Misconduct & Retraction Policy
Research Misconduct & Retraction Policy
Dharmaputra Medical Law Journal (DMLJ)
Jurnal Dharmaputra Hukum Kesehatan
P-ISSN: 3124-1964 | E-ISSN: 3124-1840
Overview
DMLJ is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and the reliability of the published scientific and legal record. This policy defines research misconduct, explains how reports of misconduct are handled, describes the investigation process, and sets out the remedial actions available to the journal — including correction, expression of concern, and retraction. DMLJ follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in all matters of research integrity.
Definition of Research Misconduct
Research misconduct encompasses any intentional or reckless act that compromises the integrity of the research process or the published record. DMLJ recognizes the following categories:
Fabrication
Making up data, results, or other material and reporting them as if they were genuine.
Falsification
Manipulating research materials, equipment, processes, or changing and omitting data so that the research record is not accurately represented.
Plagiarism
Using another person's ideas, methods, results, or words without appropriate attribution, including self-plagiarism (reuse of one's own previously published material without disclosure).
Duplicate Submission
Submitting the same manuscript, or one substantially similar in content, to more than one journal simultaneously, or publishing the same findings in more than one outlet without disclosure.
Authorship Misconduct
Including individuals as authors who do not meet the ICMJE criteria for authorship (gift authorship), excluding individuals who do meet those criteria (ghost authorship), or misrepresenting the contributions of listed authors.
How to Report Suspected Misconduct
Any person — author, reviewer, editor, reader, or member of the public — who suspects research misconduct in a submitted or published DMLJ article is encouraged to report it. Reports should be submitted by email to:
Subject line: MISCONDUCT REPORT — [Article/Manuscript Title or ID]
Reports should include:
- The title, authors, and DOI or manuscript ID of the work in question.
- A clear description of the alleged misconduct and the specific evidence supporting the concern.
- Any supporting documents, images, or data.
- Contact information of the reporting party (reports may be made anonymously, but providing contact details enables follow-up).
Investigation Process
DMLJ follows COPE flowcharts and guidelines at each stage of the investigation process.
Preliminary Assessment
Upon receipt of a report, the EiC conducts an initial assessment to determine whether the concern falls within DMLJ's scope, whether the evidence is sufficient to warrant a formal investigation, and whether the concern may be better directed to the author's institution or another body.
Notification of Authors
Where the preliminary assessment supports a formal inquiry, the corresponding author will be notified in writing of the nature of the concern and given an opportunity to respond. An appropriate response period will be specified.
Formal Investigation
The EiC, in consultation with relevant editorial board members and — where institutional misconduct is suspected — with the authors' employing institution, will conduct a formal investigation following the applicable COPE flowchart. Relevant documents will be reviewed, and expert opinion sought where necessary.
Decision and Action
On conclusion of the investigation, the EiC will determine the appropriate action and notify the corresponding author of the outcome in writing. All parties involved will be treated with confidentiality to the extent consistent with a fair and thorough investigation.
Possible Outcomes
Correction / Erratum
Where an error is genuine but does not affect the overall reliability of the findings and did not result from misconduct (e.g., an honest reporting error or oversight), a published correction notice will be issued and linked to the original article.
Expression of Concern
Where the investigation is ongoing, or where concerns exist but cannot be fully resolved (e.g., an institution declines to cooperate), an expression of concern notice will be published alongside the article to alert readers while the matter is pending.
Retraction
Where misconduct is established, or where the conclusions of the article are found to be unreliable due to major error regardless of intent, the article will be retracted. A retraction notice meeting the standards of the COPE Retraction Guidelines will be published.
Retraction Notice Policy & Post-Retraction Archiving
All retraction notices will:
- Be published in the same volume and issue as the original article where possible, or as a separate notice.
- State clearly that the article has been retracted, the date of retraction, and the reason(s) for retraction.
- Be freely accessible to all readers.
- Be linked bidirectionally to the original article on the DMLJ platform.
Retracted articles will not be removed from the DMLJ archive. The original article will be clearly watermarked or labeled as "RETRACTED" and will remain accessible for the historical record, accompanied by the retraction notice. This practice maintains the integrity of the scholarly record and ensures that citations to the retracted article can be identified as such.
Whistleblower Protection & Sanctions
Whistleblower Protection
DMLJ takes seriously its obligation to protect individuals who report suspected misconduct in good faith. The identity of reporting parties will be kept confidential to the fullest extent possible consistent with the investigation. DMLJ will not take any action against a reporter who makes a good-faith report of suspected misconduct, even if that report is ultimately not substantiated.
Sanctions
Where misconduct is established, DMLJ may apply one or more of the following sanctions, depending on the severity and nature of the misconduct:
- Formal written notification to the author(s) and, where appropriate, their institution.
- Rejection or retraction of the submitted or published work.
- Prohibition on future submissions to DMLJ for a defined period.
- Referral of the matter to the author's employing institution or relevant regulatory body.
Principal Contact: Gede Krisna Udiana, S.K.M., M.H.Kes. | +62 812-3898-787 | udiana.krisna@gmail.com