Allegations of Misconduct

Research Misconduct

In the context of the International Journal of Bengali Literature (IJBL), research misconduct refers to any unethical practice occurring at any stage of research preparation, conduct, review, or publication, including fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or citation manipulation. If an author is found to be involved in such misconduct, or if serious irregularities are identified in a manuscript submitted to or published by IJBL, it is the primary responsibility of the editors to safeguard the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

Policy and Procedure for Misconduct Cases

When an allegation of research misconduct is raised, the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board address the matter fairly by following the best-practice guidelines recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). This process includes a thorough and impartial investigation.

Manuscripts in which misconduct is confirmed prior to publication are rejected. In cases where misconduct is identified after publication, the article may be retracted as necessary, and a clear retraction notice is published and linked to the original article.

Assessment and Investigation Process

At the initial stage, the credibility and validity of the allegation are assessed to determine whether it aligns with the definition of research misconduct and whether the complainant has any conflict of interest.

If there is a reasonable suspicion of misconduct, the corresponding author, on behalf of all co-authors, is requested to provide a detailed explanation or response. The response is evaluated by the Editorial Board, and where necessary, expert opinions (e.g., from statistical or subject-matter experts) may be sought.

If no misconduct is established after investigation, appropriate clarification may be provided through a Letter to the Editor or by publishing a correction, depending on the circumstances.

Institutional Responsibility

In cases of alleged research misconduct, the relevant academic institutions bear the responsibility of conducting a specific, impartial, and comprehensive investigation. Researchers, journals, and institutions share a collective responsibility to maintain the integrity and reliability of the scholarly record.

By ensuring proper investigation and resolution of allegations and by implementing measures such as corrections, retractions, republication with replacement, or full retraction when required, IJBL upholds its commitment to maintaining the validity, credibility, and ethical standards of scholarly research.