Allegations of Research Misconduct

Jurnal Masyarakat Pariwisata (MP)

Jurnal Masyarakat Pariwisata (MP) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. The journal takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously and is committed to handling such allegations fairly, objectively, and confidentially.

This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to or published in the journal, including articles reporting community service activities, community empowerment initiatives, tourism development programs, and other relevant scholarly contributions.

1. Definition of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct refers to violations of ethical standards in the planning, implementation, reporting, or publication of scholarly work. Such misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

Fabrication: Making up data, results, participant information, or evidence and presenting them as genuine.
Falsification: Manipulating research or community service data, materials, procedures, photographs, or results in a way that misrepresents the actual activities or findings.
Plagiarism: Using another person's ideas, words, data, images, or other intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgment.
Duplicate publication: Publishing substantially similar work in more than one publication without appropriate disclosure or justification.
Authorship misconduct: Inappropriately assigning, omitting, or manipulating authorship or contributor information.
Undisclosed conflicts of interest: Failing to disclose financial, professional, personal, or institutional relationships that could influence the work or its evaluation.
Unethical conduct involving communities: Violating participant privacy, misrepresenting community involvement, using documentation without appropriate permission, or disregarding relevant ethical requirements in community service activities.
Misrepresentation of results: Exaggerating program outcomes, reporting unsupported impacts, or presenting activities as completed when they were not conducted as described.

Honest errors, methodological limitations, and differences in scholarly interpretation do not automatically constitute research misconduct. Each allegation will be assessed based on the available evidence and the circumstances of the case.

2. Submission of Allegations

Any individual who identifies suspected research misconduct in a manuscript submitted to or published in Jurnal Masyarakat Pariwisata (MP) may report the concern to the editorial team.

Reports should include, where available:

The title of the manuscript or published article.
The names of the authors involved.
A clear description of the suspected misconduct.
Supporting evidence, such as relevant publications, documents, data, photographs, or other verifiable information.
Contact information for follow-up, if the complainant is willing to provide it.

The journal encourages complainants to provide accurate information in good faith. Anonymous reports may also be considered when sufficient information is available to assess the concern.

3. Initial Assessment

Upon receiving an allegation, the editor or an appointed editorial representative will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether the concern falls within the scope of this policy and whether sufficient information is available to proceed.

The journal may request additional evidence or clarification from the complainant. Where appropriate, the editor may consult relevant editorial experts or independent specialists.

All allegations will be assessed impartially, without presuming misconduct before the available evidence has been evaluated.

4. Investigation Procedure

When an allegation warrants further investigation, the journal may take the following steps:

Review the submitted evidence and relevant manuscript or publication records.
Contact the corresponding author or other relevant authors to request an explanation and supporting documentation.
Consult reviewers, subject experts, or independent specialists where necessary.
Examine relevant data, activity reports, original documentation, permissions, or other records associated with the reported work.
Contact the authors' affiliated institutions or other appropriate authorities when the allegation requires an investigation beyond the journal's authority.

Authors will normally be given an appropriate opportunity to respond to allegations concerning their work. The scope and duration of an investigation will depend on the nature and complexity of the case.

5. Confidentiality and Protection Against Retaliation

Jurnal Masyarakat Pariwisata (MP) will handle allegations and related information confidentially to the extent reasonably possible and consistent with a fair investigation.

Information will be shared only with individuals who need it to assess or investigate the allegation, subject to applicable legal and ethical obligations.

The journal does not tolerate intimidation or retaliation against individuals who raise concerns in good faith. At the same time, knowingly submitting false allegations or deliberately misrepresenting evidence may be addressed under the journal's applicable ethical procedures.

6. Editorial Actions

Depending on the findings and severity of the misconduct, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

Request clarification, additional documentation, or corrections from the authors.
Require revisions to address inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading information.
Reject a manuscript before publication.
Suspend the editorial or publication process while the investigation is ongoing.
Publish a correction or an expression of concern when appropriate.
Retract a published article if serious misconduct is confirmed.
Notify the authors' affiliated institutions or relevant authorities when warranted.

Editorial decisions will be proportionate to the evidence and the nature of the misconduct. Where appropriate, the journal will follow recognized publication ethics guidance and applicable institutional procedures.

7. Post-Publication Investigations

Allegations concerning already published articles will be assessed with the same commitment to fairness, objectivity, and evidence-based decision-making.

If a published article is found to contain significant errors or confirmed misconduct, the journal may issue a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction, depending on the circumstances.

Any editorial notice will explain the relevant concerns and corrective action to the extent appropriate. The journal aims to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record while ensuring that concerns are addressed responsibly.

8. Responsibilities of Authors, Editors, and Reviewers

Authors are responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical reporting of their work. They must cooperate reasonably with investigations and provide relevant information when requested.

Editors are responsible for assessing allegations impartially, maintaining confidentiality, avoiding conflicts of interest, and taking appropriate action based on the available evidence.

Reviewers are expected to report credible concerns about possible misconduct to the editor and to maintain confidentiality throughout the review process.

9. Commitment to Publication Ethics

Jurnal Masyarakat Pariwisata (MP) seeks to ensure that all published articles meet appropriate standards of academic integrity and ethical responsibility. The journal will handle allegations of research misconduct in accordance with the principles of fairness, transparency, confidentiality, and accountability.

The journal's procedures may be informed by the guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), available at https://publicationethics.org/.