Allegations of Misconduct
The editors of the Journal of Education for Sustainable Development Studies (JESDS) are committed to implementing effective measures to identify and prevent the publication of manuscripts involving research misconduct. Such misconduct may include plagiarism, citation manipulation, data falsification or fabrication, and other unethical practices. Under no circumstances does JESDS or the editorial team support or tolerate any form of unethical research behavior. Allegations of misconduct may be submitted by editors, reviewers, readers, or external parties.
When the editorial team becomes aware of allegations related to research misconduct in a published article, all actions will follow the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). JESDS ensures that every case of suspected misconduct is addressed in a fair, confidential, and transparent manner, without prejudice toward any involved party. The journal applies policies aligned with internationally recognized publishing standards to safeguard the integrity of scholarly communication. When misconduct is verified, corrective actions may include manuscript rejection, publication of a correction, retraction, or expression of concern. In serious cases, relevant author institutions or funding bodies may be informed.
1. Plagiarism
All submitted manuscripts undergo screening using plagiarism detection software. Plagiarism includes overlapping text, duplicate publication, or the use of another individual’s work without proper attribution. Manuscripts demonstrating substantial similarity or duplication will be rejected prior to publication. Submissions found to contain plagiarism at any stage will not proceed to publication. If plagiarism is identified after publication, the article may be corrected, retracted, or accompanied by an expression of concern. Additional information is available on the official plagiarism policy page of JESDS.
2. Citation Manipulation
Authors are required to ensure that all citations are accurate, relevant, and included solely for scholarly purposes. Practices such as coercive citation, excessive self-citation, or referencing irrelevant sources for the purpose of inflating citation metrics are strictly prohibited. Evidence of citation manipulation may lead to manuscript rejection or editorial correction. Authors are encouraged to consult the journal’s comprehensive guidelines regarding citation ethics.
3. Data Falsification and Fabrication
Authors must present research data in an honest, transparent, and accurate manner. Any form of data falsification, fabrication, manipulation, or selective reporting constitutes serious research misconduct. Responsibility for accurate and unbiased reporting rests fully with the authors. During the review process or after publication, JESDS may request access to raw data to verify data authenticity. Further guidance is provided in the section outlining the author’s responsibilities.
Reviewers are expected to report any suspicion of data falsification or fabrication to the editorial team. All reports will be investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines. Editorial actions may include requesting clarification from authors, consulting subject-matter experts or affiliated institutions, and, when misconduct is confirmed, issuing a rejection, correction, expression of concern, or retraction. Additional information is available in the reviewer responsibility guidelines.
