Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics

Researcher Publishers is fully committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. In line with our mission to support open, transparent, and responsible research dissemination, all parties involved in the publication process, including publishers, editors, reviewers, and authors, are expected to follow ethical principles that ensure fairness, accuracy, and respect for intellectual property. Our policies are guided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and align with international standards for responsible research publication.

Duties of the Publisher

As an open access academic publisher, Researcher Publishers strives to:

  • Maintain transparency and integrity in all stages of the publication process.
  • Define clear and ethical relationships among the publisher, editors, reviewers, and authors.
  • Protect intellectual property and respect the privacy of authors, reviewers, and participants.
  • Ensure editorial independence, free from commercial or political influence.
  • Support open access dissemination under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivatives 4.0 License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), ensuring all content remains freely accessible for educational and scholarly use.

Duties of the Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring that all manuscripts are evaluated fairly, objectively, and without bias. They must:

  • Oversee a fair, unbiased, and timely peer review process.
  • Evaluate submissions based solely on academic merit, regardless of author identity or background.
  • Maintain confidentiality throughout the review and editorial stages.
  • Uphold the integrity of the academic record, issuing corrections, retractions, or clarifications when necessary.
  • Encourage transparency, research integrity, and adherence to ethical standards in all submissions.
  • Ensure that editorial decisions are independent and not influenced by personal or financial interests.

Duties of the Reviewers

Peer reviewers play a vital role in maintaining the quality and credibility of published research. Reviewers must:

  • Accept review invitations only for manuscripts within their expertise.
  • Conduct reviews objectively and constructively, providing thoughtful, respectful feedback.
  • Keep all information from the review process strictly confidential.
  • Declare any conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment.
  • Avoid using any information gained through peer review for personal or professional advantage.
  • Complete reviews in a timely manner and uphold the highest standards of academic integrity.

Duties of the Authors

Authors must uphold honesty, transparency, and originality in all aspects of their research and publication. Authors are expected to:

  • Submit only original and unpublished work that is free from plagiarism, data fabrication, or falsification.
  • Properly cite and acknowledge all sources and prior work.
  • Ensure that all listed authors have made a significant contribution to the research and approve the final version of the manuscript.
  • Disclose funding sources and any potential conflicts of interest.
  • Not submit the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously.
  • Avoid republishing the same work elsewhere once it has been accepted and published by Researcher Publishers, in accordance with copyright policy.

Publication Misconduct

Researcher Publishers treats allegations of research or publication misconduct with the utmost seriousness. All manuscripts undergo checks and investigations to safeguard the the integrity of the scholarly record.

Screening and Detection

  • All submissions are screened for plagiarism, overlap, and duplicate content using the detection tool Turnitin.
  • Editors may flag manuscripts that show signs of excessive similarity, manipulated text or figures, or suspicious data patterns.
  • Suspected misconduct may include plagiarism, self-plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, image/data manipulation, redundant or duplicate publication, ghost or gift authorship, or undisclosed conflicts of interest.

Investigation Procedure

  • Upon suspicion of misconduct, the editor first contacts the corresponding author, requesting an explanation and relevant documentation.
  • If the response is unclear or unsatisfactory, the matter may be escalated to the authors’ institution or research integrity office, following COPE guidelines.
  • Editors follow the COPE flowcharts relevant to each type of misconduct (e.g. plagiarism, duplicate publication, authorship disputes) to guide their decisions.
  • Throughout the process, confidentiality is maintained, and involved parties are given fair opportunity to respond.

Sanctions and Corrective Actions

Depending on the severity and nature of the misconduct, possible outcomes include:

  • Rejection of the manuscript (if misconduct is found during review).
  • Withdrawal of the manuscript prior to publication.
  • Retraction of a published article, accompanied by a clear and linked retraction notice explaining the reasons. Retraction notices will follow COPE guidelines: signed by the editor and/or authors, clearly linked to the article, and with explanatory detail.
  • Expression of Concern: If an investigation is ongoing or inconclusive, editors may issue an expression of concern to alert readers while awaiting resolution.
  • Publication of Corrections or Errata: For honest mistakes or minor errors, a correction or erratum may suffice.
  • Bans on Future Submission: Authors, reviewers, or editors found to commit serious breaches may be barred from future submissions or reviewing responsibilities.
  • Notification to Institutions: In serious cases, affiliated institutions or funding bodies may be informed to seek further action.

Post-Publication Oversight

  • Researcher Publishers monitors published works, and if credible misconduct emerges post-publication, the same procedures will apply.
  • Retractions or corrections remain permanently part of the publication record; original articles are marked with watermarks or notices but generally remain accessible to preserve the scholarly record.
  • We commit to transparency: retraction or correction notices will clearly state the reason (misconduct, and honest error, ethical violation) to distinguish intentional wrongdoing from mistakes.

Collaboration with Institutions

  • In many cases, formal investigation responsibility lies with the author’s institution or research integrity office. Editors may liaise with institutions to resolve allegations.
  • Editors may refrain from acting alone in complex or contested cases, especially where institutional feedback or evidence is needed.

References

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. https://publicationethics.org
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers. https://publicationethics.org