Ethics Guideline

Ethics Charter and Operational Provision of the Committee of Ethics for the Geological Society of Korea

Article 1. Ethics Charter

The purposes and objectives for which the Geological Society of Korea, as an academic organization to contribute to the interests of the society, are formed shall be: (a) encouraging basic and applied geological research, and (b) developing technology and disseminating knowledge. Thus, this society establishes the ethics charter of the Geological Society of Korea in order to take an initiative in promoting the ethics of the society and its members by setting up ethical principles and standards that need to be maintained in the process of achieving the goal and the vision of the society.

1. Section 1. We contribute to the academic development of basic and applied geological research, technological progress, and dissemination of knowledge to promote public interest.
2. Section 2. We are not against the society's purpose of establishment and do not wish to damage the dignity of the society. We perform academic activities and various business on a fair basis according to the ethics.
3. Section 3. We strive to disclose accurate scientific information from research and make efforts for technological development and its dissemination.
4. Section 4. We do not use others' original research or the part of their arguments in our papers or writings and respect their ownerships.
5. Section 5. We evaluate a manuscript without fear or favor according to our academic consciences and perform technical advice honestly and responsibly.
6. Section 6. We do not unduly and improperly utilize information obtained in conjunction with research performance and its examination.

Article 2. Operational Provision of the Committee of Ethics

1. Section 1. (Purpose)

   The purpose of the operational provision of the committee of Ethics for the Geological Society of Korea (hereinafter referred to as the society) is to establish research ethics of the society by setting up standards and penalties of the violation of the ethics charter and research misconduct.

2. Section 2. (The Research Ethics)
   1. 1. We are not against the society's purpose of establishment and do not wish to damage the dignity of the society. We perform academic activities and various business ventures on a fair basis.
   2. 2. We maintain academic objectivity in the whole process of evaluating academic performance, disclosing data sources, not manipulating them through falsification, fabrication, or plagiarism, and not using others' intellectual properties at one's disposal.
   3. 3. The author who submits his or her paper to the society should not send it to other domestic or international journals at the same time for publication, or should not republish research if it has already been published elsewhere.
   4. 4. The author of a research paper is limited to the person who contributes to the research work and he or she should not omit people who contribute to the research on purpose. The Uniform Requirements by the ICMJE recommends authorship as follows. Authorship credit should be based on (1) Substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; and (2) Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and (3) Final approval of the version to be published; and (4) Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. Authors should meet conditions of (1), (2), (3), and (4).
3. Section 3. (Organization of the Committee of Ethics)
   1. 1. The society establishes and manages the committee of ethics in order to achieve the goal of the operational provision.
   2. 2. The director and the committee members of the committee of ethics consist of minimum 5 and maximum 9 members, including the vice president of the society and the editor-in-chief.
   3. 3. The board of directors decides the composition of the committee and the appointment of the committee members.
   4. 4. The appointed members can refuse to redeem their duties when they believe that their duties directly or indirectly are a big stake in their interests or believe that they cannot ensure fairness.
4. Section 4. (Functions and Administration of the Committee of Ethics)
   1. 1. The committee of ethics deliberates on the members' violation of the ethics charter and research ethics filed to the committee of ethics.
   2. 2. One should get more than ten members' signatures to file to the committee.
   3. 3. The member who is accused to the committee of ethics due to the violation of the ethics charter and research ethics should cooperate with the committee's investigation.
   4. 4. The deliberation and the decision of the filed cases should be made within 60 days from the date of registration. The decision is made by the approval of two-thirds vote of the committee members present and two-thirds of the attendees. The result should be reported to the board of directors.
   5. 5. The duties of the editorial committee of the society are to investigate research misconduct, such as plagiarism, and to report its results to the committee of ethics, while the committee of ethics determines penalties and sanctions.
5. Section 5. (Scope and Definitions of Research Misconduct)

   Research misconduct is defined as falsification, fabrication, plagiarism, and improprieties of authorship done in research proposals, research performance, reports on the research results, and presentations. Definitions are as follows:

   1. 1. "Falsification" is behavior of making false data or research outcomes that do not exist.
   2. 2. "Fabrication" is behavior of distorting contents of research or research results by intentionally manipulating research materials, equipments, and processes, arbitrarily altering, or deleting data.
   3. 3. "Plagiarism" is behavior of utilizing academic ideas and contents and results of research without any permission or references provided.
   4. 4. "Improprieties of authorship" is behavior of making improper assignment of credit, such as excluding others who contribute to the research work and including individuals as authors who have not made a scientific or technological contribution to the work by reason of expression of gratitude or respectful treatment.
6. Section 6. (Investigation Procedure of Research Misconduct)

   The committee of ethics has full responsibility in discovering research misconduct. The committee should provide the informants and the examinees the rights of statement, formal objection, and counterargument. The examination process consists of preliminary investigation, primary investigation, and decision in order.

7. Section 7. (Preliminary Investigation)
   1. 1. The preliminary investigation is the procedure of making a decision on whether the primary investigation is needed or not for possible research misconduct and should be undertaken within thirty days from the date of a report.
   2. 2. The committee of ethics autonomically decides the organization of the preliminary investigation.
   3. 3. If an examinee confesses his or her research misconduct, then the final decision can be made without going through the primary investigations.
   4. 4. The chair of the committee of ethics makes a decision on the necessity of the primary investigation after the preliminary investigation is over and submits preliminary investigation reports to the president of the society.
   5. 5. The chair of the committee of ethics should notify the result of the preliminary investigation to the informant in written form within 10 days after the termination of the investigation. If the primary investigation is not required, then the chair has to clarify detailed cause. If the informant is anonymous, the notification is unnecessary.
8. Section 8. (Primary Investigation)
   1. 1. The primary investigation is the procedure for proving whether research misconduct is true or not.
   2. 2. The primary investigation committee (hereinafter referred to as the committee) consists of more than five members including the committee chair and this composition is determined by the committee of ethics.
   3. 3. The ethics committee should notify the list of the committee members to the informant and receive informants’ objection for the list.
   4. 4. If the informant raises an objection for the committee composition and the committee of ethics acknowledges its validity, current investigation members can be replaced. However, if the objection is considered to be valid, it may not be accepted. The related documents should be recorded in any case.
   5. 5. When the investigation begins, the committee should notify the informant and the examinee about beginning the investigation.
   6. 6. The committee can require informants, examinees, witnesses, and testifiers to attend for testimony and in this case the examinees should comply with the request.
   7. 7. The decision is made by the approval of a two-thirds vote of a majority of the members present at a meeting.
   8. 8. The committee notifies the result of the investigation to the informant and the examinee, and accepts a formal objection.
   9. 9. The committee should submit the report to the ethics committee in written form.
9. Section 9. (Decision)
   1. 1. Decision is the process of confirming research misconduct, after going through the process of informants and examinees' objection and defense, and notifying them the results of the investigation in written form.
   2. 2. The whole investigation from the beginning of the preliminary investigation to the final decision should be completed within six months. If the ethics committee chair believes that it cannot be completed over the period, he or she can extend the investigation period after clarifying the reason.
   3. 3. If the informant or the examinee does not agree with the decision, he or she can enter a formal objection to the ethics committee within 30 days from the notification and if the formal objection is considered reasonable and valid, then the case should undergo further deliberation.
10. Section 10. (Opportunity for Explanation and Confidentiality)
    1. 1. The examinee, who is subject to the investigation of the misconduct due to the violation of the ethics charter and research ethics, is considered to be innocent before the final decision is made.
    2. 2. The committee should provide the examinee, who is subject to the investigation of the misconduct due to the violation of the ethics charter and research ethics, enough opportunity to plead an argument.
    3. 3. The identity of the relevant researcher should be kept confidential until the decision of the committee of ethics is made.
11. Section 11. (Penalties and Sanctions)
    1. 1. The committee of ethics determines penalties such as deprivation or suspension of one's membership of the society, or public apology, and report this to the board of directors.
    2. 2. The committee imposes the following sanctions against the author who is proclaimed a research wrongdoer, according to the relative seriousness of the violation, and its record should be reported to the society and the reports should be kept in the society for five years after the case is completed.
       1. a. Prevention of submission to the journal of the Geological Society of Korea for three years
       2. b. Deletion from the online paper list of the journal
       3. c. Public announcement of misconduct on the website and the newsletter after completing the investigative procedure
       4. d. Notification of research misconduct to the researcher, his or her affiliated organization, and research funds support institution
12. Section 12. (Confidentiality Obligation)

    Members of the committee of ethics, preliminary, and primary investigation have a responsibility to maintain security of information such as on identities of informants and examinees and to submit a written oath before the investigation begins.

13. Section 13. (Revision or Termination of the Operational Provision of the Committee of Ethics)

    The operational provision can be revised or terminated by deliberation of the board of directors and the vote of the general assembly.

Supplementary provision:

1. 1. The operational provision of the ethics committee is effective from January 1 in 2008 through the deliberation of the board of directors and the vote of the general assembly.
2. 2. The provision is effective right after the approval of the 476th periodical board of directors of the Geological Society of Korea in October 2. 2013.
3. 3. The revision of the provision is effective right after the approval of the 483th periodical board of directors of the Geological Society of Korea in October 29. 2014.