This section demonstrates the impact publication misconduct can have on your journal
What effects can misconduct have?
Research community
Misconduct can harm the research community causing:
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Loss of trust in journals and research
- Damage to careers, including those of innocent collaborators and colleagues
- Damage to institutions' reputations
- Corruption of the evidence base
- Waste of time, effort and funds
Research participants
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Unethical research may directly harm research participants
General public
Misconduct can also harm the general public because:
- Practice and policy may be based on fraudulent research
- Future research and funding may be misdirected
Who might commit misconduct?
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Authors and researchers
Types of misconduct authors and researchers might commit include: unethical research ; fabrication; falsification, including image manipulation; plagiarism ; selective reporting ; redundant publication ; inappropriate authorship ; gift and ghost authorship ; undeclared conflicts of interests
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Editors
Types of misconduct editors might commit include: bias in selection; preferential treatment for friends or colleagues; breaching confidentiality; intentional delays for rivals
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Reviewers
Types of misconduct reviewers commit might include: plagiarism (of ideas, text or data); undeclared conflicts of interest; breaching confidentiality; intentional delays
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Publishers
Types of misconduct publishers commit might include: plagiarism (of ideas, text or data); undeclared conflicts of interest; breaching confidentiality; intentional delays
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Funders
Types of misconduct funders might commit include: suppressing inconvenient results; delaying publications; not giving authors access to data; attempting to bias the presentation of findings; not disclosing their involvement properly