Allegations of Research and Publication Misconduct Policy

Jurnal Desain assesses credible allegations of research and publication misconduct in a fair, proportionate, evidence-based, and confidential manner. An allegation does not by itself establish misconduct. The journal refers to relevant Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance and applicable institutional and legal requirements.

1. Types of Concerns

Concerns may involve plagiarism, fabricated or falsified data, misleading image or data manipulation, redundant publication, unethical research, questionable authorship, undisclosed material competing interests, peer-review manipulation, citation manipulation, inaccurate ethical approval or consent statements, misuse of AI, or other conduct that materially undermines research integrity.

2. Submitting an Allegation

Readers, researchers, authors, peer reviewers, institutions, or other parties may submit concerns to the Editorial Office through the journal's official Contact Information. Submissions should identify the manuscript or published article (including DOI when available), the specific concern, and supporting information or evidence.

Anonymous reports may be considered if they contain sufficiently specific and verifiable information. Unsupported accusations or personal attacks are not treated as evidence of misconduct.

3. Initial Screening and Fair Process

The Editor-in-Chief or an uninvolved designated Editor assesses whether the concern falls within the journal's remit and whether it requires clarification, verification, or investigation. Relevant parties should be afforded a reasonable opportunity to respond. Conflicted editorial personnel must not assess or decide the matter.

4. Evidence and Institutional Involvement

The journal may request relevant data, original image files, authorship documentation, ethics approval or consent evidence, review records, and other materials appropriate to the concern. Where the matter requires fact-finding beyond the journal's remit, the journal may refer it to an appropriate institution, ethics committee, research-integrity office, or other competent authority.

5. Interim and Final Editorial Actions

Where concerns materially affect a submitted manuscript, processing may be suspended while relevant evidence is assessed. Outcomes may include clarification, additional review, requested correction, rejection, referral to an institution, or no action when the allegation is unsupported. For published work, editorial outcomes may include a correction, an Expression of Concern, or retraction where justified.

6. Confidentiality, Records, and Communication

The Editorial Office will protect confidential material and personal data as far as appropriate, retain relevant records, communicate decisions to affected parties as necessary, and avoid public findings of misconduct before adequate review. The journal will not promise absolute confidentiality where disclosure is required by law or a legitimate investigation.