Misconduct and Sanctions Policy

Purpose

This policy outlines how Nitee Publication handles suspected breaches of publication ethics, both before and after publication, as well as concerns related to research ethics. The goal is to protect the integrity of the scholarly record and uphold international standards of publishing ethics.

Reporting Misconduct

• Suspected breaches of publication ethics may be reported to the journal at any stage.
• Claimants may request anonymity, which will be respected.

Investigation Process

• Upon receiving information about possible misconduct, editors will initiate a thorough investigation.
• Authors may be asked to provide underlying data, images, and supplementary materials.
• The journal may consult editors, contact institutions or employers, and request formal investigations.
• Investigations will follow the COPE flowcharts and guidelines, ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability.

Types of Misconduct

Examples of misconduct include, but are not limited to:

• Duplicate submission or redundant publication.
• Fraudulent or fabricated data.
• Plagiarism or text recycling.
• Citation manipulation.
• False claims of authorship.
• Unethical research practices.

Outcomes

• If misconduct is confirmed before acceptance, the manuscript will be rejected.
• If misconduct is identified during the Online First stage, the article will be removed from the website and a withdrawal notice will be posted.
• If misconduct is identified after publication, the article will be retracted immediately, following COPE Retraction Guidelines.
• Failure to respond to journal communication after review and provisional acceptance may also be treated as withdrawal.

Sanctions

Depending on the severity of misconduct, Nitee Publication may impose one or more of the following sanctions:

• Prohibition from submitting manuscripts for a period of 1–3 years.
• Prohibition from serving as an editor or reviewer.
• Reporting the misconduct to the author’s institution, employer, and/or funding agencies.

Minor Errors

• Minor, unintentional errors by authors may be corrected by a corrigendum.
• Errors introduced by the publisher will be corrected by an erratum.