics violations: Failing to obtain required ethical approval, informed consent, or appropriate safeguards for research involving human participants, personal information, or sensitive data.

• Image, data, or AI-related misconduct: Manipulating research images, misrepresenting AI-generated content, fabricating references, or using AI tools to produce misleading research evidence.

• Publication process manipulation: Manipulating peer review, falsifying reviewer identities, or attempting to improperly influence editorial decisions.

Honest errors, reasonable differences in scholarly interpretation, and legitimate academic disagreements do not automatically constitute research misconduct. Each allegation will be evaluated according to the available evidence and the circumstances of the case.

2. Reporting Allegations

Authors, reviewers, readers, researchers, institutions, and other concerned parties may report suspected research or publication misconduct involving manuscripts submitted to or articles published in IJSCOT.

Reports should include, where available:

• The title and bibliographic details of the manuscript or published article.

• A clear description of the suspected misconduct.

• Supporting evidence, such as relevant publications, documents, data, or other verifiable information.

• Contact information for follow-up, where the complainant is willing to provide it.

Allegations should be submitted to the IJSCOT editorial office through the official contact channels provided on the journal website.

The journal encourages reports made in good faith and does not tolerate knowingly false or malicious allegations.

3. Initial Assessment

Upon receiving an allegation, the editorial team will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether the concern falls within the scope of research or publication misconduct and whether sufficient information is available for further examination.

The editorial team may request additional information from the complainant or other relevant parties. The journal may also review the manuscript, published article, similarity reports, research documentation, or other relevant evidence.

If the allegation is outside the journal's remit or lacks sufficient information to proceed, the journal may seek clarification or explain why further action cannot be taken.

4. Investigation Procedure

When an allegation warrants further examination, IJSCOT will seek to conduct a fair, impartial, and evidence-based assessment.

The process may include:

1. Reviewing the allegation and supporting evidence.

2. Requesting a response from the author or authors concerned.

3. Examining relevant manuscript files, research data, ethical approvals, or publication records, where appropriate.

4. Consulting independent experts or the relevant research institution when necessary.

5. Assessing the available evidence and determining appropriate editorial action.

Authors will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to relevant concerns, subject to the confidentiality and integrity of the investigation.

Where the investigation requires access to underlying research records or institutional procedures beyond the journal's authority, IJSCOT may refer the matter to the author's institution or another appropriate body.

5. Confidentiality and Fair Treatment

IJSCOT will handle allegations with appropriate confidentiality and restrict access to information to individuals who need it for assessment or investigation.

The journal seeks to protect the rights and reputations of all parties involved. An allegation will not be treated as proven misconduct before the available evidence has been appropriately assessed.

Information may be shared with relevant institutions, independent experts, publishers, or other appropriate bodies when necessary to investigate the concern or protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

6. Possible Editorial Actions

Depending on the nature and seriousness of the concern and the findings of the assessment, IJSCOT may take one or more of the following actions:

• Request clarification or additional supporting documentation.

• Request corrections or revisions where appropriate.

• Reject a manuscript when substantial concerns remain unresolved.

• Suspend editorial processing while an investigation is underway.

• Publish a correction or clarification for a published article.

• Publish an expression of concern when significant questions remain unresolved and readers need to be informed.

• Retract a published article when justified by the evidence and applicable publication ethics standards.

• Notify or consult the relevant institution or other appropriate authority.

Editorial actions will be proportionate to the findings and consistent with the journal's publication ethics policies.

7. Appeals and Requests for Reconsideration

Authors or other affected parties may submit a reasoned request for reconsideration of an editorial decision related to an allegation of research misconduct.

The request should explain the grounds for reconsideration and provide relevant supporting evidence. The editorial team may seek independent advice where appropriate.

The submission of an appeal does not automatically suspend an editorial action or guarantee a change in the decision.

8. Protection of the Scholarly Record

IJSCOT is committed to maintaining the accuracy, reliability, and transparency of the scholarly record.

When credible concerns arise regarding a published article, the journal will consider appropriate measures to inform readers and correct the record where necessary.

Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions will be handled in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies and recognized scholarly publishing standards. Relevant notices should be linked to the original article whenever technically feasible.

9. Ethical Standards

IJSCOT's handling of allegations of research misconduct is guided by the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including fairness, confidentiality, impartial assessment, and appropriate correction of the scholarly record.

All authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to cooperate with legitimate investigations and provide accurate information relevant to the concerns raised.

10. Policy Review

The editorial team is responsible for reviewing this policy periodically to ensure that it remains consistent with developments in research integrity and scholarly publishing ethics.

International Journal of Sustainable Competitiveness in Tourism (IJSCOT)
Published by Politeknik Pariwisata NHI Bandung

Website: https://journal.poltekpar-nhi.ac.id/index.php/ijscot/index