Publication Ethics

Truth in Research (TIR) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and follows the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). This policy sets out the responsibilities of editors, authors, and reviewers, and explains how the journal handles plagiarism, misconduct, corrections, and retractions. All parties involved in the act of publishing, the author, the editor, the peer reviewers, and the journal, agree to abide by these standards.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on their scholarly merit, that is, the quality of the argument, the strength of the evidence, the clarity of the writing, and the relevance to the journal's scope. Editorial decisions are not influenced by the author's nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, religious belief, political view, or institutional standing.

Editors keep all information about submitted manuscripts confidential and do not disclose it to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and the editorial team. Unpublished material from a submission is never used by an editor in their own work without the author's written consent. An editor who has a conflict of interest with a submission will recuse themselves and ask another editor to handle the manuscript.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must present an accurate account of the work performed and an objective discussion of its significance. The underlying data should be represented honestly. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

  • Originality: Submitted work must be original and must not be under consideration by any other publication. Work that has been published elsewhere must be clearly cited and quoted where appropriate.

  • Acknowledgement of sources: Authors must properly cite all sources that influenced the work.

  • Authorship: Authorship is limited to those who made a significant contribution. The corresponding author ensures that all contributing authors are listed, that no inappropriate authors are included, and that all co-authors have approved the final version.

  • Data and reproducibility: Authors should be prepared to provide the data and methods underlying their conclusions so that their reasoning can be examined and, where applicable, reproduced.

  • Disclosure: Authors must disclose any financial or other conflict of interest that could be construed to influence the results or their interpretation.

  • Fundamental errors: If an author discovers a significant error in published work, they must promptly notify the editor and cooperate to correct or retract the work.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer review assists editors in making decisions and helps authors improve their work. Reviewers agree to the following:

  • Confidentiality: Manuscripts under review are confidential documents and must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

  • Objectivity: Reviews are conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers express their views clearly and support them with reasoning.

  • Conflict of interest: A reviewer who feels unqualified, who cannot meet the timeline, or who has a conflict of interest with the work or its authors should decline the assignment and notify the editor.

  • Acknowledgement of sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that the authors have not cited and should alert the editor to any substantial similarity between the manuscript and other published material.

Plagiarism, Fabrication, and Falsification

Truth in Research does not tolerate plagiarism in any form, including verbatim copying, paraphrasing without attribution. Fabrication (inventing data or results) and falsification (manipulating data, images, or methods) are serious forms of misconduct. Submissions may be screened for originality, and any manuscript found to contain plagiarized, fabricated, or falsified content will be rejected. If such content is discovered after publication, the article will be corrected or retracted.

Duplicate and Redundant Submission

Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time, and must not submit work that substantially overlaps with already published work. Doing so constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is grounds for rejection or retraction.

Corrections and Retractions

When a published article is found to contain an error that affects the interpretation but not the central findings, the journal will publish a correction linked to the original article. When findings are found to be unreliable, whether through honest error or misconduct, or when the work is plagiarized or constitutes redundant publication, the journal will issue a retraction. Retraction notices will state the reason and will be linked to the retracted article, which will remain available and clearly marked as retracted to preserve the scholarly record.

Handling Allegations of Misconduct

Concerns about possible misconduct, whether by authors, reviewers, or editors, should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief at the contact address on the Contact page. The journal will examine each allegation fairly and confidentially, give the person concerned an opportunity to respond, and follow COPE guidance in reaching a resolution. Outcomes may range from a correction or retraction to a notification of the author's institution in serious cases.

Appeals

Authors who believe an editorial decision was made in error may appeal by writing to the Editor-in-Chief and explaining the grounds for the appeal. The Editor-in-Chief will review the matter and may seek additional review. The decision reached on appeal is final.