Allegation of Misconduct

Chalim Journal of Teaching and Learning is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity, publication ethics, and scholarly accountability. The journal takes all allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously and follows the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in addressing suspected ethical violations.

1. Definition and Scope of Misconduct

Research and publication misconduct may include fabrication or falsification of data, plagiarism, citation manipulation, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, undisclosed conflicts of interest, unethical research practices, peer-review manipulation, and other serious violations of academic integrity.

These concerns may arise during manuscript submission, peer review, editorial assessment, or after publication. An honest error or a legitimate scholarly disagreement does not automatically constitute misconduct.

2. Reporting Allegations

Allegations of suspected misconduct may be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief or Editorial Office. Reports should identify the manuscript or published article concerned and provide a clear explanation supported by relevant evidence, where available.

The journal will handle allegations with appropriate confidentiality and will take reasonable measures to avoid unnecessary disclosure of the identities of complainants and individuals involved.

3. Preliminary Assessment

Upon receiving an allegation, the Editors will assess whether the concern is credible, sufficiently specific, and relevant to research or publication ethics. The assessment will also consider potential conflicts of interest and whether further investigation is warranted.

Allegations that are unsupported or clearly outside the journal's responsibility may be closed after appropriate editorial consideration.

4. Investigation and Author Response

When an allegation requires further examination, the corresponding author will normally be contacted and invited to provide a detailed explanation and relevant supporting documentation on behalf of the authors.

The Editors may consult independent reviewers, subject specialists, research integrity experts, or relevant institutions where appropriate. All parties will be given a fair opportunity to respond before an editorial decision is reached.

Where the allegation concerns an Editor or reviewer, the matter will be handled by an uninvolved member of the editorial team or another appropriate independent party.

5. Editorial Actions and Decisions

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

• Request clarification, additional data, documentation, or manuscript revisions.
• Reject a submitted manuscript when serious misconduct is substantiated.
• Publish a correction when a significant error can be addressed without invalidating the article's overall findings.
• Issue an expression of concern when serious questions remain unresolved and readers need to be informed.
• Retract a published article when its findings are unreliable or when serious ethical or publication violations justify retraction.
• Refer the matter to the authors' institutions or other responsible bodies when a formal investigation is necessary.

Editorial actions will be proportionate to the evidence and guided by applicable COPE recommendations.

6. Institutional Responsibility

Research institutions are primarily responsible for conducting formal investigations into alleged research misconduct involving their researchers. Irsyaduna may cooperate with relevant institutions and request the outcomes of investigations where necessary to inform publication decisions.

The journal does not claim the authority to impose institutional or legal sanctions.

7. Post-Publication Corrections and Retractions

When misconduct or significant errors are identified after publication, the journal will take appropriate action to maintain the accuracy and transparency of the scholarly record. Corrections, expressions of concern, and retraction notices will clearly identify the affected article and explain the reason for the editorial action.

Whenever technically possible, notices will be linked to the original publication, and relevant article metadata will be updated. Retracted articles will normally remain accessible with clear retraction identification to preserve the historical publication record.

8. Fairness, Confidentiality, and Appeals

All allegations will be considered impartially and without discrimination. The journal will seek to protect the confidentiality of the investigation while recognizing that disclosure may be necessary to obtain evidence, consult institutions, or protect the scholarly record.

Authors and other affected parties may submit a reasoned appeal supported by relevant evidence. Appeals will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or an appropriate independent editor who was not involved in the original decision, where practicable.