Allegation of Research Misconduct

1. Introduction

JUBIDA – Jurnal Kebidanan is committed to maintaining the integrity, transparency, and credibility of scholarly research and publication. The journal takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously and is committed to handling them fairly, confidentially, and promptly in accordance with established publication ethics principles.

Research misconduct includes actions that violate accepted standards of research integrity, including fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, unethical research practices, and other forms of serious misconduct in the conduct or reporting of research.

2. Types of Research Misconduct

Allegations of research misconduct may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Fabrication: Making up research data, results, participants, or experimental procedures and reporting them as genuine.
Falsification: Manipulating research materials, methods, data, images, or results so that the research is inaccurately represented.
Plagiarism: Using another person's ideas, words, data, or work without appropriate acknowledgment.
Unethical Research Practices: Conducting research involving human participants without required ethical approval or informed consent, where applicable, or failing to protect participant confidentiality and rights.
Data Manipulation or Misrepresentation: Selectively altering, omitting, or misrepresenting research data or findings in a manner that compromises the integrity of the research.
Duplicate or Redundant Publication: Publishing substantially overlapping research without appropriate disclosure or justification.
Authorship Misconduct: Inappropriately assigning, excluding, or changing authorship, including gift authorship and ghost authorship.
Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest: Failing to disclose financial, professional, or personal relationships that could improperly influence the research or its interpretation.
Image or Document Manipulation: Inappropriately altering clinical images, figures, tables, research records, or supporting documents in ways that misrepresent the original evidence.

Honest errors or differences in scientific interpretation do not necessarily constitute research misconduct. Each allegation will be assessed based on the available evidence and the circumstances of the case.

3. Submission of Allegations

Any individual who suspects research misconduct involving a manuscript submitted to or published in JUBIDA – Jurnal Kebidanan may report the concern to the editorial team.

Reports should include, where possible:

The title of the manuscript or published article.
The names of the authors involved.
A clear description of the alleged misconduct.
Supporting evidence, documents, references, or other relevant information.
Contact information for the person submitting the allegation, if they wish to provide it.

Allegations should be submitted through the journal's official editorial contact or the contact information provided on the journal website. The journal will assess concerns even when the available information is incomplete, provided there is sufficient basis for further consideration.

4. Initial Assessment and Investigation

Upon receiving an allegation, the Editor-in-Chief or an authorized editorial representative will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether the concern falls within the scope of research or publication misconduct.

The assessment may include:

Reviewing the allegation and available supporting evidence.
Examining the manuscript, published article, research data, ethics statements, and relevant documentation.
Requesting clarification or a response from the corresponding author or other relevant authors.
Consulting independent experts or appropriate institutional representatives when necessary.
Referring the matter to the author's affiliated institution or relevant ethics committee when the allegation requires formal investigation beyond the journal's authority.

The journal will not presume that an allegation is true before the available evidence has been assessed. Authors will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to concerns relevant to them.

5. Confidentiality and Protection Against Retaliation

All allegations will be handled as confidentially as reasonably possible, consistent with the need to conduct a fair assessment and comply with applicable legal or institutional requirements.

The identity of the person reporting a concern will not be disclosed unnecessarily. The journal does not tolerate threats, intimidation, or retaliation against individuals who raise research integrity concerns in good faith.

Information related to an allegation will be shared only with individuals or institutions that need it to assess or investigate the matter.

6. Actions and Outcomes

Depending on the nature, seriousness, and findings of the assessment, JUBIDA – Jurnal Kebidanan may take one or more of the following actions:

Close the case if the allegation is unsupported by the available evidence.
Request corrections, clarification, additional documentation, or revisions from the authors.
Suspend editorial processing while further clarification or investigation is undertaken.
Reject the manuscript if serious research or publication misconduct is established or the manuscript fails to meet the journal's ethical requirements.
Refer the matter to the author's institution, research ethics committee, or other appropriate body for further investigation.
Publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction when warranted for an article that has already been published.
Restrict future submissions or take other appropriate editorial measures when justified by the findings and consistent with the journal's policies.

Any action will be proportionate to the evidence and the seriousness of the concern. The journal will distinguish between confirmed misconduct, unresolved concerns, and honest errors.

7. Research Involving Human Participants

Because JUBIDA – Jurnal Kebidanan publishes research related to midwifery and healthcare, particular attention will be given to allegations involving pregnant women, mothers, infants, patients, and other potentially vulnerable populations.

Authors must comply with applicable research ethics requirements, including ethics committee approval where required, informed consent, confidentiality, privacy protection, and the responsible handling of clinical or personal data.

Where concerns arise regarding ethical approval, consent, patient confidentiality, or the treatment of research participants, the journal may request relevant documentation and consult the appropriate ethics committee or institution.

8. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research is conducted and reported honestly and transparently. They must retain appropriate research records, provide accurate information during editorial assessment, cooperate with reasonable requests for clarification, and promptly notify the journal if significant errors or ethical concerns are identified in their published work.

Providing false explanations, withholding relevant evidence, or attempting to obstruct a legitimate investigation may be considered additional concerns regarding research integrity.

9. Editorial Independence and Fairness

The editorial team will assess allegations objectively and without discrimination. Editors or reviewers who have a conflict of interest in a case must disclose the conflict and, where appropriate, withdraw from handling the matter.

The journal will make decisions based on the available evidence, applicable ethical standards, and relevant publication ethics guidance. Where formal investigation is necessary, the journal may rely on the author's institution or an authorized research ethics body, as the journal may not have the authority or resources to independently establish all facts.

10. Policy Review

JUBIDA – Jurnal Kebidanan may review and update this policy to maintain alignment with recognized research integrity standards and publication ethics guidance, including recommendations from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

By submitting a manuscript to JUBIDA – Jurnal Kebidanan, authors acknowledge their responsibility to comply with the journal's research integrity and publication ethics requirements.