The International Journal of Event Management Research is committed to protecting the integrity of the scholarly record. The journal follows the guidance and flowcharts of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when handling suspected research or publication misconduct.

COPE guidance is available at:
https://publicationethics.org/guidance

Authors must read the journal’s Author Guidelines, Publication Ethics Policy, Authorship Policy, Conflict of Interest Policy and other relevant editorial policies carefully before submitting a manuscript.

What Constitutes Misconduct

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

• plagiarism or excessive unattributed text overlap;

• data fabrication, falsification or manipulation;

• duplicate, redundant or simultaneous publication;

• inaccurate or false authorship claims;

• undeclared conflicts of interest;

• failure to obtain required ethical approval or informed consent;

• citation manipulation;

• peer-review manipulation;

• image, figure or data manipulation;

• misuse of confidential information; and

• false, misleading or fabricated references.

Raising an Allegation

Concerns may be raised by authors, reviewers, editors, readers, institutions or other interested parties. Allegations should be submitted in writing to [editorial email] and include clear supporting information wherever possible.

The journal will treat allegations confidentially and fairly. Anonymous allegations may be considered where sufficient evidence is provided.

Investigation Process

On receiving an allegation, the Editor-in-Chief or assigned independent editor will:

1. conduct an initial assessment of the evidence;

2. follow the relevant COPE guidance or flowchart;

3. contact the author(s) for an explanation where appropriate;

4. seek advice from reviewers, institutions, ethics committees, funders or other relevant bodies where necessary; and

5. maintain confidentiality while the matter is investigated.

Editors will not normally conduct a full institutional misconduct investigation. Where serious concerns arise, the matter may be referred to the relevant author institution, employer, funder or ethics body.

Possible Outcomes

Depending on the evidence and seriousness of the concern, IJEMR may:

• take no further action;

• request clarification, correction or revision;

• reject or withdraw a manuscript from review;

• issue a correction;

• publish an expression of concern;

• retract a published article;

• remove or restrict access to content where legally required;

• notify the author’s institution or relevant authority; or

• restrict future submissions from individuals involved in serious or repeated misconduct.

Corrections and Retractions

Where an error or misconduct affects the reliability or integrity of published work, IJEMR may issue a correction, expression of concern or retraction. Such notices will be clearly linked to the original article to preserve the transparency of the scholarly record.

Fairness and Non-Retaliation

The journal will make reasonable efforts to ensure that allegations are handled impartially, respectfully and without retaliation. Allegations made maliciously, frivolously or without a reasonable basis may themselves be considered inappropriate conduct.