TEPIAN is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity. Authors must ensure that their submissions represent original research and accurately reflect the work conducted. If substantial evidence of research misconduct is identified in a submitted or published manuscript, the journal will take appropriate action to address and prevent such misconduct.

Forms of research misconduct may include, but are not limited to:

• Data falsification or fabrication
• Manipulation of citations for self-benefit
• Duplicate publication (submitting the same work to multiple journals)
• Text recycling (self-plagiarism)

If misconduct is discovered in a published article, the Editor will follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines to investigate and take necessary corrective actions. The response to research misconduct will depend on the severity and nature of the violation.

Handling Allegations of Research Misconduct

TEPIAN takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously, whether they arise before or after publication. Allegations will be thoroughly investigated in accordance with COPE’s ethical guidelines.

Responsibilities of Research Institutions

Research institutions are expected to:

• Designate a Research Integrity Officer and make their contact information publicly available
• Notify journals when cases of research misconduct are confirmed
• Provide timely and transparent responses when inquiries about research integrity arise
• Initiate investigations into allegations of research misconduct or unethical publication practices
• Implement policies that promote responsible research and establish systems for investigating potential misconduct

Responsibilities of the Editorial Board

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board of TEPIAN are responsible for:

• Informing the relevant institution about suspected research misconduct and providing supporting evidence
• Cooperating with institutional investigations and responding to inquiries related to misconduct cases
• Issuing retractions or corrections in accordance with COPE’s retraction guidelines if an allegation is confirmed
• Collaborating with institutions and other organizations involved in research integrity investigations

TEPIAN upholds the principles of transparency, accountability, and ethical publishing. Any confirmed cases of research misconduct may result in manuscript retraction, author sanctions, or other corrective actions as deemed necessary by the Editorial Board. [back to Publication Ethics]