Research Misconduct Policy

The GI Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. The journal takes all allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously and follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and recognized international ethical standards.

Definition of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • Plagiarism
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Duplicate or redundant publication
  • Citation manipulation
  • Image manipulation
  • Fake authorship or guest authorship
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest
  • Ethical violations involving human or animal subjects
  • Peer review manipulation

Research misconduct does not include honest error or legitimate scientific disagreement.

Ethical Compliance

All research involving human participants, human materials, personal data, or animals must comply with recognized ethical standards and institutional guidelines. Authors must provide:

  • Ethics committee approval details
  • Informed consent statements where applicable
  • Clinical trial registration information when required

Failure to comply with ethical requirements may result in rejection or retraction of the manuscript.

Screening and Detection

All submitted manuscripts undergo editorial evaluation and plagiarism screening using appropriate similarity detection software. The editorial office may also examine:

  • Data authenticity
  • Statistical validity
  • Image integrity
  • Reference manipulation
  • AI-generated or manipulated content

Any suspicion of misconduct may lead to further investigation.

Investigation Procedure

When allegations of misconduct arise during submission, peer review, or after publication, the journal will:

  1. Conduct a preliminary assessment by the editorial office
  2. Contact the corresponding author for clarification
  3. Request supporting raw data or ethical documents if necessary
  4. Consult reviewers, editorial board members, or external experts
  5. Inform affiliated institutions or ethics committees when appropriate
  6. Follow COPE flowcharts and ethical procedures during investigation

Investigations will be handled confidentially, fairly, objectively, and without bias.

Actions Against Misconduct

If misconduct is confirmed, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Reject the manuscript
  • Issue corrections or expressions of concern
  • Retract the published article
  • Ban future submissions from responsible authors for a defined period
  • Notify the authors’ institution, funding agency, or regulatory authority
  • Publish notices of ethical violations where necessary

Data Integrity

Authors must retain original research data and provide it upon editorial request. Failure to provide authentic supporting data may result in rejection or retraction of the article.

Peer Review Misconduct

Manipulation of the peer review process, including submission of false reviewer identities, fabricated reviewer reports, or interference with editorial decisions, is considered serious misconduct and may result in immediate rejection and institutional notification.

AI-Generated Content

Authors must disclose the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in manuscript preparation when applicable. AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all submitted content. Undisclosed or unethical AI-assisted writing may be treated as publication misconduct.

Retractions and Corrections

The journal may publish corrections, retractions, or editorial expressions of concern to maintain the integrity of the scientific record. Retraction decisions will follow COPE recommendations and editorial evaluation.

Protection of Whistleblowers

The journal encourages reporting of suspected misconduct in good faith. The identity of whistleblowers and involved parties will be kept confidential to the extent possible during investigations.

Policy Updates

The journal reserves the right to revise or update this Research Misconduct Policy periodically in accordance with evolving international publishing and ethical standards.