Research Misconduct Policy

PIETAS: Jurnal Studi Agama dan Lintas Budaya (Journal of Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies) is committed to maintaining research integrity, academic honesty, and responsible scholarly communication. The journal does not tolerate any form of research or publication misconduct that may compromise the reliability, originality, and credibility of the scholarly record.

PIETAS follows internationally recognized principles of responsible research and publication ethics, including guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Definition of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct refers to actions or behaviors that violate ethical standards in the design, conduct, reporting, review, or publication of scholarly research.

Research misconduct includes intentional, negligent, or misleading practices that compromise the accuracy, transparency, originality, or integrity of academic work.

Forms of Research Misconduct

Research and publication misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

  • Fabrication: Creating false data, evidence, sources, participants, observations, interviews, quotations, or research findings that did not occur.
  • Falsification: Manipulating, altering, omitting, or misrepresenting research data, materials, methods, or findings.
  • Plagiarism: Using another person's words, ideas, arguments, interpretations, data, or intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgement.
  • Duplicate or Redundant Publication: Publishing substantially similar research findings in multiple publications without appropriate disclosure.
  • Improper Authorship: Including individuals who do not meet authorship criteria or excluding individuals who made significant scholarly contributions.
  • Citation Manipulation: Excessive or irrelevant citation practices intended to artificially increase citation metrics or influence scholarly recognition.
  • Peer Review Manipulation: Attempts to interfere with, influence, or compromise the integrity of the peer-review process.
  • Misrepresentation of Religious and Cultural Information: Distorting, stereotyping, decontextualizing, or inaccurately representing religious traditions, communities, cultural practices, historical materials, or indigenous knowledge.
  • Unethical Use of Research Materials: Unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential data, participant information, sacred materials, restricted cultural knowledge, or unpublished research materials.
  • Misuse of Artificial Intelligence: Presenting AI-generated content, evidence, references, analysis, or materials as original scholarly contributions without appropriate disclosure or verification.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research and manuscripts comply with ethical standards and academic integrity principles.

Authors must:

  • Provide accurate and transparent descriptions of research methods, data, sources, and findings;
  • Ensure that research data and evidence are authentic and not fabricated or falsified;
  • Properly acknowledge all sources, ideas, and intellectual contributions;
  • Obtain appropriate permissions, consent, and ethical approval where required;
  • Respect the dignity, privacy, beliefs, cultural values, and rights of research participants and communities;
  • Disclose conflicts of interest and funding sources; and
  • Report any errors discovered after publication to the Editorial Office.

Handling Allegations of Misconduct

PIETAS takes allegations of research misconduct seriously and handles all concerns through fair, confidential, and transparent procedures.

When an allegation is received, the Editorial Team may:

  • Conduct an initial assessment of the reported concern;
  • Request clarification or explanation from the authors or relevant parties;
  • Review supporting evidence and documentation;
  • Consult independent experts or members of the Editorial Board when necessary; and
  • Determine appropriate actions based on the available evidence and applicable ethical standards.

Actions Before Publication

If misconduct is identified before publication, PIETAS may take appropriate actions including:

  • Requesting clarification or correction from authors;
  • Returning the manuscript for revision;
  • Rejecting the manuscript; or
  • Initiating further investigation when serious concerns are identified.

Actions After Publication

If misconduct is identified after publication, PIETAS may conduct an editorial investigation and take appropriate corrective actions, including:

  • Publication of corrections;
  • Publication of an expression of concern;
  • Retraction of the published article; or
  • Other actions necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Confidentiality and Protection of Reporting Parties

Reports of suspected misconduct are handled confidentially. PIETAS seeks to protect the identity of individuals who raise concerns in good faith and avoids retaliation against those who report potential ethical violations.

Information related to investigations is shared only with individuals who require access for legitimate editorial or ethical review purposes.

Editorial Responsibility

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are responsible for ensuring that allegations of misconduct are evaluated objectively, fairly, and independently.

Editorial decisions regarding misconduct cases are based on available evidence, ethical principles, and the protection of the integrity of the scholarly record.

Commitment to Research Integrity

PIETAS is committed to promoting responsible research practices, transparent scholarly communication, and ethical publication standards. Maintaining research integrity is a shared responsibility among authors, reviewers, editors, publishers, and the wider academic community.