Allegations of Misconduct Policy

1 Introduction and purpose

Misconduct constitutes violation of the editorial policy, journal policies, publication ethics, or any applicable guidelines/policies specified by COPE. Any activities that threaten/compromise the integrity of the research and publication process are potential misconducts. Suspected cases of misconduct will be investigated according to COPE guidelines.

BJET investigates all allegations of research and publication misconduct fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with internationally recognized ethical guidelines. Appropriate corrective actions, including corrections, retractions, or rejection of manuscripts, may be taken when misconduct is confirmed. Allegations involving plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, unethical authorship, peer-review manipulation, or other forms of misconduct will be investigated thoroughly. Appropriate corrective actions, including rejection, correction, retraction, and notification of relevant institutions, may be taken where necessary.

2  Definition of Misconduct

Research and publication misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

a) Plagiarism

Presenting another person's ideas, methods, data, figures, tables, or words as one's own without proper acknowledgment.

b) Self-Plagiarism

Reusing substantial portions of one's previously published work without appropriate citation or disclosure.

c) Data Fabrication

Making up data, results, observations, or experiments that were never conducted.

d) Data Falsification

Manipulating research materials, equipment, images, processes, or data such that the research record is misrepresented.

e) Duplicate or Redundant Publication

Submitting or publishing substantially similar work in more than one journal without proper disclosure and permission.

f) Improper Authorship

Including individuals who did not contribute significantly to the work (gift authorship), excluding deserving contributors (ghost authorship), or misrepresenting author contributions.

g) Citation Manipulation

Adding citations solely to increase citation counts of particular authors, journals, or institutions without scholarly justification.

h) Peer Review Manipulation

Providing false reviewer information, interfering with the peer-review process, or attempting to influence editorial decisions improperly.

i) Ethical Violations

Failure to obtain required ethical approvals, permissions, informed consent, or compliance with institutional and legal requirements.

3 Reporting Allegations

Allegations of misconduct may be submitted by authors, reviewers, readers, editors, institutions, or other stakeholders. Reports should include:

• Detailed description of the concern;
• Supporting evidence whenever available;
• Contact information of the complainant (anonymous allegations may also be considered if evidence is sufficient).

Reports should be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief through the journal's official communication channels.

4 Investigation Procedure

Upon receiving an allegation:

1. The Editor-in-Chief shall conduct a preliminary assessment.
2. If the allegation appears credible, a formal investigation will be initiated.
3. Authors will be notified and given an opportunity to respond.
4. Additional information may be requested from authors, reviewers, institutions, or funding agencies.
5. The journal may consult independent experts when necessary.
6. Investigations shall be conducted fairly, confidentially, and without conflicts of interest.

5 Outcomes and Corrective Actions

Depending on the severity of misconduct, BJET may take one or more of the following actions:

• Request clarification or correction;
• Publish a correction (erratum or corrigendum);
• Publish an expression of concern;
• Reject the manuscript;
• Retract the published article;
• Notify the author's institution or funding agency;
• Prohibit future submissions for a specified period;
• Report serious misconduct to relevant authorities.

6 Post-Publication Issues

The journal welcomes post-publication comments and concerns regarding published articles. Any substantiated concerns will be investigated according to this policy and COPE guidelines.

7 Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions related to misconduct investigations by submitting a written appeal with supporting evidence within 30 days of notification. The appeal shall be reviewed by the Editorial Board, whose decision shall be final.