Handling Misconduct

Finance, Accounting and Business Analysis (FABA) is committed to protecting the integrity of the scholarly record. Allegations of research or publication misconduct are handled through a structured, transparent, and impartial process.

This policy operates in alignment with:

• Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement
• Plagiarism Screening Policy
• Redundant Publication & Self-Plagiarism Policy
• Conflict of Interest Policy
• Appeals & Complaints Policy

  1. Definition of Misconduct

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

• plagiarism (including AI-generated unattributed content);
• duplicate or redundant publication;
• data fabrication or falsification;
• image manipulation;
• authorship disputes or ghost authorship;
• undisclosed conflicts of interest;
• citation manipulation;
• unethical research practices;
• breach of peer review confidentiality.

  1. Reporting Allegations

Allegations may be submitted by authors, reviewers, readers, or institutions.

Complaints must:

• be submitted in writing to the Editorial Office;
• provide sufficient detail and supporting evidence;
• identify the manuscript or article in question.

Anonymous complaints may be considered if supported by credible evidence.

  1. Preliminary Assessment

Upon receiving an allegation, the Editor-in-Chief conducts a preliminary assessment to determine whether:

• the complaint is credible;
• further investigation is warranted;
• immediate action is required (e.g., temporary suspension of review).

If the allegation concerns the Editor-in-Chief, the case is referred to an independent senior editor or the Publisher.

  1. Investigation Procedure

If an investigation is initiated:

• the authors are informed and invited to respond;
• relevant documentation is requested;
• editorial board members may be consulted;
• external experts may be involved when necessary.

The journal may also contact the authors’ affiliated institutions if serious misconduct is suspected.

All investigations are conducted confidentially and impartially.

  1. Editorial Actions

Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the journal may:

Before publication:

• reject the manuscript;
• require correction or clarification;
• impose submission restrictions.

After publication:

• publish a correction;
• issue an expression of concern;
• retract the article;
• remove the article in cases of legal necessity.

Retraction notices will remain permanently accessible and clearly state the reason for retraction.

  1. Timeline

The journal aims to:

• acknowledge receipt of allegations within 7 days;
• complete preliminary assessment within 14 days;
• conclude investigations within 30–60 days, depending on complexity.

Complex institutional investigations may require extended timelines.

  1. Sanctions

Confirmed misconduct may result in:

• rejection of the manuscript;
• prohibition from future submissions for a defined period;
• notification of institutional authorities;
• publication of formal retraction.

Sanctions are proportionate to the severity of the misconduct.

  1. Protection Against Retaliation

The journal does not tolerate retaliation against individuals who report suspected misconduct in good faith.

  1. Commitment to Integrity

FABA prioritizes correction of the scholarly record over punitive measures. The primary objective of this policy is to ensure research reliability, transparency, and academic trust.