Publication Ethics

  1. Research Misconduct Policy of STMJ
    The purpose of this policy is to prevent any misconduct related to research conducted for the journals and to suggest the fundamental principles and structural procedures in relation to research integrity deliberation required to ensure research ethics.

  2. The range of research misconduct
    Research misconduct suggested in this policy pertains to fraud and refers to data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and improper authorship.

    • "Fabrication" refers to any act involving the creation of false information about non-existing data or findings. 
    • "Falsification" refers to artificial manipulation of the research materials/equipment/process or randomly modification/deletion of data resulting in distorted research contents or research results. 
    • "Plagiarism" refers to acts of pirating others’ ideas, research contents, and research results without justifiable approvals or quotations. 
    • "Improper authorship" refers to cases where the person who has contributed to research contents or research results is scientifically and technically unqualified as an author or where someone who has not contributed to the research contents or research results scientifically and technically but has been listed as an author merely to express gratitude or courtesy.
    • Intentional acts to disturb a fraud investigation about themselves or others or the acts which can be harmful to informants. 
    • Unfair evaluation regarding research of others or a disclosure or pirating of research ideas or research results acquired during the evaluation process. 
    • Severely aberrant acts that cannot be accepted in the community of the field of scientific and technology. 

  3. How does the journal address misconduct in the publishing process?
    Editors and publishers have an ethical obligation to:

    • Support the quality and ethics of the review process (pre-publication: weed out;  prevent)
    • Ensure the correctness of the published literature (post-publication: correct; communicate)
    • Educate (prevent)

    Editors/journals have an ethical obligation to respond to and address ethical allegations that may arise about published papers or papers in review. Systems and procedures are in place for investigating and addressing situations of misconduct, including cooperation with investigations from institutions or funding bodies.

  4. How do editors address an allegation of publication misconduct?

    • The first course of action is usually to contact and discuss the issue with the authors (and reviewers). 
    • The author’s university, institution, funding agency, and/or government agencies will be notified.
    • Investigation has typically been seen as the responsibility of research institutions and funding agencies; it is NOT usually the journal’s domain.

  5. Possible sanctions
    If there is evidence of misconduct/fraud:

    • Prior to publication (during review): The manuscript can be withdrawn from review
    • Post-publication (literature correction) The journal may publish Retraction, Note of Editorial Concern, Errata/Correction with the author or authors’ (some or all) signature or editorial of an appropriate statement about the situation. The paper can be “marked” in the literature/PubMed. 
    • Editors determine whether retract or correct after considering whether the case is fraud or an honest mistake. They consider the intent And then extent to which the data is incorrect/misleading
    • Author may be banned from submitting to the journal.
    • Editors may, in some cases, provide information for other editors/publishers.
    • Editors may publish of an editorial in the journal to discuss the issue generally and raise awareness of the issue.