PROCEDURE IN THE EVENT OF A REPORT OF A SUSPECTED BREACH OF COPYRIGHT AND PUBLICATION ETHICS

Implementation and Operational Annex to the Anti-Plagiarism Policy of the journal “Podstawy Edukacji”

 

1. Purpose of the procedure and general provisions

This procedure sets out the detailed operational steps to be taken by the Editorial Board of the journal “Podstawy Edukacji” in situations where a report is received or a suspicion arises of a breach of copyright, in particular plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication and dishonest authoring practices (ghostwriting, guest authorship).

Maintaining the highest ethical standards in publishing practice is a priority for the journal. Every report of a potential infringement – whether arising from algorithmic verification, from reviewers, members of the editorial board, or third parties (readers) – is treated with the utmost seriousness and diligence.

The procedure is carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the principle of editorial confidentiality.

2. Sources and methods of reporting infringements

A suspected copyright infringement may be identified in three ways:

1. internal algorithmic and editorial checks – detection of a high degree of similarity in the Crossref Similarity Check – iThenticate system by the lead editor,
2. a report from a reviewer – a situation in which a reviewer, during the substantive assessment, identifies a match between the manuscript and another work, whether published or in preparation (the reviewer has an absolute obligation to inform the Editorial Board of this),
3. an external report – a written or electronic report from a reader, another researcher or an institution, sent to the Editorial Board’s official, dedicated email address: pe@ujd.edu.pl. The Editorial Board ensures the complete confidentiality of the reporter’s identity.
   
   
   
4. Stages of the investigation

Stage I: Preliminary analysis and preservation of material

1. Upon receipt of a report or the detection of irregularities based on a similarity report, the editor-in-charge shall immediately suspend the publication/peer-review process for the text in question.
2. The managing editor carries out a formal analysis of the report – comparing the manuscript with the source text, assessing the extent of repetition, the degree of copying and the structure of the argument (in accordance with Section 7 of the Anti-Plagiarism Policy).
3. The Editor-in-Chief of the journal is informed of the suspicion and the initiation of the procedure.

Stage II: Contact with the Author and the right to a defence

1. The editorial team writes to the corresponding author (who is responsible for the accuracy of the statements) requesting a response to the allegations made.
2. Authors have the full right to defend themselves and clarify the situation. In the event of suspicions of data manipulation or fabrication, the Editorial Board – pursuant to Section 7(3) of the anti-plagiarism policy – has the right to request the submission of raw source data or research notes.
3. The author has 14 days from receipt of the request to submit a written explanation.

Stage III: Expert consultation and editorial decision

1. If the author’s explanations are insufficient, raise doubts, or the author fails to respond within the specified time limit, the Editor-in-Chief shall appoint an independent member of the scientific board or an additional external expert to conduct an impartial assessment of the evidence presented.
2. On the basis of the material gathered (similarity report, statements from the parties, expert opinion), the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the Editorial Team, makes the final editorial decision.
   
   
   
3. Remedial measures and sanctions
   
   A. In the case of manuscripts prior to publication:
   1. Minor, unintentional breaches – if the borrowings result from an obvious error in citation or the omission of quotation marks despite a correct bibliography, the editorial team requires the author to correct the text and supplement the references.
   2. In the case of significant breaches (including, amongst others, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, ghostwriting and data fabrication), the following measures are taken:

• the manuscript is unconditionally rejected,
• the author is informed in writing of the detailed grounds for the rejection of the text,
• the editorial board may notify the author’s employing (affiliated) institution and the research funding body of the scientific misconduct,
• the author (and co-authors) may be subject to a temporary or permanent ban on publishing in the journal "Podstawy Edukacji".
  
  B. In the case of articles already published:

If a breach of copyright or ethical standards is revealed and documented after the article has appeared in digital or print form, the Editorial Board acts in accordance with COPE procedures (Section 9 of the anti-plagiarism policy):

1. retraction – the text is permanently withdrawn from all online platforms and indexing databases where the journal is available,
2. transparency of retraction – information regarding the grounds for removal, together with a clear explanation (retraction notice), is published on the journal’s online platforms and in the next printed issue. The article file itself is marked with the watermark ‘RETRACTED’,
3. minor errors/unintentional research errors – where an unintentional error is identified that does not invalidate the entire study, the Editorial Board publishes a corrigendum or an expression of concern,
4. The author’s academic institution and the publishers of any journals whose copyright has been infringed are notified of the retraction and its reasons.
   
   
   
5. Right of appeal

In accordance with Section 11 of the Anti-Plagiarism Policy, the author has the right to lodge a written appeal against the Editorial Board’s disciplinary decisions within a strict deadline of 14 days from the date of delivery of the decision.

The appeal must contain a detailed, substantive justification and new evidence relating to the case.

The appeal is considered by the Editor-in-Chief together with a new, independent member of the scientific board appointed for this purpose, and the decision taken is final.

6. Documentation and confidentiality

Every instance of a reported or detected breach is documented in detail and permanently in the editorial records of the journal „Podstawy Edukacji”.

This documentation includes: the content of the report, the iThenticate report, correspondence with authors, expert opinions, and the text of resolutions adopted and disciplinary letters issued.

All documentation is subject to a confidentiality clause and may not be disclosed to third parties, with the exception of disciplinary bodies of the institutions employing the author or authorised regulatory bodies.