Data Fabrication and Falsification Policy

General Provisions

The Publishing House of the Institute of Agriculture of the Carpathian Region strives to maintain the highest standards of research integrity. Data fabrication and falsification are serious violations of ethical principles of scientific research that undermine trust in scientific literature and make scientific progress impossible. This policy establishes clear definitions of these violations, procedures for their detection, and appropriate sanctions in accordance with international standards of scientific ethics and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Definitions

Data Fabrication

Data fabrication is defined as making up research results and recording or reporting them as genuine. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Creating non-existent data or results of experiments that were never actually conducted • Inventing observations that did not occur • Fabricating participant responses in research studies • Inventing statistical results that were not obtained through actual data analysis • Reporting on non-existent studies

Data Falsification

Data falsification is defined as manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Selective reporting or omission of data that contradict desired conclusions ("cherry-picking") • Manipulation of images, graphs, tables, or other visual representations of data • Deliberate exclusion of "outliers" without appropriate statistical justification • Improper application of statistical methods to achieve desired results • Manipulation of equipment or materials to obtain desired results • Misrepresentation of methodological procedures

Principles for Prevention of Fabrication and Falsification

Our journal adheres to the following principles to prevent data fabrication and falsification:

  1. Transparency: Authors must clearly describe all methods, data collection procedures, analysis, and interpretation of results.
  2. Reproducibility: Authors must provide sufficient information for other researchers to reproduce their work.
  3. Data integrity: All data must be presented accurately, without manipulations that could mislead the reader.
  4. Completeness of information: Authors must report all results, including those that contradict their hypotheses or desired conclusions.
  5. Proper citation: Authors must correctly reference other works and clearly distinguish their own results from those of other researchers.

Measures for Detection of Fabrication and Falsification

Our journal implements the following measures to detect potential data fabrication and falsification:

During the Review Stage

  1. Methodology verification: Reviewers assess the adequacy and logic of described research methods.
  2. Statistical analysis: Verification of statistical methods used in the study for appropriateness to data type and research questions.
  3. Visual inspection: Reviewers check graphs, images, and tables for signs of manipulation.
  4. Reproducibility of calculations: When necessary, reviewers may verify whether reported results correspond to described analysis methods.
  5. Internal consistency check: Assessment of consistency between different parts of the study (methods, results, conclusions).

During and After Publication

  1. Image verification: Editorial staff checks images for inappropriate manipulations using specialized software.
  2. Request for raw data: The editorial office may require authors to provide raw data for verification of result authenticity.
  3. Investigation of violation reports: Thorough investigation of any allegations of data fabrication or falsification.

Author Obligations

When submitting a manuscript to our journal, authors commit to:

  1. Guarantee the authenticity of all presented data.
  2. Preserve raw data for a specified period (at least 5 years after publication) and provide them upon request from the editorial office or other researchers for verification.
  3. Clearly describe the methodology of data collection and analysis.
  4. Disclose any research limitations that may have affected the results.
  5. Report any conflicts of interest that may have influenced the conduct of the research.
  6. Obtain appropriate ethical approvals for research and provide documentation when necessary.
  7. Adhere to general principles of research integrity in conducting research and preparing publications.

Procedure for Investigating Suspicions of Fabrication or Falsification

In case of suspicions of data fabrication or falsification in a submitted manuscript or already published article, the journal follows the following procedure:

  1. Initial Assessment
  • All allegations of data fabrication or falsification are taken seriously. • The editor-in-chief or designated editorial board member conducts an initial assessment of the validity of allegations. • If allegations have sufficient grounds, formal investigation begins.
  1. Formal Investigation
  • The editor-in-chief forms a special investigation committee. • Authors are informed of allegations and investigation. • Authors are given opportunity to respond to allegations. • The committee may request raw data, laboratory notebooks, research protocols, and other relevant information from authors. • External experts may be involved in the investigation if necessary.
  1. Interaction with Institutions
  • If allegations are serious, the journal may notify the institution or institutions where authors work. • The journal may cooperate with institutional investigations. • Institutional findings are considered when making final decisions.
  1. Decision Making
  • Based on collected evidence, the committee concludes regarding the presence of fabrication or falsification. • The editor-in-chief makes the final decision on sanctions, guided by committee recommendations. • Authors are informed of the decision and its justification.

Sanctions and Consequences

In case of confirmed data fabrication or falsification, the journal may apply one or several of the following sanctions:

For Unpublished Manuscripts

  1. Rejection of manuscript without possibility of resubmission.
  2. Temporary ban on manuscript submission to the journal for all co-authors (usually for a period of 2-5 years).
  3. Notification of institutions where authors work or funding organizations.

For Published Articles

  1. Retraction of article with detailed explanation of reasons in the retraction notice.
  2. Ban on publication in the journal for all co-authors for a specified period.
  3. Notification of indexing databases about retraction.
  4. Informing authors' institutions, funding organizations, and, where appropriate, regulatory bodies.
  5. Public announcement on the journal website about the case of fabrication/falsification and measures taken.

Whistleblower Protection

The journal recognizes the important role of whistleblowers in detecting research misconduct and commits to:

  1. Protecting the confidentiality of individuals who report suspicions of data fabrication or falsification.
  2. Ensuring a fair review process for all involved parties.
  3. Protecting from retaliation individuals who conscientiously report suspicions of research misconduct.

Preventive Measures

To prevent cases of data fabrication and falsification, the journal implements the following preventive measures:

  1. Publication of clear instructions for authors regarding ethical standards in research.
  2. Requirement for authors to sign a declaration of adherence to ethical principles when submitting manuscripts.
  3. Educational materials for authors, reviewers, and editors on detecting and preventing data fabrication and falsification.
  4. Regular training for editors and reviewers on identifying potential violations.
  5. Encouragement of open data policies so authors deposit raw data in appropriate repositories.

Final Provisions

The Publishing House of the Institute of Agriculture of the Carpathian Region commits to protecting the integrity of scientific literature and maintaining the trust of the scientific community and public in published research.

This policy is regularly reviewed and updated in accordance with the evolution of research integrity standards and recommendations of relevant organizations such as COPE.

The Publishing House of the Institute of Agriculture of the Carpathian Region reserves the right to make changes to this policy. All changes will be announced on the official journal website.