Allegations of Research Misconduct

Transparan! is committed to maintaining research integrity and ethical publishing practices. The journal takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously, whether they concern submitted manuscripts or published articles.

Misconduct may include data fabrication, data falsification, plagiarism, inappropriate image manipulation, and other practices that compromise the integrity of the research. Related publication ethics concerns, including duplicate publication, authorship issues, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and peer review manipulation, will also be assessed.

Reporting Allegations

Authors, reviewers, readers, and other parties may report suspected misconduct to the editorial office through the contact details provided on the journal’s Contact page. Reports should identify the manuscript or article concerned, describe the suspected misconduct, and provide supporting evidence where available. Anonymous reports will be considered when they contain sufficient information for assessment.

Assessment and Response

The editor will assess the information provided and, where appropriate, request an explanation and supporting documentation from the authors or other parties concerned. Those involved will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond. An allegation alone will not be treated as proof of misconduct.

Cases will be handled fairly and as confidentially as possible. Information may be shared with relevant institutions or other responsible bodies when necessary to assess the concerns. Editors with a conflict of interest will not participate in handling the case; an independent editor or publisher representative will be assigned instead.

Where a formal investigation is required, the journal may refer the matter to the relevant institution, employer, or research integrity body. The journal’s role is to protect the integrity of the published record, while formal investigations into research misconduct are generally the responsibility of the relevant institutions.

Editorial Actions

Depending on the evidence and findings, the journal may suspend manuscript processing, reject a submission, request revisions, publish a correction, issue an expression of concern, or retract an article. Editorial action will reflect the nature and extent of the problem and its effect on the reliability of the research.

Corrections, expressions of concern, and retraction notices will clearly explain the reasons for the action and be linked to the affected article. Where feasible, retracted articles will remain accessible and clearly marked as retracted to preserve the scholarly record.

Appeals

Authors or complainants who disagree with the handling or outcome of a case may submit an appeal to the editorial office, explaining their reasons and providing any additional evidence. Appeals will be reviewed by an editor or publisher representative who was not involved in the original decision, where possible.

Transparan! uses relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to inform its handling of research and publication ethics concerns.