Misconduct and Sanctions

At SOCRATES Journal, maintaining the highest standards of research ethics and publishing integrity is a priority. Any concerns related to research ethics or potential violations of our publishing ethics, whether occurring before or after publication, should be reported to the journal. If requested, the identities of claimants will be kept confidential.

Investigation Procedure

Upon receiving a report of potential misconduct, the editors will initiate a thorough investigation. Authors may be asked to provide supporting materials such as data, images, and supplementary resources. Editors will work collaboratively and may engage with relevant organizations or institutions to conduct a detailed investigation.

Types of Ethical Violations

SOCRATES Journal strictly prohibits:

  • Duplicate submissions
  • Fabricated or falsified data
  • Plagiarism
  • Citation manipulation
  • False authorship claims or disputes
  • Unethical research practices

Sanctions:

If any of these violations are identified, the following actions will be taken:

Sanctions Before Publication:

  • If misconduct is discovered during the review process, the article will be rejected immediately.
  • Authors failing to respond to journal communications during the review and acceptance process will be regarded as having withdrawn their submission.

Sanctions After Publication:

  • If misconduct is identified after an article has been accepted and is in the "Online First" stage, the article will be withdrawn from the website, and a withdrawal notice will be issued.
  • If the misconduct is discovered after publication, the article will be retracted in accordance with the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

Sanctions Based on Severity:

Depending on the severity of the misconduct, SOCRATES Journal may take the following measures:

  • Ban authors from submitting articles.
  • Prohibit individuals from serving as editors or reviewers for the journal.
  • Notify the author’s affiliated institutions, employers, or funding agencies about the misconduct.

Minor Errors

  • Unintentional errors made by authors may be corrected through a corrigendum.
  • Errors made by the publisher will be corrected through an erratum.

SOCRATES Journal adheres to the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines for handling ethical misconduct, following the COPE flowcharts to ensure fair and transparent processes.