Revista Electrónica de LEEME

4.4 Measures to be taken in substantiated cases of ethical misconduct or malpractice

Depending on its severity, the measures taken when ethical misconduct or malpractices has been detected may be:

• Informing the author or reviewer of the appearance of inadequate application of accepted ethical standards.
• Publication of a notice in the journal advising readers of the malpractice or ethical misconduct.
• A formal letter directed to the director of the department or director of the research agency that financed the project giving an account of the inappropriate conduct of the authors.
• Formal retraction or withdrawal of the publication from the journal in conjunction with an letter informing the director of the author’s or (if pertinent) reviewer’s department and notification of indexing services as well as notification of the publication’s readers.
• Banning of publication by the authors for a determined period of time.

   

4.3 Identification of unethical behaviors or malpractice

• Any ethical lapse or instance of malpractice can be brought to the attention of the journal’s editorial committee at any time . Examples of bad practices include but are not limited to those cited in section 4.1 of this guide.
• In a notification of this type, with the object of initiating an investigation by the editorial committee, the accuser should provide evidence. In such cases, the editorial committee will address the complaint as well as any subsequent allegations until reaching a resolution of the concern.
• In the case of a complaint, the editorial committee must make a decision, collecting any evidence and allegations, and avoid discussing the topic publicly until deciding to initiate an investigation.
• In cases of serious ethical misconduct, the committee may inform the institution that employs the accused, making such a decision in light of available evidence and expert consultation.