Research Misconduct and Ethics Violations Policy
Definition of Research Misconduct
Research misconduct includes any behavior that violates accepted ethical and scientific standards. The journal follows internationally recognized definitions, including those of COPE, APA, and ICMJE.
Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to:
1. Fabrication
Making up data, results, or experiments that were never conducted.
2. Falsification
Manipulating research materials, equipment, processes, or data such that the research is not accurately represented.
3. Plagiarism
Using another person's ideas, text, data, or results without proper citation.
This includes:
-
Direct plagiarism
-
Mosaic plagiarism
-
Self-plagiarism
-
Duplicate publication
4. Improper Authorship
Including individuals who did not contribute significantly or excluding those who did.
5. Ethical Violations in Human or Animal Research
This includes:
-
Lack of ethical approval
-
Absence of informed consent
-
Improper treatment of research subjects
6. Citation Manipulation
Artificially increasing citations for personal or journal benefit.
7. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest
Failing to disclose financial, institutional, or personal conflicts.
Handling Allegations of Misconduct
The journal takes all allegations seriously and follows COPE guidelines.
The process includes:
-
Initial assessment by the Editor-in-Chief
-
Review of evidence
-
Communication with authors
-
Consultation with reviewers and Editorial Board if necessary
-
Institutional notification when appropriate
Authors will be given an opportunity to respond.
Outcomes and Sanctions
If misconduct is confirmed, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:
-
Reject the manuscript
-
Issue a formal warning
-
Publish a correction
-
Publish an expression of concern
-
Retract the article
-
Ban authors from future submissions for a defined period
-
Notify authors’ institutions
Retractions will be clearly identified and remain permanently available to maintain transparency.
Corrections and Retractions
Corrections will be issued when:
-
Honest errors affect clarity but not validity
Retractions will be issued when:
-
Data is unreliable
-
Misconduct is confirmed
-
Plagiarism is detected
-
Ethical violations occurred
Confidentiality and Fair Investigation
All investigations will be conducted:
-
Fairly
-
Confidentially
-
Without bias
The journal protects whistleblowers acting in good faith.
Commitment to Research Integrity
The journal is committed to:
-
Maintaining scientific integrity
-
Ensuring ethical publishing
-
Preventing research misconduct
-
Following COPE international ethical standards