Allegations of Research Misconduct

JDMP takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously, including data fabrication or falsification, plagiarism, image manipulation, unethical research, undisclosed conflicts of interest, inappropriate authorship, peer-review manipulation, and duplicate publication.

Reporting concerns

Readers, reviewers, authors, editors, or other concerned parties may submit a factual report to the editorial office, preferably identifying the article or manuscript, explaining the concern, and supplying available supporting evidence. The editorial office will handle reports in confidence to the extent practicable and lawful.

Assessment and investigation

  1. An editor not affected by a conflict of interest conducts an initial assessment of the allegation and its supporting information.
  2. Where appropriate, the journal seeks a response from the authors and may consult reviewers, independent experts, the publisher, or the authors' institutions.
  3. The journal distinguishes good-faith errors from potential deliberate misconduct and avoids assumptions of guilt before evidence is considered.
  4. When an institution is better placed to investigate matters involving primary data or research conduct, the journal may refer the issue to that institution while maintaining responsibility for the publication record.
  5. Following an appropriate assessment, the editorial team may reject a submission, request a correction, issue an expression of concern, retract an article, or take another proportionate step.

Every case is considered on its merits in light of relevant publication-ethics guidance, including guidance issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The editorial office documents its decisions and aims to communicate outcomes fairly while protecting confidentiality and due process.