Allegation of Research Misconduct

ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT POLICY

Hulondalo Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan dan Ilmu Komunikasi (HJIPIK) considers substantiated concerns regarding research or publication integrity both before and after publication. Receipt of a report initiates an initial assessment; it does not in itself establish that misconduct has occurred.

  1. SUBMITTING A REPORT

Concerns should be directed to the official editorial email address of HJIPIK using the standard subject line:

Integrity Concern – [Article Title / Submission ID / DOI].

Reports should include:

  • Identification of the manuscript or article (title, author names, OJS submission ID, or DOI where applicable).
  • A concise, factual description of the specific concern, identifying relevant passages, data sets, figures, or ethical breaches.
  • Supporting documentary evidence, direct links to comparative sources, or analytical comparisons that facilitate verification.
  • Disclosure of any potential conflict of interest affecting the handling of the report, alongside specific confidentiality requests.

Reports may concern authors, reviewers, editorial board members, or publishing staff. Reporters should refrain from transmitting unnecessary sensitive personal data via unencrypted communication channels.

  1. INITIAL ASSESSMENT

The editorial office logs the report and acknowledges receipt where contact details are provided. An editor free from conflicts of interest evaluates whether the concern falls within the journal’s purview, contains verifiable details, and warrants formal examination.

Submissions are assessed strictly on the validity of their substance rather than the reporter's seniority, academic status, or institutional affiliation. Anonymous reports may be examined provided they provide concrete, self-verifying evidence. Unsubstantiated claims may be dismissed, without prejudice to reopening should verifiable new evidence emerge.

  1. FAIRNESS AND REFERRAL
  • Right of Response: Subject to necessary safeguards, affected parties are typically notified and given a formal opportunity to respond to the specific points raised.
  • Formal Investigation: Where further examination is warranted, procedures align with standard Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) flowcharts. Matters beyond the journal’s jurisdiction (such as institutional research misconduct) will be referred to the author's home institution or governing ethics committee.
  • Precautionary Pause: Editorial evaluation or production processing may be temporarily placed on hold while credible allegations are verified. A precautionary pause does not constitute a finding of misconduct.

Related Policies:

This policy operates in coordination with HJIPIK’s policies on Whistleblower Protection, Publication Ethics Investigations, and the issuance of Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern.