Ethical Misconduct Handling Procedure

VCHPK Health and Public Health Sciences Journal

The journal is committed to upholding high ethical standards in the publication process. In the event of suspected or alleged ethical misconduct, the following procedures will be followed:

1. Complaint Submission

• Individuals (authors, reviewers, editors, or readers) may submit a complaint if they suspect ethical misconduct has occurred.

• The complainant must provide clear details of the issue, along with any supporting evidence or documentation that can assist in the investigation.

• Complaints should be submitted via the designated email or contact form available on the journal's website.

2. Preliminary Assessment

• After receiving a complaint, the editorial board or ethics committee will conduct an initial review to assess the credibility of the complaint.

• If the complaint is deemed baseless or unrelated to ethical misconduct, the journal may close the case immediately and inform the complainant of the decision.

• If the complaint has merit or involves potential ethical violations, the matter will proceed to a formal investigation.

3. Investigation Process

• The investigation process will be conducted fairly, transparently, and impartially, with all parties involved given the opportunity to respond.

• The ethics committee will gather information from relevant parties such as authors, reviewers, editors, and the complainant.

• If necessary, additional information may be requested from related organizations or individuals who may provide important details.

4. Decision and Action

• Upon completion of the investigation, the editorial board will make a decision based on the findings and will take appropriate action.

• If misconduct is confirmed, actions may include:

  • Rejection of the manuscript: If the ethical violation occurs before acceptance for publication.

  • Retraction of the published article: If the violation is identified after publication, such as plagiarism or falsification of data.

  • Notification to the author's institution or funding body: In cases of serious ethical violations, the journal may inform the author’s institution or sponsor.

  • Banning future submissions: If there is repeated misconduct or serious violations, the journal may ban the individual(s) from submitting articles in the future.

• If no misconduct is found, the journal will close the case and notify the complainant and involved parties of the decision.

5. Documentation and Reporting

• All steps of the ethical misconduct process will be documented in detail for transparency and future reference.

• All received information will be kept confidential and used only for investigation purposes.

• A formal report on the investigation’s outcome and actions taken will be provided to the involved parties. In some cases, the results may be publicly disclosed to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

6. Improvement and Development

• The journal will periodically review and update its ethical misconduct handling procedures to ensure they align with international standards.

• Feedback and suggestions from involved parties will be taken into account to improve the journal's procedures and practices.

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Note:
The journal's ethical misconduct procedures are in line with international best practices, such as those outlined by the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics), ensuring fairness, transparency, and the integrity of the publication process.