1. Ethical Standards
Research Wave is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics. The publisher follows internationally recognized guidelines, including:
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
- International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
- World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)
All parties involved (authors, editors, reviewers, and publisher) must adhere to ethical publishing practices.
2. Responsibilities of Authors
- Authors must ensure that submitted work is original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.
- Proper citation of all sources is mandatory; plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited.
- Authorship must reflect significant contribution to the research.
- Authors must provide accurate data and be able to supply raw data if required.
- Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data is unethical and unacceptable.
- All conflicts of interest must be clearly disclosed.
- Research involving humans or animals must have proper ethical approval and informed consent.
3. Responsibilities of Reviewers
- Reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality of submitted manuscripts.
- Reviews should be conducted objectively and constructively without personal criticism.
- Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest and decline review if necessary.
- Timely completion of peer review is expected.
4. Responsibilities of Editors
- Editors make decisions based on academic merit, originality, and relevance.
- Editors must ensure a fair, unbiased, and confidential review process.
- Discrimination based on gender, nationality, or institutional affiliation is not permitted.
- Editors must handle ethical complaints, misconduct, and disputes according to COPE guidelines.
- Corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern will be issued when necessary.
5. Publisher Responsibilities
- The publisher ensures integrity, transparency, and independence of editorial decisions.
- Research Wave supports editors in handling ethical issues and misconduct.
- The publisher ensures that commercial interests do not influence editorial decisions.
- Ethical oversight is maintained throughout the publication process.
6. Plagiarism and Misconduct
All submissions are checked using plagiarism detection tools. Plagiarism, duplicate publication, and self-plagiarism are strictly prohibited. Any form of misconduct (data fabrication, image manipulation, unethical research) will result in:
- Rejection of manuscript
- Retraction of published articles
- Notification to institutions (if required)
7. Conflicts of Interest
- Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial or personal conflicts.
- Undisclosed conflicts may lead to rejection or removal of the article.
8. Corrections and Retractions
Errors identified post-publication will be corrected through:
- Erratum or corrigendum
- Serious ethical violations may lead to retraction of the article.
- The integrity of the scholarly record will be maintained at all times.
9. Data Integrity and Transparency
- Authors must present accurate and verifiable data.
- Data should be retained and made available upon request.
- Research must comply with ethical and transparency standards.
10. Ethical Oversight
- The publisher reserves the right to investigate ethical concerns.
- Appropriate actions will be taken following COPE guidelines.
- Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to cooperate in investigations.