Ethical Misconduct Policy
Preventing unethical practices in scholarly publishing is essential for maintaining academic trust and ensuring the integrity of the scientific record. Forbes Journal of Medicine, under the governance of Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Training and Research Hospital, adopts a zero-tolerance approach toward ethical misconduct and requires full compliance with international publication ethics standards. This policy defines the types of ethical violations, outlines preventive mechanisms, and details the actions taken when misconduct is suspected or ed.
Definition: Major Types of Ethical Misconduct
The journal considers the following practices to constitute serious ethical violations:
• Plagiarism: Using text, datasets, images, or ideas from other works without appropriate attribution.
• Fabrication: Presenting invented data, experiments, observations, or findings as if they were real.
• Falsification: Manipulating, altering, or selectively removing data to misrepresent results.
• Redundant/Duplicate Publication: Submitting or publishing content previously published elsewhere (including translations) as a new original work.
• Salami Slicing: Fragmenting a single research dataset or study into multiple minimally publishable papers without genuine scientific justification.
• Misleading Citation Practices and Gift Authorship: Providing irrelevant or manipulative citations, listing individuals as authors without actual contribution, or engaging in coercive or citation-padding practices.
Preventive Measures Against Ethical Misconduct
To reduce the risk of unethical submissions, Forbes Journal of Medicine implements the following preventive practices:
• Plagiarism Screening: All submissions are scanned using iThenticate or an equivalent reputable similarity detection system. Manus with a similarity rate above 20% are returned to the authors with justification.
• Mandatory Disclosure: Authors must clearly state in both the cover letter and manuscript if previously published materials (e.g., conference abstracts, datasets, posters) are reused in the work.
• Originality Declaration: All authors must certify in writing that the manuscript is original, has not been previously published, and complies with ethical and legal requirements.
Editorial Responsibility and Intervention Authority
Editors follow COPE guidelines when addressing suspected misconduct and may:
• Suspend the review process,
• Request an official explanation from the authors,
• Issue corrections, reject the submission, or retract the published article when necessary,
• Notify the author’s affiliated institution in cases of serious misconduct.
Sanctions
Depending on the nature and stage of detection, the following sanctions apply:
• Pre-Publication Misconduct: The manuscript is rejected, and the author’s institution may be informed.
• Post-Publication Misconduct: The article is retracted, a public retraction notice is issued, and relevant institutions are formally notified.
Process Principles: Transparency, Impartiality, Confidentiality
All reports and investigations of ethical misconduct are handled in accordance with COPE flowcharts, ensuring confidentiality, neutrality, and evidence-based evaluation. Communication with all parties remains clear, documented, and justified throughout the process.
Institutional Commitment
Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Training and Research Hospital regards the protection of ethical integrity in scientific publishing not merely as a technical requirement but as an essential dimension of its responsibility to the academic community.