Dealing with Misconduct

The FUDMA Journal of Accounting and Finance Research (FUJAFR) is committed to upholding the integrity of the scholarly record. Any allegations of research or publication misconduct will be treated seriously, thoroughly investigated, and resolved according to international standards, including COPE guidelines.

1. Definition of Misconduct

Misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • Plagiarism: Using others’ work, data, or ideas without proper attribution.
  • Duplicate or redundant publication: Submitting the same work to multiple journals.
  • Fabrication or falsification: Making up or manipulating data or results.
  • Authorship disputes: Misrepresentation of authorship or failure to acknowledge contributors.
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest: Financial, personal, or professional relationships affecting research or reporting.

2. Reporting Misconduct

  • Allegations of misconduct can be reported by authors, reviewers, readers, or editors.
  • Reports should be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief at the journal’s official email address.
  • Reports must include sufficient information to allow a thorough investigation.

3. Investigation Process

  • All reports of misconduct are confidentially reviewed by the editorial board.
  • The Editor-in-Chief may consult reviewers, independent experts, or the authors’ institutions to verify claims.
  • Authors involved in alleged misconduct will be notified and given the opportunity to respond.
  • Investigations are conducted promptly, fairly, and transparently, without conflicts of interest.

4. Outcomes and Actions

Depending on the findings, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Correction: Publishing a correction if errors are identified but the main findings are reliable.
  • Retraction: Removing the article from the scholarly record for serious ethical violations.
  • Expression of Concern: Notifying readers if a potential issue is under investigation.
  • Ban or Restriction: Temporarily or permanently barring authors from submitting to FUJAFR.

All actions are documented and communicated to the authors, institutions, and indexing bodies when necessary.

5. Preventive Measures

  • FUJAFR uses plagiarism detection software to screen all submissions before peer review.
  • Authors are required to confirm originality and ethical compliance at submission.

Editorial staff receive training on publication ethics to ensure consistent enforcement of policies.