Article 1. Purpose

These regulations aim to prevent research misconduct and to foster research ethics and integrity for researchers in carrying out their activities in the Korean Society of Christian Religious Education (hereafter “the Society”) including manuscript submission, presentation, and contribution to journals. These regulations also intend to establish ethical guidelines to provide a fair procedural framework to verify integrity upon occurrence of research misconduct in an impartial and systematic manner.

Article 2. Scope of Application

These regulations are applied to persons who are either directly or indirectly associated with research activities performed by (a) member(s) of the Society and to those who submit manuscripts to the Journal of Christian Education in Korea.

Article 3. Education in Research Ethics

This Society provides its members educational training programs concerning issues of research integrity such as ethical standards of research, scope of misconduct, process for identification of and handling allegations of research misconduct, and investigational procedure.

Article 4. Scope of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct (hereinafter referred to as “misconduct”) refers to any instances of fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, misattribution of authorship, or redundant publication that may emerge during the research process including proposal, performance, reporting, and presentation of research defined by each item (below:)

① “Fabrication” refers to the act of presenting non-existent data or research results.
② “Falsification” refers to the act of deliberately modifying research materials, equipment, and processes, or distorting research content or results by arbitrarily altering and deleting data.
③ “Plagiarism” refers to the act of using others’ ideas, research content, or results without obtaining proper approval from the author(s) or without appropriate remarks or citation.
④ “Misattribution of Authorship” refers to the failure to list those who contributed scientifically/academically to the research process or results as authors/translators without justifiable reason, or conversely to the act of listing those who have not made any scientific/academic contribution as authors/translators out of appreciation or respect.
⑤“Redundant publication” refers to the act of presenting or publishing a paper that overlaps substantially with one that was already published, in the press, or as an electronic media submission.
⑥ All other acts that go drastically beyond the typically permissible scope within the academic community and the violation of the standard codes of scholarly conduct that requires investigation by the Committee.

Article 5. Establishment and Operation

In order to prevent misconduct and evaluate allegations of research misconduct as outlined in Article 4, the Society has formed the Research Ethics Committee as the regulatory body.

The Committee shall deliberate on and determine each of the following matters:

① Matters related to establishment of and education concerning research ethics
② Matters related to prevention of possible misconduct and launch of investigation
③ Matters related to protection of informer and obligation of confidentiality
④ Matters related to verification of research misconduct, results and follow-up measures
⑤ Matters related to restore honor of examinee
⑥ Matters presented by the chairperson for consideration.

Article 6. Composition

The committee will consist of seven members, including the two ex officio members. The President and the general manager of the Society are ex officio members. The President of the Society appoints the chairperson and members of the committee. One of the committee members will be designated to administrate the committee’s tasks.

Article 7. Duration

The duration of appointment is initially for 1 year and can be reappointed.

Article 8. Tasks

The Committee shall deliberate on and determine each of the following matters:
① Matters related to establishment and operation of systems for research ethics
② Matters related to receiving and handling information on misconduct
③ Matters related to launch of investigations, judgment of the alleged cases, approval of investigation results and reexamination
④ Matters related to protection of informer and examinee
⑤ Matters related to handling of research ethics verification results and follow-up measures
⑥ Matters regarding operation of the Committee.

Article 9. Meetings

① The chairperson shall convene and preside over the meeting.
② A minimum of two thirds of the committee members are required to compose a quorum and a two thirds vote of the members present must pass in order to make a decision.
③ In principle, the meetings are held in private. If necessary, the person concerned can be present to explain his/her opinion.

Article 10. Rights and Responsibility

① The Committee may request the informer, examinee, witness(es), and testifier(s) to attend the investigation and to submit the materials.
② The Committee may take measures to preserve evidence of relevant research materials.
③ If examinee declines attendance or refuses submission of evidence for investigation it is presumed to admit suspicion of misconduct.
④ All matters related to the investigation including but not limited to, information (report), examination, deliberation, and resolution shall be kept confidential.

Article 11. Information and Receipt of Misconduct

An informer may, in principle, inform the Society of alleged misconduct via all possible means, including, but not limited to, oral and written statements and email. However, should the informer make a report under his/her real name, he or she shall submit the title of the research project or the title of the thesis, as well as the details and evidence of the alleged misconduct via written statements.

Article 12. Protection of Rights and Confidentiality of Informer

① In any case, the identity of the informer shall not be directly or indirectly exposed so as to protect the informer.
② Any informer who falsely reports misconduct knowingly or who reports misconduct despite being able to determine it as false shall not be subject to protection and, depending on the case, the committee may notify the institution of the informer’s identity.

Article 13. Protection of Rights and Confidentiality of Examinee

① Until the final result of investigation is affirmed, any suspicion of misconduct shall not be disclosed to the public.
② The Committee shall take caution not to violate, discredit, or damage the honor or rights of the examinee, and make efforts to restore the honor of an examinee for whom suspicions have been cleared.

Article 14. Guarantee of Objection and Defense Right

The Committee shall guarantee the informer and the examinee equal rights and opportunities to state opinions, to make an objection, and to defend him or herself.

Article 15. Launch and Duration of Investigation and Judgment

① The investigation, including judgment, shall be completed within 90 days from the date it was launched.
② In principle, the alleged misconduct shall not be dealt with if two years have elapsed from the date of the initial report of it.

Article 16. Request for Attendance and Material Submission

① The Committee may request the informer, examinee, witness(es), and testifier(s) to attend the investigation.
② The Committee may request the examinee to submit materials.

Article 17. Sanctions on Research Misconduct

If clear evidence of misconduct is found, the Committee may respond in one of the following ways:

① Warning
② Retracing a publication (notifying the result of investigation to the institution)
③ Prohibiting submission of the manuscript to the Society for three years

Article 18. Notification of result

Results of the investigation shall be notified in written form to the informer and examinee immediately.

Article 19. Reexamination

Request for reexamination shall be made within 30 days after the committee notifies the examinee of the result of the initial investigation. Reexamination, including judgment, shall be completed within 90 days from the date it was requested.

Article 20. Confidentiality

All matters related to the investigation, including, but not limited to, information (report), examination, deliberation, and resolution shall be kept confidential. Those who are either directly or indirectly involved in the investigation shall not disclose any information obtained during the course of the investigation and while performing their respective duties related to the investigation.

Article 21. Preservation and Disclosure of Records

① Records of the investigations shall be kept by the Society for five years from the end of the investigation.
② The Final Report may be disclosed after the judgment is finalized, but the information related to identities, such as a list of all participants including the informer, Committee members, witnesses, testifiers, and those who provided consultation, may be excluded from such disclosure if the information is considered a threat to pose injury to those involved.

Article 22. Application

Unless there are special regulations in place with regards to the establishment of research ethics and the verification of research integrity, all relevant matters shall be handled based on the policy and regulation of the Act on Academic Research Ethics.

Addendum

1. These regulations shall take effect following the approval of the Board of Directors of the Society.
2. These regulations shall enter into force on June 14, 2008.

Enactment Date: June 14, 2008.
Enforcement Date: June 14, 2008.
Revision Date: January 15, 2016.