research misconduct

1. General Policy

Abdimas Unwahas, is committed to maintaining the integrity, credibility, and transparency of community service publications. The journal takes all allegations of misconduct seriously, both before and after publication. It addresses them in line with the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

2. Types of Misconduct

Misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • data fabrication, including reporting community service activities that never took place;
  • data falsification, including manipulating participant numbers, pre-test and post-test scores, or technology performance results;
  • duplicate publication;
  • inappropriate authorship;
  • citation manipulation;
  • peer review manipulation;
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest;
  • unethical use of artificial intelligence.

In the community service context, misconduct also includes:

  • publishing the names, photographs, or data of partners and participants without consent;
  • failing to protect the identity of vulnerable participants, such as children, patients, or marginalized groups;
  • claiming the results or contributions of partners without proper acknowledgment.

Any deliberate misrepresentation of methods, findings, program impact, or scholarly contributions constitutes a potential violation of publication ethics.

3. Reporting Misconduct

Authors, reviewers, editors, readers, program partners, and other concerned parties may report suspected misconduct to the editorial office at [journal email]. Reports should include a clear description of the alleged violation and relevant supporting evidence. All allegations are handled confidentially and impartially. Individuals who raise concerns in good faith will not face retaliation.

4. Investigation Procedures

Upon receiving an allegation, the Editor-in-Chief or a designated editor conducts a preliminary assessment of the available evidence. Authors or other individuals involved are given an opportunity to provide explanations and supporting documentation, such as attendance lists, activity records, assignment letters, or raw evaluation data. When necessary, the journal may consult independent experts and contact the authors’ institutions, research and community service offices (LPPM), or program partners for verification, following applicable COPE procedures.

5. Editorial Actions and Sanctions

When misconduct is substantiated, the journal may take the following actions:

  • manuscript rejection;
  • suspension of editorial processing;
  • publication of corrections;
  • expressions of concern;
  • article retraction;
  • a submission ban for a specified period;
  • notification of the authors’ institution.

The action taken depends on the nature and severity of the violation, the reliability of the reported findings, and the available evidence.

6. Confidentiality and Fairness

All allegations and investigations are handled with confidentiality, fairness, and objectivity. The journal avoids premature judgments and protects the rights of everyone involved, including program partners and participants. Editorial decisions are based on documented evidence rather than unsupported accusations.

7. Post-Publication Misconduct

Allegations concerning published articles are evaluated in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics and its correction and retraction procedures. When credible evidence indicates that published findings are unreliable or ethically compromised, the journal may issue a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

8. Commitment to Integrity

Abdimas Unwahas encourages responsible community service and ethical scholarly communication. Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity, respect the rights and dignity of partners and target communities, and cooperate with legitimate investigations into suspected misconduct.