Ensuring proper acknowledgment of all individuals who have made substantial contributions to the research.
Discussing guidelines for determining authorship and the responsibilities associated with it.
Addressing issues related to ghostwriting and honorary authorship.
Plagiarism and Intellectual Property:
Discussing the importance of originality and proper citation practices to avoid plagiarism.
Establishing policies and procedures for handling allegations of plagiarism or intellectual property infringement.
Promoting awareness of copyright laws and ethical use of others' work.
Data Integrity and Research Misconduct:
Emphasizing the significance of maintaining accurate and transparent research data.
Highlighting the consequences of research misconduct, including fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism (FFP).
Discussing strategies for detecting and addressing research misconduct and the process of retracting articles if necessary.
Informed Consent and Human Subjects:
Addressing the ethical considerations and procedures involved in obtaining informed consent from human participants.
Discussing the protection of privacy, confidentiality, and the rights of participants during research studies.
Exploring ethical implications related to vulnerable populations, such as children, prisoners, and individuals with diminished capacity to consent.
Animal Research and Welfare:
Discussing the ethical guidelines and regulations for the use of animals in research.
Highlighting the importance of minimizing animal suffering, implementing appropriate care, and ensuring humane treatment.
Addressing the requirement for proper animal ethics committee approvals and compliance with relevant regulations.
Conflict of Interest and Funding Disclosure:
Conflicts of interest, such as financial, professional, or personal affiliations, that may influence research or publication.
Transparently disclosing funding sources and potential conflicts of interest.
Peer Review and Editorial Integrity:
Impartial and rigorous peer review processes to ensure high-quality publications.
Addressing issues of reviewer bias, conflicts of interest, and confidentiality.
Transparency in editorial decisions, reviewer selection, and feedback to authors.
Publication Ethics and Retraction:
The criteria for retracting an article include instances of plagiarism, falsification of data, duplicate publication, unethical research practices, or substantial errors that invalidate the study's conclusions. When such issues are identified, it is the responsibility of the authors to promptly notify the journal editor, providing a detailed explanation and supporting evidence. The editor, in turn, should initiate an investigation, consulting with experts and relevant stakeholders, and giving the authors an opportunity to respond. If the misconduct or ethical violation is confirmed, the article should be retracted with a clear and transparent statement explaining the reasons for retraction. This statement should be prominently displayed on the article, and the retraction notice should also be indexed and widely disseminated. Additionally, authors, editors, and publishers have a shared responsibility to correct the scientific record by issuing errata or corrigenda for minor errors or publishing expressions of concern when an investigation is ongoing. Transparent communication throughout the process is essential to maintain the integrity of scientific publishing and to uphold ethical standards in research.
Ethical Guidelines and Codes of Conduct:
Adherence to established ethical guidelines, such as those provided by professional societies or funding agencies.
Development and implementation of a code of conduct for authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers.
Addressing emerging ethical challenges in scientific publishing, such as preprints, data privacy, and artificial intelligence in research.
