Allegations of Misconduct

Journal of Asian Orientation in Theology upholds high standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. This policy outlines the procedures for handling allegations of research or publication misconduct before and after publication. The journal takes all allegations seriously and is committed to conducting fair, impartial, and confidential investigations in accordance with the principles of due process.

Journal of Asian Orientation in Theology follows the Core Practices outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Types of Misconduct

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

Plagiarism: Copying or using another person's work, ideas, words, data, or intellectual property without appropriate acknowledgment or attribution.
Data Fabrication: Inventing data, research results, or other findings and presenting them as genuine.
Data Falsification: Manipulating research materials, data, methods, or results in ways that misrepresent the research findings.
Authorship Misconduct: Inappropriate attribution of authorship, including honorary, gift, or guest authorship, as well as the omission of individuals who meet the journal's authorship criteria.
Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest: Failure to disclose relevant financial, personal, institutional, or professional relationships that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the research or its interpretation.
Research Ethics Violations: Breaches of applicable ethical standards, including violations involving research participants, informed consent, research permissions, or the responsible use of research data.
Duplicate or Redundant Publication: Republishing substantially overlapping work without appropriate disclosure or justification.
Other Forms of Publication Misconduct: Any other practices that undermine research integrity or the reliability of the scholarly record.

Reporting Allegations

Allegations of misconduct may be reported by anyone, including authors, reviewers, readers, researchers, institutional representatives, or whistleblowers who have reasonable grounds to suspect research or publication misconduct.

Reports should be submitted through the journal's official contact email address and should include a clear description of the alleged misconduct, relevant manuscript or article details, and supporting evidence where available. The journal may request additional information when necessary to assess the allegation.

All allegations will be assessed objectively, without presuming that the allegation is either proven or unfounded.

Whistleblower Protection

Journal of Asian Orientation in Theology recognizes the importance of protecting individuals who report suspected misconduct in good faith. The journal will handle reports confidentially and take reasonable measures to protect the identity of whistleblowers, where possible and appropriate.

Information about the identity of a whistleblower will be shared only when necessary for the investigation or required by applicable obligations. The journal does not tolerate retaliation against individuals who raise legitimate concerns in good faith.

Knowingly false or malicious allegations may be addressed appropriately, while an allegation that cannot be substantiated will not, by itself, be treated as evidence of misconduct by the reporting individual.

Investigation Process

Upon receiving an allegation of misconduct, the editorial office of the Journal of Asian Orientation in Theology will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether the allegation falls within the journal's remit and whether sufficient information is available to proceed.

Where further investigation is warranted, the journal may:

Examine the manuscript, published article, editorial records, similarity reports, original data, or other relevant documentation;
Request written explanations and supporting evidence from the authors or other parties concerned;
Consult independent experts or appropriate research integrity specialists;
Contact the relevant author's institution or research organization when necessary;
Evaluate the evidence impartially and determine appropriate editorial action.

Individuals who have a conflict of interest in the matter will not participate in the investigation or decision-making process. The journal will provide the parties concerned with a reasonable opportunity to respond to relevant allegations, subject to confidentiality and the integrity of the investigation.

The investigation will be conducted in accordance with the journal's publication ethics procedures and relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Pre-Publication Allegations

If an allegation of misconduct arises before an article is published, the Journal of Asian Orientation in Theology may suspend the editorial process or postpone publication while the allegation is assessed.

Depending on the findings, the journal may request clarification, require revisions, reject the manuscript, or refer the matter to the relevant institution for further investigation.

Publication will proceed only when the editorial team is satisfied that the concerns have been adequately addressed and that publication would be consistent with the journal's ethical standards.

Post-Publication Allegations

If an allegation of misconduct arises after an article has been published, the Journal of Asian Orientation in Theology will assess the allegation and investigate the matter as appropriate.

The journal may examine the published article, supporting data, editorial records, and additional evidence. The authors may be invited to respond, and relevant institutions or independent experts may be consulted where necessary.

While the investigation is ongoing, the journal may publish an expression of concern if the circumstances warrant informing readers of a potentially significant issue affecting the reliability or integrity of the article.

Any final action will be based on the available evidence and the seriousness of the findings.

Corrective Actions

If misconduct is substantiated, the Journal of Asian Orientation in Theology may take one or more of the following actions, depending on the nature and severity of the case:

Correction: Publish a correction or erratum when specific errors can be corrected without invalidating the overall findings or conclusions.
Expression of Concern: Publish an expression of concern when significant questions remain unresolved or an investigation is ongoing and readers need to be informed.
Retraction: Retract the article when the findings are unreliable or the publication involves serious ethical violations that warrant retraction.
Manuscript Rejection: Reject a manuscript when misconduct is established during the pre-publication process.
Institutional Notification: Notify the relevant author's institution, research organization, funder, or other appropriate authority when warranted.
Editorial Restrictions: Consider appropriate restrictions on future submissions or other editorial measures in serious or repeated cases, provided that such measures are justified, proportionate, and consistent with the journal's policies.

Corrective actions will be proportionate to the findings and intended to protect the integrity of the scholarly record. Retractions and other post-publication notices will be handled transparently and linked to the affected article wherever practicable.

Communication and Transparency

Journal of Asian Orientation in Theology will communicate relevant outcomes to the complainant, the individuals concerned, and other affected parties as appropriate and subject to confidentiality requirements.

The journal will maintain records of allegations, investigations, findings, and actions taken. Information about significant cases may be made publicly available when appropriate, while protecting personal information, confidential correspondence, and the integrity of ongoing investigations.

Public statements will distinguish between allegations and substantiated findings. The journal will not disclose confidential investigative details or identify individuals unnecessarily.

Review of the Policy

Journal of Asian Orientation in Theology will periodically review and update this policy to ensure that it remains consistent with evolving standards and best practices in research integrity and scholarly publishing.

Any revisions will be approved through the journal's editorial procedures and published on the official journal website. Authors, reviewers, and other relevant stakeholders are expected to follow the policy in effect at the relevant stage of the publication process.