Research Misconduct and Plagiarism Policy

Research Misconduct and Plagiarism Policy

1. Introduction

The EMITTER International Journal of Engineering Technology recognizes that research integrity is fundamental to the scholarly record. This policy outlines the reasonable steps taken by the journal to identify and prevent the publication of papers where research misconduct has occurred, and the procedures for dealing with allegations of such misconduct. This statement is based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

2. Commitment to Research Integrity

The Editorial Board and the publisher are committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards. Publishers and editors shall take reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of papers where research misconduct has occurred, including plagiarism, citation manipulation, and data falsification/fabrication, among others. In no case shall a journal or its editors encourage such misconduct, or knowingly allow such misconduct to take place.

3. Definition of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes actions that compromise the integrity of the research record. Key forms of misconduct identified by this journal include, but are not limited to:

  • Plagiarism: The appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.
  • Data Falsification and Fabrication: Manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing/omitting data (falsification), or making up data or results and recording them (fabrication).
  • Citation Manipulation: Excessive self-citation, coercive citation (where editors or reviewers force authors to cite specific papers to inflate citation counts), or "honorary" citations.
  • Image Manipulation: The inappropriate enhancement, obscuring, moving, removing, or introducing of specific features within an image.

4. Identification and Prevention Steps

To prevent research misconduct, the EMITTER International Journal of Engineering Technology implements the following measures:

Plagiarism Screening: EMITTER maintains a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism. All submitted manuscripts are strictly screened using iThenticate (or equivalent professional plagiarism detection software) prior to the peer-review process. Manuscripts must meet the journal's originality standards. Any manuscript displaying significant overlap with prior publications without proper attribution will be immediately rejected. Self-plagiarism (text recycling) is also monitored; authors must ensure their work is significantly distinct from their previously published outputs.

Data Review: Authors may be asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review. Editors reserve the right to request raw data to verify the authenticity of the results if questions regarding data integrity arise during the review.

5. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

In the event that a journal’s publisher or editors are made aware of any allegation of research misconduct relating to a published article or a manuscript under review, the publisher or editor shall follow COPE’s guidelines (or equivalent) in dealing with allegations.

6. Investigation Procedure

The procedure for handling such allegations is as follows:

  1. Initial Assessment: The Editor-in-Chief will conduct an initial assessment of the allegation (whether from a whistleblower, reader, or reviewer) to determine its credibility and whether it falls within the definition of research misconduct.
  2. Investigation: If the allegation is deemed credible, a thorough and confidential investigation will be initiated. The Editor-in-Chief may consult with the Editorial Board or external experts. The accused author(s) will be contacted and given a fair opportunity to respond to the allegations and provide an explanation or evidence.

7. Resolution and Consequences

Depending on the findings of the investigation, the journal will take appropriate action:

  • No Misconduct Found: The case will be closed, and the author informed.
  • Minor Infractions: In cases of honest error or minor misconduct, a formal Correction (Corrigendum/Erratum) will be issued to rectify the record.
  • Major Misconduct: In confirmed cases of plagiarism, data fabrication, or severe ethical breaches, the journal will issue a formal Retraction of the article. The retraction notice will clearly state the reason for the retraction and will be linked to the original article. The journal reserves the right to notify the author’s institution and impose a ban on future submissions.