Publication ethics and misconducts

Abstract

A peer-reviewed publication is a culmination of the scientific process, which involves various stages, including planning and executing a research project. Publications, apart from being evidence of research productivity, have become the chief measure of assessment of a researcher for selection and promotion. This has increased the pressure on academicians to have more publications. Moreover, with advances in peer review and an increasing number of journals that want to publish “impactful research” with a bias toward positive results, the process of getting a publication has become more difficult and complex. There is a lack of awareness about ethical practices known as good publication practices (GPPs). Reporting any research in a standard manner, preregistration of clinical trials, obtaining a proper ethical clearance, maintaining patient anonymity, and getting proper consent are some of the components of GPP. Misconducts in the publication process at the author's front include data fraud, plagiarism, copyright violations, nondisclosure of conflicts of interest, and duplicate publications. The peer reviewers and editors are also prone to misconduct, either knowingly or unknowingly. Ethical misconduct should be handled appropriately at the institutional, editorial, or journal level. The custodians of these ethical pillars are largely the editors and peer reviewers who must base their decisions on suggestions and advice from the organizations standardizing the practices, such as the Committee on Publication Ethics and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.