🧪 General Principle

Research misconduct and publication misconduct undermine the integrity and reliability of the scholarly record.

LQP expects authors, editors, reviewers, and other participants in the publication process to act honestly, transparently, and responsibly.

LQP does not tolerate deliberate or serious misconduct, including fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, fraudulent authorship practices, manipulation of the peer review process, or other actions that compromise the integrity of research or publication.

🐾 Types of Research and Publication Misconduct

Potential misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

• Fabrication of research data or results
• Falsification or inappropriate manipulation of data
• Plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism or inappropriate text reuse
• Duplicate or redundant publication
• Undisclosed overlapping publications
• Manipulation or inappropriate alteration of images
• Manipulation of research results
• Misrepresentation of research findings
• False or misleading statements regarding ethical approval
• Failure to obtain required informed consent
• Inappropriate authorship or contributorship
• Ghost, guest, or honorary authorship
• Unauthorized authorship changes
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest
• Peer review manipulation
• Reviewer identity manipulation
• Citation manipulation
• Fabricated or manipulated references
• Misuse or inappropriate disclosure of confidential information
• Misrepresentation of data availability
• Failure to comply with applicable research ethics requirements
• Other serious conduct that may compromise the integrity of the scholarly record

🧫 Allegations Before Publication

If an allegation of misconduct is raised before publication, the editorial team may:

1. Assess the nature and credibility of the allegation.
2. Request an explanation or supporting documentation from the authors.
3. Request relevant research, ethical approval, consent, or other documentation.
4. Consult reviewers, editors, or appropriate subject experts where necessary.
5. Contact the relevant institution or research organization where appropriate.
6. Suspend consideration of the manuscript while the matter is investigated.
7. Reject the manuscript if serious misconduct is established or cannot be satisfactorily resolved.

LQP may also refer serious matters to the appropriate institution or authority for further investigation.

🌱 Allegations After Publication

Concerns may be raised after an article has been published.

LQP will assess credible allegations that may affect the reliability, integrity, or ethical status of a published article.

Depending on the nature of the concern, LQP may:

• Request an explanation from the authors
• Request supporting research documentation
• Contact the authors' institution
• Consult appropriate experts
• Conduct an editorial investigation
• Publish a correction
• Publish an expression of concern
• Retract the article
• Take another appropriate editorial action

The appropriate action will depend on the seriousness and nature of the findings.

🧾 Initial Assessment of Allegations

Not every allegation constitutes research misconduct.

The editorial team will consider whether an allegation is sufficiently credible and relevant to warrant further investigation.

Where appropriate, the assessment may consider:

• The evidence provided
• The nature and seriousness of the allegation
• Whether the concern affects the reliability of the research
• Whether the matter can be addressed through clarification or correction
• Whether institutional investigation is required
• Relevant ethical and publication standards

LQP seeks to avoid making conclusions about misconduct without appropriate evidence.

📊 Author Response

When an allegation concerns an author or manuscript, the authors may be given an opportunity to respond and provide relevant evidence or clarification.

Authors are expected to cooperate with reasonable editorial requests.

Failure to respond does not automatically establish misconduct; however, failure to provide reasonable clarification or documentation may affect the editorial handling of the matter.

⚠️ Institutional Investigation

Where appropriate, LQP may refer or communicate an allegation to the relevant:

• University
• Research institution
• Hospital
• Ethics committee
• Funding organization
• Research integrity office
• Other competent authority

The institution responsible for the research may be better positioned to investigate underlying research conduct, access original research records, interview researchers, and make formal findings.

LQP may consider the outcome of an institutional investigation when determining appropriate publication action.

⚧ Fabrication and Falsification

Fabrication and falsification are serious forms of research misconduct.

Fabrication

Fabrication involves making up data, results, participants, experiments, observations, or other research information that did not actually occur.

Falsification

Falsification involves manipulating, altering, omitting, or misrepresenting research materials, data, procedures, or results in a manner that may mislead readers.

Manuscripts or published articles affected by confirmed fabrication or falsification may be rejected or retracted, as appropriate.

🗺 Plagiarism and Duplicate Publication

LQP considers plagiarism, substantial inappropriate text reuse, and duplicate or redundant publication to be serious publication ethics concerns.

Manuscripts may be screened using Turnitin or an equivalent similarity-detection system.

Where plagiarism or duplicate publication is suspected, LQP may investigate the matter in accordance with its Plagiarism Policy and relevant publication ethics procedures.

📜 Authorship Misconduct

Concerns involving inappropriate authorship may include:

• Adding individuals who do not meet authorship requirements
• Excluding individuals who made qualifying contributions
• Unauthorized changes to authorship
• Guest or honorary authorship
• Ghost authorship
• Falsifying contribution statements

Authorship disputes should normally be addressed with the relevant institution or research organization.

LQP will follow its Authorship and Contributorship Policy when handling authorship concerns.

📚 Peer Review Manipulation

LQP considers manipulation of the peer review process to be serious misconduct.

Examples may include:

• Providing fabricated reviewer identities
• Providing false reviewer contact information
• Creating fraudulent reviewer accounts
• Attempting to influence reviewers improperly
• Undisclosed relationships with suggested reviewers
• Interfering with legitimate peer review
• Coordinated manipulation of peer review

Where peer review manipulation is suspected, LQP may suspend the editorial process, investigate the matter, reject the manuscript, or take appropriate post-publication action.

⚖️ Citation Manipulation

LQP does not support inappropriate citation practices intended to artificially increase citation counts, journal metrics, author metrics, or perceived scholarly influence.

Potential concerns may include:

• Unnecessary self-citation
• Coercive citation
• Citation stacking
• Adding irrelevant references solely to increase citations
• Manipulating reference lists for inappropriate metric purposes

References should be relevant, accurate, and scientifically justified.

📌 Image and Figure Manipulation

Images and figures must accurately represent the underlying research.

Authors must not manipulate images in a way that changes, obscures, removes, or misrepresents relevant findings.

Where image processing has been performed, authors should disclose appropriate details where necessary to understand the research.

Suspected inappropriate image manipulation may be investigated and may require access to original image files or research records.

📝 Ethical Approval and Consent Concerns

Research involving human participants or animals must comply with applicable ethical requirements.
Misrepresentation or fabrication of:

• Ethics committee approval
• Institutional review approval
• Informed consent
• Consent for publication
• Clinical trial registration
• Animal welfare compliance

may constitute serious research or publication misconduct.

LQP may request supporting documentation and may refer concerns to the relevant institution.

✅ Conflicts of Interest

Authors, editors, and reviewers are expected to disclose relevant conflicts of interest.

Failure to disclose a significant conflict may constitute a publication ethics concern.

Where appropriate, LQP may request clarification, correction of the published record, or other action under its Conflict of Interest Policy.

⚖️ Confidentiality and Fair Treatment

LQP will handle allegations of misconduct as confidentially as reasonably possible.

Information concerning an allegation will generally be shared only with individuals who need the information to assess or investigate the matter.

LQP will seek to treat authors, reviewers, editors, and complainants fairly and will avoid making public accusations of misconduct before appropriate evidence has been assessed.

📌 Anonymous Allegations

LQP may consider anonymous allegations where sufficient specific information or evidence is provided to permit a meaningful assessment.

Anonymity may be maintained where appropriate, although circumstances may limit the ability of LQP or an institution to investigate the allegation fully.

🧠 Retraction and Other Post-Publication Actions

Where an investigation establishes that a published article contains serious problems affecting its reliability, integrity, or ethical acceptability, LQP may take appropriate corrective action.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

• Correction
• Clarification
• Expression of Concern
• Retraction
• Removal of an article where legally or ethically necessary

Retraction does not necessarily imply that every author was responsible for the misconduct. The circumstances and available evidence will be considered when determining the appropriate action.

🧪 Protection of the Scholarly Record

LQP's primary objective when handling misconduct is to protect the integrity and reliability of the scholarly record.

Where an error can be corrected without undermining the overall validity of the article, an appropriate correction may be considered.

Where the validity or ethical integrity of an article is seriously compromised, stronger post-publication action may be required.

🔄 Cooperation with Institutions and Authorities

LQP may cooperate with universities, research institutions, ethics committees, regulators, funding organizations, and other competent authorities when necessary to investigate credible concerns.

LQP may provide relevant publication records or editorial information where appropriate and legally permissible.

🚫 Misconduct by Editors or Reviewers

Research and publication misconduct concerns may also involve editors or reviewers.

Examples may include:

• Breach of confidentiality
• Manipulation of peer review
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest
• Misuse of unpublished information
• Coercive citation
• Inappropriate interference with editorial decisions

Such concerns will be assessed appropriately, and the individual may be removed from the relevant editorial or review activity where necessary.

📊 Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to:

• Conduct research honestly and responsibly.
• Maintain appropriate research records.
• Provide accurate information to the journal.
• Disclose relevant conflicts of interest.
• Obtain required ethical approvals and consent.
• Ensure that submitted work is original.
• Avoid duplicate publication.
• Provide authentic authorship and contributorship information.
• Cooperate with reasonable investigations.
• Provide supporting documentation when legitimately requested.

📝 Use of COPE Guidance

LQP may use relevant Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance and flowcharts when assessing and responding to allegations of research or publication misconduct.

The specific response will depend on the nature of the allegation, the evidence available, the stage of publication, and the outcome of any institutional or other investigation.

✅ Applicability to LQP Journals

This Research Misconduct Policy is a publisher-level policy of Lumina Quest Publishing (LQP) and applies to all journals currently published by LQP and any journals added to the LQP publishing program in the future.

LQP is committed to addressing credible concerns responsibly, protecting the integrity of the scholarly record, and maintaining trust in research published through its journals.