Allegation of Research Misconduct

Imperium

Allegation of Research Misconduct

Imperium defines and handles allegations of research misconduct in line with guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Forms of misconduct

  • Fabrication. Creating fictitious research data or results.
  • Falsification. Manipulating research materials, equipment, processes, or data.
  • Plagiarism. Using another person's work, ideas, or words without proper attribution, including self-plagiarism.
  • Unjustified authorship. Including individuals as authors who did not contribute meaningfully, or excluding individuals who did.
  • Undisclosed conflict of interest. Failing to disclose financial or personal relationships that could influence the research.
  • Duplicate or redundant submission. Submitting substantially the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously.

Reporting a concern

Anyone who suspects misconduct in a submitted or published manuscript may report it to the editorial team through the Contact Us page, including supporting detail and evidence where possible.

Investigation procedure

1

Initial review. The Editor-in-Chief evaluates whether the allegation warrants formal investigation.

2

Clarification. The author(s) are given the opportunity to respond before any decision is made.

3

Investigation. The Editorial Board reviews available evidence, consulting the author's institution where appropriate.

4

Decision and action. Action may include rejection, correction, or retraction.

5

Confidentiality. All allegations are handled discreetly until a final decision is reached.