Scientific Misconduct
Here are some key examples of scientific misconduct:
- Data Falsification: This includes fabrication of data, deceptive reporting of findings, omitting conflicting data, or manipulating data to fit a desired outcome.
- Plagiarism: Appropriating another's work, ideas, or language without proper attribution and presenting it as your own
- Authorship Issues: Improper assignment of credit (excluding deserving authors, misrepresenting original work, including non-contributing authors).
- Misappropriation of Ideas: Unethical use of information obtained during the peer-review process, such as wholesale appropriation of another's work.
- Violation of Research Practices: Deviating from accepted research practices, manipulating experiments for biased results, or misreporting results.
- Non-Compliance with Regulations: Serious or repeated violations of regulations regarding funding use, animal care, human subject research, or responsible handling of materials.
- Misconduct-Related Behavior: Making unfounded accusations of misconduct, failing to report suspected misconduct, withholding relevant information, or retaliating against those involved in misconduct investigations.
AfAc Publisher's Specific Considerations
In addition to the above, AfAc Publisher considers these practices to be misconduct
- Duplicate Publication: Submitting the same work (in any language) to multiple journals simultaneously. Exceptions may be considered; refer to the "Duplicate Publication" policy.
- Lack of Transparency: Failing to disclose conflicts of interest, funding sources, or other relevant information.
Responding to Allegations of Misconduct
AfAc Publisher utilizes iThenticate software to detect potential plagiarism and encourages reviewers and readers to report any suspected misconduct. All allegations are investigated thoroughly following the COPE flowchart.
