Dealing of Misconduct

Retraction Policy

The Editor-in-Chief of Kertas of Health and Environmental Science (KHES) may consider retraction of a published article under the following circumstances:

Grounds for Retraction

A publication may be retracted if:

  • There is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable due to major error (e.g., miscalculation, methodological flaw) or due to misconduct such as data fabrication, falsification, or image manipulation.

  • The work constitutes plagiarism.

  • The findings have been published elsewhere without proper citation, permission, or acknowledgment (i.e., redundant or duplicate publication).

  • The article contains unauthorized use of data, materials, images, patient information, environmental datasets, or other third-party content.

  • There is infringement of copyright or other legal concerns such as libel, breach of privacy, confidentiality violations, or defamation.

  • The research reported violates accepted ethical standards, including applicable requirements for research involving human participants, animals, biological materials, or environmental studies.

  • The article was published following a compromised or manipulated peer-review process.

  • A significant conflict of interest was not disclosed, and in the Editor’s judgment, it could have unduly influenced the research, editorial, or peer-review process.

Retraction Notice Guidelines

When a retraction is issued:

  • The retraction notice will be linked to the retracted article in all versions available online.

  • The notice will clearly identify the retracted article, including the title, authors, and DOI.

  • The notice will be labeled clearly as a retraction and not mistaken for other types of notices, such as a correction, erratum, or comment.

  • Retractions will be published promptly to minimize any further harm, misinformation, or inappropriate reliance on unreliable findings.

  • Retraction notices will be freely accessible to the public, with no access or subscription barrier.

  • The notice will state who is issuing the retraction (e.g., the author, editor, or publisher).

  • The reason(s) for retraction will be explicitly stated in objective, factual, and non-inflammatory language.

When Retractions Are Not Appropriate

KHES will not generally retract an article when:

  • Authorship is disputed but the validity of the findings is not in question.

  • The article contains minor errors that do not affect the overall results or conclusions, and a correction is sufficient.

  • There is inconclusive evidence of misconduct or the results of a relevant institutional investigation are still pending.

  • Conflicts of interest were disclosed post-publication, but they are not deemed to have significantly influenced the work, interpretation, or outcomes.