Allegation of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct refers to the fabrication, falsification, manipulation of data, citation manipulation, or plagiarism during the production, conduct, or review of research, the writing of research findings, or the reporting of research results. When authors are found to have engaged in research misconduct or other serious irregularities involving an article published in a scholarly journal, the editors have a responsibility to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

In cases of suspected misconduct, the editors and editorial board will follow the best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and Elsevier's guidelines for handling allegations of research misconduct, falsification, and fabrication of data to help resolve complaints and address misconduct fairly. This includes an investigation of the allegations by the editors. Submitted manuscripts found to contain such misconduct will be rejected. In cases where a published article is found to involve such misconduct, a retraction notice will be published and linked to the original article.

The first step in the process is to determine the validity of the allegation and assess whether the allegation is consistent with the definition of research misconduct. This also includes determining whether the individual making the allegation has any relevant conflict of interest.

If research misconduct or other significant research irregularities are considered likely to have occurred, the allegation will be communicated to the corresponding author, who, on behalf of all co-authors, will be asked to provide a detailed response. Once the response has been received and evaluated, additional review and expert involvement, such as statistical review, may be required.

For cases where the likelihood of misconduct is considered low, clarification, additional analysis, or both, published as a Letter to the Editor, and often accompanied by a correction notice and correction to the published article, may be sufficient.

Institutions are expected to conduct thorough and appropriate investigations into allegations of research misconduct. Ultimately, authors, journals, and institutions share an important responsibility to ensure the accuracy of the scholarly record.

By responding appropriately to concerns regarding research misconduct and taking necessary action based on the evaluation of such concerns—including correction, replacement with a corrected version, or retraction—Vox Dei will continue to fulfill its responsibility to ensure the validity and integrity of the scholarly record.

The handling of allegations of research misconduct follows the principles and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and Elsevier's guidelines on allegations of research misconduct, falsification, and fabrication of data.

Retraction

Articles published in Vox Dei: Journal of Theology and Pastoral may be considered for retraction if:
- There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable, either as a result of research misconduct (e.g., data fabrication or falsification) or an honest error (e.g., miscalculation or experimental error).
- The findings have been published elsewhere without appropriate cross-referencing, permission, or justification (e.g., duplicate or redundant publication).
- The article involves plagiarism.
- The article reports research involving unethical practices.

The retraction mechanism follows the guidelines and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)