To ensure that the research published in the Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology (RJPT) is honest, high-quality, and reliable, it is essential to maintain publication ethics. These ethics outline the responsibilities of editors, writers, and reviewers, ensuring that everyone involved in the publication process adheres to high ethical standards. RJPT continuously improves its guidelines by adopting measures mentioned by organizations such as:
- World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)
- International Committee of Medical Journals Editors (ICMJE)
- Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT)
Editors have the responsibility of choosing ideal research papers to publish in the journal. They must act fairly and unbiasedly in making their decisions, which should be based solely on the quality of the work and its relevance to the institution. They should not be influenced by personal relationships or financial considerations. Additionally, editors must keep all information confidential and should not use any part of the submitted papers for their own profit.
Writers and authors are responsible for submitting original and significant articles. They must ensure that their work is free from plagiarism and properly cite all sources. Writers are not allowed to submit the same research to more than one journal at a time. They must also disclose all potential conflicts of interest that could influence the outcome of their research.
Reviewers play a crucial role in evaluating the quality and validity of submitted research articles. Their evaluation must be honest, unbiased, and free from any possible conflicts of interest. Reviewers are tasked with bringing quality articles and manuscripts to the scientific community to benefit the whole field.
The ethical standards for RJPT are based on the guidelines published by the “Committee on Publishing Ethics, 2011,” which lay the foundation for publishing ethics and the elimination of malpractice.
Role of the Editor
Publishing Decision:
- Editors hold the decision-making power to publish an article or not.
- The editor is responsible for approving only those articles that comply with the institution's guidelines.
- Editors must ensure that the article is free from all possible conflicts of interest before approval.
Confidentiality:
- Editors must maintain the privacy of the articles and must not disclose the identity of authors and reviewers involved.
- They must not be involved in any activity that could give them financial or personal gain.
Editorial Independence:
- Editors have the independence to work freely without peer pressure, political agenda, or business interests.
- Editors must openly state available conflicts of interest and reject articles if conflicts are found.
Fair and Impartial Review:
- Editors must adhere to fair and impartial rules and should not be influenced by the author’s nationality, name, or institutional connection.
- Editors must assign articles to reviewers with sufficient knowledge of the subject matter.
Ethical Oversight:
- Editors must ensure that the article is free from data manipulation, plagiarism, and ethical lapses, taking strict actions if any mistakes are found.
- If an editor suspects misconduct or misbehavior, they should address the issue with the writers and reviewers immediately. Mistakes and ethical issues must be corrected before publication, or a review meeting may be conducted to rectify the issue.
Role of the Author
Research Ethics:
- Authors must ensure that their research does not breach any moral ethics.
- Authors must obtain informed consent from individuals involved in the study or research.
- Authors must ensure that their studies adhere to the Helsinki Declaration for human research and do not violate rules for conducting animal research.
- For research involving animals and other living beings, authors must obtain ethical clearance.
Originality and Plagiarism:
- Authors must wisely use others' ideas or plans and ensure their study/research is original and distinct.
- Authors should avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism.
- Proper credit must be given to all material, data, and previously published work.
Transparency and Data Sharing:
- Authors should share important data and details to allow others to use their studies.
- If possible, authors should share datasets and make them accessible to all.
- Authors must ensure transparency by disclosing personal, financial, or professional conflicts of interest.
Ethical Reporting:
- Authors must honestly report their findings, regardless of whether outcomes are favorable or unfavorable.
- Authors must not manipulate statistics or reports to obtain desired results.
Authorship and Contributorship:
- Authors must acknowledge all contributors involved in the study and paper.
- Authors must meet the criteria for authorship by making a significant contribution to the study and paper.
- Authors must not hire someone to complete their studies, and honorary authorship should be avoided.
Timeliness and Cooperation:
- Authors should complete their work on time and make any requested changes within the given timeframe.
- Authors must collaborate with editors and editorial boards to publish articles on time.
Role of the Reviewer
Ethical Consideration:
- Reviewers must inform the editor of any violations such as data manipulation and plagiarism.
- Reviewers must not use the author's article for their own study without the author's consent.
Conflict of Interest:
- Reviewers must inform the editor of any conflicts of interest.
- Reviewers must also notify the editor of any personal or financial gain they may have.
Confidentiality:
- To keep the review process anonymous, reviewers must keep all information about the papers private from those not involved in the review.
Objectivity and Constructiveness:
- Reviewers must provide fair, useful, and unbiased feedback on the manuscript's advantages and disadvantages.
- Reviewers must be honest with the editor about any personal biases and conflicts of interest.
Timeliness:
- Reviewers must complete the review within the given time limit.
- If reviewers cannot finish the task on time, they should inform the editor.
Suggestion for the Editor:
- Reviewers must assess the articles properly to identify mistakes and confusion.
- Reviewers should provide suggestions to the editor to improve the content and state whether the manuscript should be accepted, revised, or rejected.
- Reviewers must refrain from making biased remarks about the articles.
Allegation and Research Misconduct
Research misconduct includes fabricating data, altering data, unfairly manipulating citations, and copying others' work without proper credit. These actions can occur at any stage of research, from conducting studies to writing and reviewing papers. When authors commit such misconduct, it undermines the trustworthiness of the institute. Editors are responsible for maintaining the accuracy of the scientific record. If an author is found guilty of misconduct, editors must correct the record by rejecting the paper, retracting published articles, or reporting the issue to relevant authorities. This helps protect the integrity of scientific research.
If there is a suspicion of misconduct, the Editors and Editorial Board will follow COPE's guidelines to address the issue. They will investigate the claim to determine its validity, and if it qualifies as research misconduct, a meeting may be appointed. This initial stage involves checking for potential conflicts of interest among those involved in the alleged misconduct.
If a submitted paper is found to have manipulation or other misconduct, it will be disregarded. If a published study is found to have ethical misconduct, the institution will retract the article. This helps ensure the scientific record is accurate and trustworthy. The goal is to resolve the issue fairly and maintain the integrity of research published in the journal. By following these steps, the Editors and Editorial Board work to uphold high ethical standards and protect the credibility of scientific research.
Following Guidelines if Malpractice is Confirmed:
- A notice will be sent to the corresponding author (author on behalf of all co-authors) for clarification.
- The response of the corresponding author is recorded and sent for further scrutiny.
- The assessment of the response is based on COPE’s guidelines and institute regulations.
- If the author's studies are found faulty due to plagiarism, manipulation, etc., it is escalated to authorities for action.
- Authorities may take actions including debarring the author for 6 months or rejecting the articles immediately.
Institutes must thoroughly investigate claims of scientific misconduct. Ensuring the accuracy of the scientific record is a responsibility shared by authors, editors, and the organization itself. The Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology (RJPT) strives to maintain the validity and integrity of scientific records. If mistakes are found, actions such as making corrections, issuing restrictions, replacing, or retracting articles are taken to keep scientific research accurate and trustworthy.
Grievances and Appeals
RJPT has a transparent process for handling complaints about publications, editorial staff, the editorial board, or authors. If any complaint is received, it will be directed to the authorized person for addressing it, strictly adhering to COPE’s guidelines for issues related to the editorial process, citation manipulation, unfair editors/reviewers, peer review manipulation, etc.
Ethical Lapse
To follow rules and ethical guidelines for research involving humans and animals, authors must mention any substances, techniques, or equipment that are dangerous to use in the study. If requested, authors must show legal and ethical approval from the relevant organization. Additionally, authors should specifically mention information obtained during the study and provide clarification to authorities about the use of this information. However, authors are restricted from using other people's information.