Misconduct Handling Policy

Misconduct includes but is not limited to plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate submission or publication, unethical authorship practices, and other breaches of research ethics. The Journal of Pure and Applied Agriculture is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. Editors play a key role in identifying and addressing research and publication misconduct. The following procedures guide the handling of suspected misconduct:

• Editors should be vigilant in detecting potential misconduct through careful review, use of plagiarism detection tools, and attentive evaluation of manuscripts and reviewer reports.
• Upon suspicion or allegation of misconduct, editors must conduct a preliminary assessment to determine the credibility and seriousness of the claim.
• All allegations and investigations must be treated confidentially to protect the rights and reputations of all parties involved. Editors may consult with the Editor-in-Chief, editorial board, or ethical oversight committees, and if necessary, request investigation by the authors’ affiliated institutions or funding bodies.
• Based on findings, editors should take appropriate actions including rejection, correction, retraction, or notification of relevant authorities. All steps in the misconduct handling process should be documented thoroughly for transparency and accountability.
• Editors should notify the authors of the concerns raised and provide them with an opportunity to respond. Authors should have the right to appeal decisions related to misconduct, which will be reviewed fairly and impartially.