Ethical Media Architecture and Educational Technology (EMAET) defines research misconduct as fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, citation manipulation, data manipulation, unethical authorship, peer-review manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other deliberate practices that compromise the integrity of research, peer review, or scholarly publication.
Honest errors or legitimate differences in interpretation are not normally classified as misconduct. However, they may require clarification, correction, additional evidence, or further editorial action.
Allegations of misconduct will be handled confidentially, objectively, fairly, and without premature judgment. EMAET will follow relevant guidance and procedures issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when assessing complaints and determining appropriate editorial action.
The Editor-in-Chief and relevant members of the Editorial Board will first assess whether an allegation is credible, sufficiently supported, relevant to the journal, and consistent with the definition of research or publication misconduct.
Relevant conflicts of interest involving complainants, authors, reviewers, editors, or other parties will be identified and managed before further assessment proceeds.
When an allegation has reasonable grounds, the corresponding author will normally be contacted and requested to provide a detailed explanation, supporting data, research instruments, ethical approval, informed-consent documentation, authorship information, and a response on behalf of all co-authors.
The editors may seek additional assessment from independent experts, statistical reviewers, ethics specialists, authors’ institutions, research funders, or other relevant authorities. Editorial decisions will be based on the available evidence, the authors’ response, and the seriousness of the alleged irregularity.
Information relating to an allegation will be shared only with persons whose involvement is necessary for assessment or investigation. The accused parties will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond before a final editorial conclusion is reached, except where immediate action is required to prevent significant harm or preserve evidence.
A submitted manuscript found to contain serious research or publication misconduct may be rejected immediately. The journal may suspend the editorial process while an investigation is underway, request additional documentation, withdraw an acceptance decision, or notify the authors’ institution when formal investigation is required.
When credible concerns relate to a published article, EMAET may issue an expression of concern while an investigation is ongoing.
Depending on the findings, the journal may publish a correction, retraction, retraction and republication, removal notice, or another appropriate post-publication notice. All notices will be clearly linked to the original article to preserve the transparency and integrity of the scholarly record.
Depending on the evidence and seriousness of the case, EMAET may:
- request clarification, raw data, ethical documentation, or corrected information;
- require revision or correction of the manuscript;
- suspend peer review or publication processing;
- reject the manuscript or withdraw an acceptance decision;
- issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction;
- notify the authors’ institution, ethics committee, or funder; or
- take another proportionate action necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.
Complaints should be made in good faith and supported by relevant evidence. Deliberately false, malicious, abusive, or retaliatory allegations may be dismissed and may result in appropriate action to protect affected parties and the integrity of the editorial process.
The journal conducts an editorial assessment but does not replace a formal institutional investigation. Universities, research institutions, ethics committees, and funding bodies are expected to investigate serious allegations involving their researchers and communicate relevant findings to the journal.
EMAET is committed to protecting the accuracy, transparency, reliability, and integrity of the scholarly record. All concerns will be evaluated carefully, and proportionate corrective action will be taken whenever research misconduct or substantial publication irregularities are confirmed.