Jurnal Lingkungan is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity. Any allegation of research misconduct is taken seriously and will be investigated in a fair and transparent manner. Below are the procedures for handling allegations of research misconduct:

1. Types of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following behaviors:

• Plagiarism: The use of another author's work, ideas, or data without proper acknowledgment.
• Fabrication: Making up data, results, or any other information in a manuscript.
• Falsification: Manipulating research data or altering results in a way that misrepresents the true findings.
• Improper Authorship: Including authors who have not contributed significantly to the research, or excluding those who have made substantial contributions.
• Conflict of Interest: Failing to disclose any financial or personal conflicts that could affect the research.
• Misuse of Research Funds: Inappropriate use of research funding for personal or non-research purposes.
• Violation of Ethical Standards: Failure to obtain proper ethical approval for studies involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data.

2. Reporting Allegations

• Any individual (e.g., authors, reviewers, or third parties) who suspects research misconduct is encouraged to report the concern to the editorial team.
• Allegations should be made in writing and should include specific details about the misconduct, along with any supporting evidence.
• Reports can be submitted confidentially to the editor-in-chief or managing editor via email or the journal’s reporting system.

3. Initial Review of Allegations

• Upon receiving an allegation, the editorial team will conduct an initial review to assess the credibility of the claim.
• If the allegation is deemed serious enough, the manuscript will be temporarily suspended from the review process, pending investigation.
• The author(s) of the manuscript will be informed of the allegation and given an opportunity to respond.

4. Investigation of Misconduct

• The editorial team will investigate the allegation thoroughly and in a timely manner, following COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.
• If necessary, the editorial team may consult with independent experts or external authorities to assess the severity of the misconduct.
• During the investigation, the anonymity and confidentiality of all parties involved will be respected.

5. Actions and Consequences

Based on the findings of the investigation, the following actions may be taken:

• No Misconduct Found: If the investigation concludes that there is no evidence of misconduct, the manuscript will proceed through the normal review and publication process.
• Minor Misconduct: If misconduct is minor, the editorial team may request the authors to correct the errors or revise the manuscript accordingly.
• Major Misconduct: If the misconduct is deemed serious (e.g., significant data manipulation, plagiarism, etc.), the following actions may be taken:
  • Rejection of the Manuscript: The manuscript will be rejected outright.
  • Retracted Publication: If the article has already been published, it may be retracted from the journal, with a public notice explaining the reason.
  • Banning the Author(s): In cases of severe or repeated misconduct, the authors may be banned from submitting to the journal for a set period or indefinitely.

6. Transparency and Communication

• The journal will ensure transparency throughout the investigation process.
• If an article is retracted or withdrawn due to misconduct, the retraction notice will be published, and the reasons for the retraction will be clearly explained.
• The results of the investigation will be communicated to all parties involved, including the author(s), reviewers, and any relevant institutions.

Note: All allegations of research misconduct will be handled in accordance with the policies outlined by Jurnal Lingkungan and COPE guidelines to ensure fairness, integrity, and transparency in the publication process.