Commitment to Research Integrity

Jurnal Manajemen Transportasi & Logistik (JMTRANSLOG) is committed to maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and reliability of the scholarly record. The journal takes credible allegations of research or publication misconduct seriously, whether they concern submitted manuscripts, accepted articles, published articles, or the editorial and peer-review process.

Concerns may be raised by authors, reviewers, readers, research collaborators, institutions, or other individuals with relevant information. The journal assesses allegations based on their substance and supporting evidence rather than on the identity or status of the person reporting them.

Forms of Misconduct

Research or publication misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

• Fabrication: inventing data, survey responses, operational records, observations, or research results and presenting them as genuine.
• Falsification: manipulating research materials, procedures, datasets, images, or results in a way that misrepresents the research record.
• Plagiarism: using another person's words, ideas, data, figures, or work without appropriate acknowledgement or permission where required.
• Duplicate or redundant publication: publishing substantially overlapping material without appropriate disclosure, attribution, permission, or justification.
• Authorship misconduct: including individuals who do not qualify as authors, excluding eligible contributors, or misrepresenting contributions.
• Peer-review manipulation: fabricating reviewer identities, improperly interfering with review reports, or attempting to compromise independent review.
• Citation manipulation: adding irrelevant citations or pressuring authors to cite particular work for reasons unrelated to scientific relevance.
• Undisclosed competing interests: concealing interests that could affect the conduct, interpretation, or evaluation of the research.
• Data misuse: using confidential, proprietary, or personal information without appropriate authorization or safeguards.
• Misrepresentation: presenting unsupported analytical claims, misleading policy recommendations, or manipulated operational findings as established evidence.

Research Data and Confidential Information

Transportation and logistics studies may involve proprietary operational data, business records, financial information, passenger or customer data, employee information, or other confidential materials. Authors must ensure that they have appropriate authorization to access and use such information and that relevant privacy, confidentiality, and legal requirements are respected.

Where required, authors should explain how confidentiality was protected, how data were obtained, and whether permissions or ethical approvals were necessary. The journal may request clarification or supporting documentation when concerns arise.

Reporting a Concern

Individuals who wish to report suspected misconduct should contact the editorial office through the journal's official contact channels. Reports should identify the relevant manuscript or article, describe the concern clearly, and provide supporting evidence where possible.

Anonymous reports may be considered when they contain sufficiently specific and verifiable information. However, the journal may be unable to proceed when an allegation lacks adequate detail or supporting evidence.

Assessment and Investigation

The editorial team will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether the concern is relevant, credible, and supported by sufficient information to justify further inquiry. The journal may request explanations from the authors, examine available research records, seek independent expert advice, or consult the relevant institution or organization.

Where an institutional investigation is appropriate, the journal may contact the responsible institution and request clarification or information about the outcome. The journal may pause editorial processing or take other proportionate interim measures while a significant concern is assessed.

The journal will seek to handle allegations fairly and confidentially, give relevant parties a reasonable opportunity to provide information, and avoid premature conclusions. Individuals involved in the assessment must disclose relevant conflicts of interest.

Possible Editorial Actions

Depending on the evidence, the seriousness of the concern, and its impact on the manuscript or published findings, the journal may:

• Request clarification, original data, research records, or additional documentation.
• Require correction or revision before further consideration.
• Pause the editorial process while a significant concern is assessed.
• Reject a manuscript when serious scientific or ethical concerns remain unresolved.
• Publish a correction or clarification when the published record requires amendment.
• Issue an expression of concern when a substantial issue remains unresolved and readers need to be informed.
• Retract a published article when the findings are unreliable or serious misconduct has compromised the publication.
• Notify the relevant institution or other responsible body when appropriate and lawful.

Fairness and Accountability

An allegation alone does not establish misconduct. Editorial action must be proportionate to the evidence and the potential impact on the reliability of the research. The journal will consider the seriousness of the issue, the available evidence, the explanations provided, and the need to protect the scholarly record.

The objective of this policy is to ensure that credible concerns are handled responsibly, that the rights of relevant parties are respected, and that published research remains as accurate and trustworthy as possible.