Unethical behaviour

Procedures for Handling Ethical Misconduct

Identification and Reporting

Ethical misconduct may be identified and reported to the Editor-in-Chief or Publisher at any time by any individual. Complaints must be accompanied by sufficient evidence and information to initiate an investigation.

 

All allegations will be taken seriously and investigated impartially through to a definitive conclusion, regardless of when the manuscript was submitted or published—even if misconduct is reported years post-publication.

 

Investigation Process

The Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the Publisher, will take appropriate steps tailored to the severity of the allegation:

 

Evidence Gathering: The editorial board will examine the presented evidence in accordance with COPE guidelines.

 Author Right of Reply: In all cases, the author or individual under investigation will be informed of the allegations and provided a fair opportunity to respond.

 Minor Misconduct: Minor infractions (e.g., honest misunderstandings or minor citation oversights) may be resolved internally between the Editor and the author without broader institutional escalation.

 Institutional Escalation: For severe allegations, communication may be extended to the author's affiliated institution or funding agency.

 

Disciplinary Actions and Outcomes

Depending on the severity and findings of the investigation, the ACIE Journal may apply one or more of the following measures:

 

Educational Clarification: Issuing a formal letter to the author or reviewer clarifying acceptable publication standards in cases involving misunderstandings.

 Formal Correction or Notice: Publishing an official Corrigendum, Expression of Concern, or Notice of Misconduct in the journal.

 Institutional Notification: Sending a formal report detailing the findings to the head of the author's or reviewer's department, institution, or funding body.

 Article Withdrawal/Retraction: Formally retracting or withdrawing the publication from the journal database and notifying institutional leadership.

 Submission Ban: Imposing a formal temporary or permanent embargo on future manuscript submissions or peer-review duties from the individual involved.