Allegations of Misconduct Policy

Physical Therapy Journal of Indonesia (PTJI) | Research & Publication Integrity

COPE Compliant

Zero Tolerance Policy

Confidential Investigation

Fair & Impartial Process

01 Policy Declaration & Compliance

The Physical Therapy Journal of Indonesia (PTJI) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication integrity and research. This policy describes the methods for addressing claims of research and publication misconduct pertaining to submitted or published manuscripts.

COPE Flowchart

Fabricated Data in Published Article

COPE Best Practices

Misconduct Guidance & Resources

02 Misconduct Definition

Fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in the planning, execution, evaluation, or reporting of research constitutes research and publication misconduct. The PTJI Editorial Board retains the authority to investigate additional significant violations of professional behavior; the following is not exhaustive.

2.1

Fabrication & Falsification

Fabrication

The act of recording or reporting fictitious data or results that were never generated.

Falsification

Manipulation of research materials, tools, or procedures; alteration or omission of data or findings so that the research is not accurately documented.

2.2

Plagiarism

Use of another person's words, ideas, methods, or outcomes without giving due credit. This includes:

Direct Plagiarism — copying another author's text, data, or ideas without attribution.

Self-Plagiarism — reusing significant portions of one's own previously published work without proper citation and disclosure.

2.3

Data & Image Manipulation

Image Manipulation

Altering images (Western blots, photos, micrographs) in ways that obscure or distort original scientific data. Permissible adjustments (brightness/contrast) must be applied uniformly and not be misleading.

Data Manipulation

Deliberate removal or modification of data points to reach a predetermined conclusion — closely associated with falsification.

2.4

Additional Ethical Violations

Authorship Misconduct

Includes Guest Authorship (unjustified inclusion) and Ghost Authorship (unjustifiable exclusion) of individuals who meet or do not meet PTJI authorship criteria.

Undisclosed COI

Failure to declare personal, professional, or financial interests that might affect the study or editing process, per the PTJI COI Policy.

Duplicate Publication

Simultaneous submission to multiple journals, or republication of significant portions of one's own work without proper citation and disclosure.

03 Allegation Reporting & Triage

Any person — including readers, peer reviewers, editors, and staff — may report an allegation of misconduct.

3.1 Reporting Process

Official Editorial Email

editorptji@gmail.com

All written allegations must be submitted to the PTJI Editor-in-Chief. Reports must include:

Name, contact details, and institutional affiliation of the complainant (anonymity safeguarded during investigation)

Thorough explanation of the alleged misconduct and where it appears in the manuscript or published article

All available supporting evidence — source documents, textual comparisons, raw data screenshots

3.2 Initial Triage by Editor-in-Chief

Dismissed

Allegation is insignificant, unsupported by evidence, or falls outside the scope of recognized misconduct. EiC formally notifies the complainant.

Formal Investigation Opened

Allegation is substantiated and significant. The EiC establishes an Ad-hoc Misconduct Investigation Committee (AMIC) to proceed.

04 Official Investigation Process

The inquiry procedure shall be prompt, impartial, and private. In cases of confirmed or highly suspected wrongdoing, PTJI promotes engagement with authors' institutions in accordance with COPE guidelines on university–journal cooperation.

4.1 Ad-hoc Misconduct Investigation Committee (AMIC)

Established by the EiC. Typically comprises senior Editorial Board members and, where necessary, external subject-matter experts who have no conflict of interest with the parties involved.

4.2 Phases of the Investigation

Fact-Finding

The AMIC examines all available evidence and may consult third-party experts (e.g., forensic image analysis specialists) to assess the validity of the allegation.

Crucial Step

Institutional Referral

If the AMIC finds substantial preliminary evidence of serious misconduct, the EiC formally contacts the relevant Institutional Research Integrity Officer or Head of Department. The journal supplies evidence and requests that the institution open a formal inquiry. PTJI typically halts its internal probe pending the institutional investigation's conclusion — institutions are better positioned to access original data and interview personnel.

Notifying the Accused Party

The relevant author or accused party is formally informed of the allegation and the institutional referral. They are granted a defined response period — typically 30 calendar days — to submit a thorough and substantive reply to the AMIC and/or their institution.

Determination

Based on the full body of evidence — including the author's response and institutional inquiry results — the AMIC determines whether misconduct occurred, its severity, and who bears responsibility. A formal determination report is produced and submitted to the EiC.

05 Sanctions & Actions

PTJI will impose sanctions proportional to the severity of the confirmed infraction, as determined by the AMIC and EiC.

5.1 Responses to Submitted Manuscripts (Prior to Publication)

Rejection

The manuscript is rejected immediately and permanently.

Notification

Institutional heads of all authors are formally notified of the misconduct findings.

Embargo

Five-year prohibition on future submissions by the corresponding author and co-authors.

5.2 Responses to Published Articles

Correction

Issued if the error is minor and does not affect the validity of the main conclusions. A formal Correction Notice is published and linked to the original article.

Expression of Concern

Issued when significant doubts exist about the work's integrity but the institutional investigation is still ongoing. Removed or replaced by final determination.

Retraction

Issued for serious misconduct (fabrication, falsification, significant plagiarism) rendering results untrustworthy. The article is watermarked as Retracted and remains in the database; the Notice of Retraction is published.

5.3 Notification of Institutions

In all confirmed cases of serious misconduct resulting in retraction or permanent rejection, the EiC will notify the authors' and/or reviewers' institutions (Heads of Department, Dean of Research, or Institutional Ethics Officer) and relevant funding bodies, in keeping with PTJI's commitment to cooperative research integrity oversight.

06 Confidentiality & Appeals

Confidentiality

All information pertaining to the investigation is strictly confidential. Only AMIC members, relevant editors, and the accused party will be informed of investigation details throughout the process.

Right to Appeal

The accused party may appeal final judgments on confirmed misconduct and any resulting sanctions, in accordance with Section 2.2 of the PTJI Manuscript Appeal Policy.

PTJI Manuscript Appeal Policy

Report Misconduct

PTJI Editorial Office

All allegations must be submitted in writing with full supporting documentation

editorptji@gmail.com

Regulatory Framework & Standards

COPE

Misconduct Flowcharts

COPE

University–Journal Cooperation

ICMJE

Recommendations for Conduct