Authors must be honest in presenting their results and conclusions of their research. Research misconduct is harmful for knowledge. It could mislead other researchers. Almost every step in the publishing process involves important ethical principles. Having clear statements on these issues can encourage responsible publication practices.
Clear guidelines on submission of the work:
The first page must bear
the work has not been published before
the work is not under consideration elsewhere
copyright has not been breached in seeking its publication
the publication has been approved by all co-authors and responsible authorities at the institute or organization where the work has been carried out
What type of content is or is not acceptable for publication For example:
are translations of previously published articles acceptable?
are extended versions of conference proceedings acceptable?
In these cases, the author is expected to give full disclosure for transparency reasons, but it could also be necessary for the author to seek approval from the original publisher. It should also be noted that different disciplines have different expectations. There are no universally agreed rules or regulations.
There may arise two distinct situations: serious scientific fraud or errors. Errors could be due to negligence (for example statistical errors) or honest errors which are part of the normal course of doing research. It is therefore important to treat potential cases with care as academic careers could be at risk.
Steps to follow when encountering possible misconduct:
Treat all potential misconduct cases confidentially
Keep records of written communication including the allegation and the evidence of the complainant
Raise the issue with the accused (co-)author in a timely manner
Assess what exactly has happened (fact finding) and be transparent and final about decisions
Research results
Fabrication, falsification or selective reporting of data with the intent to mislead or deceive is unethical, as is the theft of data or research results from others. The results of research should be recorded and maintained to allow for analysis and review. Following publication, the data should be retained for a reasonable period and made available upon request. Exceptions may be appropriate in certain circumstances in order to preserve privacy, to assure patent protection, or for similar reasons.
Authorship
All those who have made a significant contribution should be given chance to be cited as authors. Other individuals who have contributed to the work should be acknowledged. Articles should include a full list of the current institutional affiliations of all authors, both academic and corporate.
Plagiarism Checking
** Similarity score of submitted manuscript as per UGC Guidelines mentioned below
[UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION’S NOTIFICATION on PROMOTION OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND PREVENTION OF PLAGIARISM IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS REGULATIONS, 2018 (page 10, point 7 &
8)]
Similarity checks for exclusion from Plagiarism
All quoted work reproduced with all necessary permission and/or attribution.
All references, bibliography, table of content, preface and acknowledgements.
All generic terms, laws, standard symbols and standards equations.
Note:
The research work carried out by the student, faculty, researcher and staff shall be based on original ideas, which shall include abstract, summary, hypothesis, observations, results, conclusions and recommendations only and shall not have any similarities. It shall exclude a common knowledge or coincidental terms, up to fourteen (14) consecutive words.
Levels of Plagiarism
Plagiarism would be quantified into following levels in ascending order of severity for the purpose of its definition:
Level 0: Similarities up to 10% - Minor similarities, no penalty
Level 1: Similarities above 10% to 40%
Level 2: Similarities above 40% to 60%
Level 3: Similarities above 60%
Reproducing text from other papers without properly crediting the source (plagiarism) or producing many papers with almost the same content by the same authors (self-plagiarism) is not acceptable. Submitting the same results to more than one journal concurrently is unethical. Exceptions are the review articles. Authors may not present results obtained by others as if they were their own. Authors should acknowledge the work of others used in their research and cite publications that have influenced the direction and course of their study.
One of the most common types of publication misconduct is plagiarism– when one author deliberately uses another’s work without permission, credit, or acknowledgment. Plagiarism takes different forms, from literal copying to paraphrasing some else are work and can include:
Data
Words and Phrases
Ideas and Concepts
Plagiarism has varying different levels of severity, such as:
How much of someone’s work was taken–a few lines, paragraphs, pages, the full article?
What was copied–result, method, or introduction section?
When it comes to your work, always remember that crediting the work of others (including your advisor’s or your own previous work) is a critical part of the process. You should always place your work in the context of the advancement of the field, and acknowledge the findings of others on which you have built your research.
Duplicate submission
Simultaneous submissions of the same manuscript to different journals will not be tolerated. The submitted article will be removed without consideration.
Literal Copying is reproducing a work word for word, in whole or in part, without permission and acknowledgment of the original source. Literal copying is only acceptable if you reference the source and put quotation marks around the copied text.
Keep track of sources you used while researching and where you used it in your paper.
Make sure you fully acknowledge and properly cite the original source in your paper.
Use quotation marks around word-for-word text and reference properly.
Substantial Copying can include research materials, processes, tables, or equipment. ‘Substantial’ can be defined as both quantity and quality of what was copied. If your work captures the essence of another’s work, it should be cited.
Ask yourself if your work has benefited from the skill and judgment of the original author?
The degree to which you answer ‘yes’ will indicate whether substantial copying has taken place. If so, be sure to cite the original source.
Paraphrasing is reproducing someone else’s ideas while not copying word for word, without permission and acknowledgment of the original source. Paraphrasing is only acceptable if you properly reference the source and make sure that you do not change the meaning intended by the source.
Make sure that you understand what the original author means.
Never copy and paste words that you do not fully understand.
Think about how the essential ideas of the source relate to your own work, until you can deliver the information to others without referring to the source.
Compare your paraphrasing with the source, to make sure you retain the intended meaning, even if you change the words.
Text Recycling is reproducing portions of an author’s own work in a paper, and resubmitting it for publication as an entirely new paper.
Put anything in quotes that is taken directly from a previously published paper, even if you are reusing something in your own words.
Make sure to reference the source accordingly.
Think about how the essential ideas of the source relate to your own work, until you can deliver the information to others without referring to the source.
Compare your paraphrasing with the source, to make sure you retain the intended meaning, even if you change the words.
When in doubt, always consult with your professor, advisor, or someone in a position of authority who can guide you to the right course of action.
Corrections and retractions
All authors have an obligation to inform and cooperate with journal editors to provide prompt retractions or correction of errors in published works.
The journal will issue retractions if:
There are clear evidence that the findings are unreliable, either as a result of misconduct (e.g. data fabrication) or honest error (e.g. miscalculation or experimental error);
The findings have previously been published elsewhere without proper cross-referencing, permission or justification (i.e. cases of redundant publication);
It constitutes plagiarism;
It reports unethical research
The journal will issue errata if:
A small portion of an otherwise reliable publication proves to be misleading (especially because of honest error);
The author list is incorrect (i.e. a deserving author has been omitted or somebody who does not meet authorship criteria has been included).
