Malpractice Policy

MEEN takes publication malpractice, research misconduct, ethical breaches, misinformation, and manipulation of scholarly communication seriously. The Journal is committed to investigating allegations of misconduct fairly, confidentially, transparently, and consistently in accordance with COPE guidance and recognized international publishing standards. Research Publishers warns that publication misconduct can:

  • Undermine public trust in research
  • Damage academic and institutional reputations
  • Corrupt the scientific evidence base
  • Waste research funding and editorial resources
  • Negatively affect public policy and professional practice.

Forms of Publication Malpractice

1. Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement

MEEN prohibits:

  • Plagiarism
  • Unattributed paraphrasing
  • Mosaic plagiarism
  • Translation plagiarism
  • Unauthorized reuse of copyrighted materials
  • Presentation of another person’s work as original.

All manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism-detection and duplication-checking software.

2. Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Publication malpractice includes:

  • Simultaneous submission to multiple journals
  • Duplicate publication
  • Salami publication
  • Republication without disclosure
  • Excessive reuse of previously published material.

Authors must disclose any overlapping publication, repository posting, conference publication, or prior dissemination.

3. Fabrication and Falsification

Research misconduct includes:

  • Fabrication of data, citations, experiments, or results
  • Falsification or manipulation of data
  • Deceptive image manipulation
  • Selective reporting of findings
  • Intentional misrepresentation of research outcomes.

The Journal may request raw data, image files, protocols, ethics documentation, or institutional confirmations during investigations.

4. Authorship Misconduct

Authorship malpractice includes:

  • Guest authorship
  • Honorary authorship
  • Gift authorship
  • Ghost authorship
  • Omission of legitimate contributors
  • Disputed authorship claims.

The Journal may require contributor statements or authorship confirmations where concerns arise.

5. Peer Review Misconduct

MEEN strictly prohibits:

  • Fabricated reviewer identities
  • Fraudulent reviewer accounts
  • Peer-review rings
  • Manipulation of editorial recommendations
  • Coercive reviewing behavior
  • Undisclosed reviewer conflicts
  • Misuse of confidential manuscript information.

6. Citation Manipulation

Citation misconduct includes:

  • Coercive citation practices
  • Citation cartels
  • Excessive self-citation
  • Adding irrelevant citations to infMEEN metrics
  • Deliberate distortion of scholarly context.

Editors and reviewers must not pressure authors to include citations unreMEENd to scholarly merit.

7. Misuse of Artificial Intelligence

Improper AI use includes:

  • Generating fabricated research content
  • Producing false citations or references
  • Undisclosed AI-generated text or images
  • Manipulation of peer review using AI systems
  • Generation of fraudulent submissions
  • Unauthorized uploading of confidential manuscripts into external AI systems.

Failure to disclose material AI use may constitute publication malpractice.

8. Misinformation and Disinformation

MEEN considers the deliberate creation, dissemination, or concealment of false or misleading scholarly information to be serious publication misconduct. This includes:

  • Intentionally misleading interpretation of findings
  • Dissemination of fabricated or deceptive research claims
  • Manipulation of public understanding of scientific evidence
  • Publication of fraudulent or deceptive datasets
  • Coordinated disinformation campaigns involving scholarly content
  • Deceptive use of AI-generated research outputs
  • Intentional omission of material limitations or contradictory evidence.

9. Ethical and Regulatory Non-Compliance

Serious ethical breaches include:

  • Absence of ethics approval
  • Failure to obtain informed consent
  • Unethical treatment of research participants or animals
  • Violation of privacy or confidentiality
  • Breach of data-protection laws
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest
  • Non-compliance with institutional or funding-body requirements.

Investigations of Misconduct

Allegations may be raised by authors, reviewers, editors, institutions, readers, whistleblowers, or third parties. Investigations may include:

  • Preliminary editorial assessment
  • Requests for explanations or evidence
  • Consultation with independent experts
  • Communication with institutions or funding bodies
  • Suspension of review or publication
  • Referral to ethics committees or publishers where necessary.

The Journal will conduct investigations confidentially and fairly while protecting the integrity of the scholarly record.

Editorial Actions and Sanctions

Where misconduct is identified, MEEN may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Manuscript rejection
  • Withdrawal of accepted manuscripts
  • Publication of corrections
  • Publication of expressions of concern
  • Article retraction
  • Temporary or permanent submission bans
  • Reviewer or editorial-board removal
  • Notification to institutions or funding agencies
  • Legal action where appropriate.

Retractions and Corrections

Retractions may occur where:

  • Findings are unreliable
  • Misconduct is confirmed
  • Plagiarism or duplicate publication is identified
  • Peer review was compromised
  • Serious ethical or legal breaches occurred.

Expressions of concern may be issued while investigations remain ongoing or inconclusive.

Confidentiality and Whistleblower Protection

MEEN will treat allegations and investigations confidentially where possible and appropriate. Individuals reporting concerns in good faith will be protected from retaliation to the extent permitted by law and institutional policy.