Modern Studies in Management & Organization (JMSMO) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research and publication integrity.
The journal takes allegations of research or publication misconduct seriously and investigates credible concerns in a fair, confidential, transparent, and proportionate manner, in accordance with relevant Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance and flowcharts.
This policy applies to concerns raised before or after publication and operates alongside the journal's other policies, including the Authorship Policy, Conflict of Interest Policy, Research Ethics Policy, and Corrections and Retractions Policy.
Research or publication misconduct includes, but is not limited to:
Concerns regarding possible research or publication misconduct may be raised by authors, reviewers, editors, readers, institutions, or other individuals with relevant information.
Allegations should, where possible, include sufficient information or evidence to allow the journal to assess the concern.
The journal may consider anonymous allegations when they contain sufficiently credible and verifiable information.
Individuals who raise concerns in good faith will not be subject to retaliation by the journal. However, knowingly false, malicious, or intentionally misleading allegations may themselves constitute inappropriate conduct.
When an allegation is received, the Editor-in-Chief or an appropriately designated editor will conduct a preliminary assessment to determine whether the concern is sufficiently credible and relevant to warrant further investigation.
The preliminary assessment may include:
The journal will distinguish between legitimate scholarly disagreement, honest error, and suspected misconduct.
A finding of textual similarity alone does not automatically constitute plagiarism. Similarity will be assessed in context, taking into account the nature, extent, location, attribution, and purpose of the overlapping material.
JMSMO may use appropriate plagiarism or similarity-detection tools during the editorial process.
Similarity reports are considered screening tools rather than automatic evidence of plagiarism. Editors will assess the nature and context of any substantial overlap before making a decision.
Depending on the circumstances, the journal may request clarification or correction, reject the manuscript, or initiate a formal investigation.
Where data fabrication or falsification is suspected, the journal may request relevant supporting material, such as:
The type and extent of documentation requested will depend on the nature of the research.
Where inappropriate manipulation of an image, figure, or graph is suspected, the journal may request the original or unprocessed files and other supporting documentation where reasonably available.
The assessment will consider whether the manipulation is consistent with accepted research practices and whether it materially misrepresents the underlying research.
Where duplicate or redundant publication is suspected, the journal may compare the manuscripts or publications involved and request an explanation from the authors.
The journal will assess the degree of overlap, the timing of publication or submission, the disclosure provided by the authors, and the potential effect on the scholarly record.
If the preliminary assessment identifies a credible concern requiring further investigation, the corresponding author will normally be notified of the allegation and given a reasonable opportunity to respond.
The journal may request supporting documents, explanations, or additional information. The response period will normally be 15 business days, unless the circumstances require a different timeframe.
Authors are expected to cooperate fully and provide accurate information.
Failure to respond does not automatically establish misconduct; however, continued non-cooperation may be taken into account when determining appropriate editorial action.
In cases involving serious or potentially serious research misconduct, JMSMO may refer the matter to the relevant institution, university, research integrity office, funding body, or other appropriate authority for investigation.
Examples may include suspected:
The journal may request that the relevant institution inform it of the outcome, where appropriate and permitted.
JMSMO may seek guidance from COPE when appropriate. COPE provides publication-ethics guidance and does not normally conduct the institution's investigation on behalf of the journal.
Allegations may be raised after publication.
When a credible post-publication concern is received, the journal will assess the available evidence and determine whether correction, further investigation, an Expression of Concern, or retraction may be appropriate.
The fact that an article has already been published does not prevent JMSMO from investigating a credible allegation.
The journal's primary objective is to protect the integrity and accuracy of the scholarly record.
Depending on the nature, seriousness, evidence, and stage of the case, JMSMO may take one or more of the following actions:
| Circumstance | Possible Action |
|---|---|
| Minor issue that can be corrected without compromising the integrity of the work | Correction or author clarification |
| Misconduct established before publication | Rejection |
| Honest or unintentional error that does not invalidate the work | Corrigendum or other appropriate correction |
| Credible concern remains unresolved or under investigation | Expression of Concern |
| Serious misconduct that fundamentally compromises the reliability or integrity of the published work | Retraction |
| Other serious ethical or publication violations | Appropriate action in accordance with COPE guidance |
The action taken will be proportionate to the circumstances and will not be determined solely by the presence of an allegation.
All allegations and investigations will be handled as confidentially as reasonably possible.
Information will be shared only with individuals who need it for the assessment or investigation, except where disclosure is necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record or is required by applicable policies or regulations.
The journal will provide authors with a fair opportunity to respond to substantive allegations before making a final editorial determination, where appropriate.
JMSMO may cooperate with universities, research institutions, research integrity offices, funding organizations, publishers, editors, and other relevant bodies when necessary to investigate or resolve credible allegations.
Such cooperation will be conducted with due regard for confidentiality, fairness, applicable laws, and the integrity of the scholarly record.
Where misconduct is established after publication, JMSMO will take appropriate steps to correct the published record.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include a correction, corrigendum, Expression of Concern, retraction, or other appropriate editorial notice.
Any post-publication notice will clearly identify the affected article and explain the nature of the action taken.
Authors are responsible for:
JMSMO is committed to following internationally recognized publication-ethics principles and relevant Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance and flowcharts.
This policy should be read together with the journal's Authorship Policy, Conflict of Interest Policy, Research Ethics Policy, Corrections Policy, Retraction Policy, and Author Guidelines.