Research misconduct

Allegations of Misconduct

The Bulletin of Humanities and Social Sciences (BHSS) takes all allegations of potential research or publication misconduct seriously. The journal follows the guidelines and flowcharts provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when handling suspected misconduct.

In cases of suspected misconduct, the Editor may:

  • Contact the author(s) for clarification

  • Request supporting documentation or original data

  • Notify the author’s institution, employer, or ethics committee

  • Seek advice from independent experts

  • Consult COPE or discuss anonymized cases in appropriate professional forums

Where appropriate, a notice of suspected ethical violations may be added to the bibliographic record of the manuscript or article.

Research Misconduct

All research involving human participants, communities, interviews, surveys, archival data, or sensitive social information must have been conducted within an appropriate ethical framework.

If there is reasonable suspicion that research has not been conducted ethically, the Editor may:

  • Reject the manuscript

  • Inform relevant institutions or ethics committees

  • Initiate a formal investigation

If research misconduct is proven or the integrity of a published article is significantly compromised, the article may be retracted.

Data Falsification and Fabrication

Data falsification and fabrication constitute serious academic misconduct.

  • Data falsification includes manipulating, altering, or selectively reporting data to misrepresent findings.

  • Data fabrication involves inventing data, interviews, survey responses, or research findings that did not occur.

If concerns arise regarding data integrity, the Editor may request:

  • Access to anonymized underlying datasets

  • Research instruments or documentation

  • Ethics approval documentation

If authors cannot provide supporting evidence, the manuscript may be rejected, or if already published, retracted.

Confirmed cases of misconduct may be reported to the author’s institution.

Publication Misconduct

BHSS adheres to COPE guidelines in handling publication misconduct, including:

  • Plagiarism

  • Duplicate or redundant publication

  • Self-plagiarism

  • Improper citation practices

  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

  • Manipulation of the peer review process

  • Authorship manipulation or authorship for sale

Such misconduct may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or notification to relevant institutions.

Corrections

If errors are identified that affect the interpretation of an article but do not invalidate its findings, a Correction will be published.

Corrections will:

  • Be indexed

  • Be linked to the original article

  • Clearly explain the nature of the error

Retractions

Retractions are issued when:

  • Findings are unreliable due to misconduct or serious error

  • Data were fabricated or falsified

  • Plagiarism or duplicate publication has occurred

  • Peer review has been compromised

  • Ethical standards were breached

  • Authorship manipulation is identified

  • There is systematic manipulation of the editorial process

Retractions follow a thorough investigation conducted by the editorial team in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Retraction notices will:

  • Remain permanently linked to the article

  • Clearly state the reasons for retraction

  • Maintain transparency in the scholarly record

Editorial Expressions of Concern

An Editorial Expression of Concern may be issued when:

  • Serious concerns arise regarding a published article

  • An investigation is ongoing

  • There is a potentially significant impact on public policy or scholarly interpretation

Such notices remain part of the permanent record and may later be replaced by a Correction or Retraction.

Removal of Published Content

In exceptional circumstances, the journal reserves the right to remove published content if it:

  • Is defamatory

  • Violates intellectual property rights

  • Breaches privacy rights

  • Is unlawful

  • Is subject to court or government order

In such cases:

  • Bibliographic metadata (title, authors) will remain

  • A notice explaining the reason for removal will be provided

Removal may be temporary or permanent.

Appeals and Complaints

Definition of a Complaint

A complaint refers to concerns about editorial processes, peer review procedures, ethical handling, or alleged misjudgment beyond simple disagreement with a decision.

If an author believes their manuscript was unfairly rejected, they may submit a formal appeal.

Procedure for Submitting a Complaint

Complaints must be submitted in writing to the journal’s official email address.

The complaint process includes:

  1. Initial confidential review by the editorial office

  2. Assignment to the appropriate editor or staff member

  3. Investigation of the issue

  4. Written response to the complainant

If the complainant is dissatisfied with the initial response, they may request escalation to a senior editorial authority.

All complaints are handled confidentially and impartially.

BHSS is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and fairness in scholarly publishing.