Handling Allegations of Misconduct Policy

Pedagogical Perspective (PedPer) (eISSN: 2822-4841) takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously. We follow a fair, confidential, and evidence-based process aligned with COPE-oriented best practices to protect the integrity of the scholarly record and the rights of all parties.

1) Scope: What We Consider Misconduct

Misconduct and serious ethical concerns may include (but are not limited to):

  • Plagiarism and unacceptable text recycling (self-plagiarism)
  • Data fabrication or data falsification
  • Image manipulation or selective reporting
  • Duplicate/redundant publication and undisclosed overlapping submissions
  • Authorship misconduct (guest/gift authorship, ghost authorship, undisclosed contributors, improper author changes)
  • Undeclared conflicts of interest
  • Missing/invalid ethics approval or informed consent where required
  • Peer review manipulation (e.g., fake reviewer identities/emails, compromised review reports)
  • Citation manipulation (coercive or irrelevant citation practices)

2) How to Report a Concern

Concerns about a manuscript (under review) or a published article should be sent to:
info@pedagogicalperspective.com

Please include (where possible):

  • Article/manuscript title and URL (or submission ID)
  • A clear description of the concern
  • Supporting evidence (e.g., sources, similarity excerpts, figures, documentation)

Anonymous reports may be considered if they include verifiable evidence; however, providing contact details helps the journal investigate efficiently.

3) Initial Assessment (Triage)

Upon receiving a report, PedPer will:

  • Acknowledge receipt (where contact details are available)
  • Conduct an initial assessment of credibility and relevance
  • Secure records (submission files, revision history, peer review logs, correspondence)
  • Decide whether immediate steps are required (e.g., pause review, request clarification, restrict access to files)

4) Investigation Process

Depending on the nature and seriousness of the allegation, PedPer may:

  • Request a written explanation and supporting documentation from the authors
  • Consult independent experts, where appropriate
  • Contact the authors’ institution(s), ethics committee, or funder(s) for serious allegations (e.g., fabrication/falsification)
  • Cooperate with institutional investigations and await outcomes when necessary

PedPer aims to act proportionately, focusing on evidence and due process.

5) Confidentiality and Fair Process

  • Allegations are handled confidentially and shared only on a need-to-know basis.
  • The journal does not normally disclose complainant identities to authors without consent (unless legally required).
  • Authors are given a reasonable opportunity to respond to concerns and provide evidence.
  • Retaliatory or abusive communications are not tolerated.

6) Possible Outcomes (Manuscripts Under Review)

For manuscripts under review, PedPer may:

  • Take no action (if concerns are unfounded)
  • Request clarification, corrections, or additional documentation
  • Require ethics approval/consent documentation (where applicable)
  • Reject the manuscript on ethical grounds
  • Impose restrictions (e.g., temporary submission limitations) in serious or repeated cases
  • Refer the matter to the authors’ institution(s) for further investigation

7) Possible Outcomes (Published Articles)

For published articles, PedPer may:

  • Publish a Correction
  • Publish an Expression of Concern
  • Publish a Retraction
  • Notify institutions/funders (where appropriate)

Post-publication actions are handled according to PedPer’s Corrections, Retractions & Expressions of Concern Policy.

8) Conflicts of Interest (Editorial Handling)

If an allegation involves an editor, guest editor, or reviewer—or if there is any editorial conflict of interest—the case will be managed by an independent editor designated by the Editor-in-Chief (or by the publisher/board where required).

9) Record-Keeping

PedPer retains documentation of:

  • Allegations and evidence received
  • Editorial correspondence and decisions
  • Investigation steps and outcomes
    to ensure accountability, consistency, and auditability.

10) Contact

To report concerns: info@pedagogicalperspective.com

Related Policies: Publication Ethics & Malpractice • Corrections, Retractions & Expressions of Concern Policy • Peer Review Policy • Conflict of Interest Statement • Thematic Issue Policy