Dealing of Misconduct

Retraction Policy

The Editor-in-Chief of Kertas of Information and Communication Science (KICS) may consider the 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 a major error (e.g., miscalculation, methodological flaw) or due to misconduct such as data fabrication or image falsification.

  • 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, or third-party content.

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

  • The research violates accepted ethical standards (e.g., involving human/animal subjects without appropriate approval).

  • 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 may have unduly influenced the editorial or peer-review process.

Retraction Notice Guidelines

When a retraction is issued:

  • The retraction notice will be directly linked to the retracted article in all online versions.

  • The notice will clearly identify the retracted article by title, authors, and DOI.

  • It will be explicitly labeled as a retraction, not mistaken for an erratum or comment.

  • Retractions will be published promptly to minimize further dissemination of flawed or unethical research.

  • Retraction notices will be publicly accessible with no access or subscription barriers.

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

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

When Retractions Are Not Appropriate

KICS will not generally retract an article when:

  • There is a dispute over authorship, but the integrity of the research findings is intact.

  • The article contains minor errors that do not impact the overall conclusions and can be addressed with a correction.

  • Allegations of misconduct are inconclusive or an investigation is still pending.

  • A conflict of interest was disclosed after publication but is not judged to have significantly influenced the research or its outcomes.