Research Misconduct Policy

Research misconduct refers to fabrication, falsification, citation manipulation, plagiarism, or other serious deviations from accepted research and publication practices in conducting, reviewing, or reporting research. When authors are suspected of engaging in research misconduct or other significant irregularities involving articles submitted to or published in GURU: Genius Journal of Education, the Editors are responsible for safeguarding the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

In cases of suspected misconduct, the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board will follow established best practices, including the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other internationally recognized standards. The process begins with an initial assessment of the allegation and, where appropriate, may proceed to a formal investigation conducted by the Editors.

A manuscript found to involve research misconduct will be rejected immediately. If misconduct is identified after publication, appropriate corrective actions will be taken, including the publication of a correction, expression of concern, retraction with replacement, or full retraction. Any retraction notice will be clearly identified and permanently linked to the original article.

The first step in addressing an allegation involves evaluating the credibility and validity of the claim and determining whether it falls within the definition of research misconduct. Consideration will also be given to potential conflicts of interest among individuals raising the allegation.

If substantial research irregularities are suspected, the corresponding author will be contacted and asked to provide a detailed explanation on behalf of all co-authors. The Editors may seek additional expert assessment, including statistical, methodological, or subject-matter review when necessary.

In cases where misconduct is unlikely but errors are identified, appropriate measures such as clarifications, additional analysis, correction notices, or letters to the Editor may be issued to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Where appropriate, the authors’ affiliated institutions may be notified and requested to conduct independent investigations. Authors, journals, and institutions share responsibility for ensuring research reliability, transparency, and credibility.

The procedures for handling allegations of research misconduct in GURU: Genius Journal of Education follow the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).