Publication Ethics
The Chem Publishers uphold a strict ethical policy to ensure that the scientific works published in our journal meet high-quality standards. Our Publication Ethics and Malpractice statement is guided by the principles and guidelines developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics. Our team of editors implements a rigorous peer-review process to ensure that the publications meet ethical standards and provide valuable contributions to the field.
Despite our best efforts, instances of plagiarism, data falsification/fabrication, image manipulation, duplicate submission/publication, redundant publication, inappropriate authorship credit, undeclared conflict of interest (CoI), and ethical problems can occur. At Chem Publishers, we take such publishing ethics issues very seriously and have a zero-tolerance policy in place. Our editors are trained to handle such cases with due diligence and utmost care.
Researchers are expected to conduct their research according to the ethical codes and best practices prescribed by professional and regulatory bodies at national and international levels, from the inception of the research proposal to the publication of the findings. However, in the unlikely event that the journal detects any potential ethical issues or research misconduct, researchers can refer to guidelines that will help them handle the situation effectively and mitigate any potential consequences of breaching the codes of conduct.
Authors seeking to publish their papers in the Chem Publisher’s journals must comply with the following requirements:
Our internal editors will thoroughly investigate any claims of publication misconduct and may contact the authors' institutions or funders if deemed necessary. If evidence of misconduct is discovered, we will take appropriate measures to rectify or retract the publication.
Below are some of the fundamental ethical issues that have been defined and outlined.
Data fabrication and data falsification are two forms of research misconduct that violate research integrity. Data fabrication refers to the deliberate invention of research results, while data falsification involves manipulating research data to produce a false impression or hiding inconvenient results. This can include modifying images, such as micrographs, gels, or radiological images, as well as removing outliers, altering or omitting data points, or adding data that was not collected.
While authors may make technical adjustments to improve image readability, such adjustments should only include adjusting the contrast, brightness or color balance to the entire digital image and not specific parts of it. Any technical manipulation must be disclosed in the cover letter submitted with the manuscript. Improper technical manipulation, which involves obscuring, enhancing, deleting, or introducing new elements to an image, is not allowed. If the journal has concerns about the figures, it may request the original data from the author. Additional information about digital images and misconduct, image manipulation, and a quick examination of scientific images is available.
Duplicate submission occurs when the same research study is submitted to multiple journals for publication. This can happen either simultaneously or years apart. On the other hand, redundant publication involves dividing a single study into multiple parts and submitting them to different journals or publishing previously reported study findings without proper cross-referencing, justification, or permission. Redundant publication also includes self-plagiarism, which is a common and often unintentional practice. Therefore, it is essential for authors to be transparent about their past publications. Translations without proper permission or notification, as well as resubmissions of previously published open-access articles, are also considered as duplicate submissions.
Chem Publishers strictly prohibits any form of plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs when a person presents other people's work, including theories, text, or data, as their own without properly acknowledging the original sources. To prevent plagiarism, please consult the Guide to Ethical Writing, which provides helpful tips on how to avoid it.
The issue of authorship can arise when someone is listed as an author without their knowledge or when someone has contributed significantly to a research article but is not acknowledged as an author. To ensure proper authorship, it is recommended to follow the guidelines provided by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the Committee on Publication Ethics. For a detailed policy on authorship, please refer to the Authorship Policy page of the individual journals.
Undeclared Conflict of Interest refers to situations where authors or reviewers have financial or personal interests that could compromise or influence their professional judgment and objectivity. To avoid potential bias, authors and reviewers are required to disclose any conflicts of interest related to the work being considered, including financial or personal relationships that may interfere with the interpretation of the work.
This includes issues of patient consent, animal experiments, or studies that lack ethical approval.