Consultation questions on publication ethics from 2016 to 2020 addressed by the Committee on Publication Ethics of the Korean Council of Science Editors

With the goal of improving the publishing ecosystem and promoting transparency in journal publishing, we describe some recent cases in scientific publishing in Korea. The current article summarizes ethical inquiries from domestic journals and publishers, most of whom are members of the Korean Council of Science Editors. We selected 15 representative questions asked during the last 4 years. Those inquiries were classified into hot topics such as plagiarism, duplicate publications, multiple submission, and others (informed consent, copyright, compliance with journal regulations, authors’ responsibilities, and voluntary retraction requests). When plagiarism is suspected, editors and reviewers should assess the situation following the relevant rules and procedures, and if necessary, the manuscript should be rejected. Cases of duplicate publication should be clearly stated in both papers based on the explicit agreement of the editor-in-chief of both journals. As a general rule, the entire content of an article should be published in one issue, but if the article is too long, it may need to be published in two issues. Permission from both journals is required. The abstract and references should be separated accordingly. In cases of copyright conflict, voluntary withdrawal of a paper, or non-compliance with publishing regulations, the manuscript must be withdrawn according to specific procedures (referring to the COPE flow chart). All correspondence regarding a manuscript should be with the corresponding author, who communicates directly with the journal. We hope that these recommendations will help readers in the field of scientific publishing to address issues related to publication ethics.

SYSTEMATIZATION OF RESEARCH INTEGRITY BY REGULATORY BODIES AND UNIVERSITIES IN AFRICA: RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION ETHICS

Purpose: Research misconduct is a global ethical concern that imparts negatively on scientific processes and expectations. Other related ethical concerns are academic fraud among researchers in academic institutions. These activities are against the norms of research and academic practice. Some common occurrences in institutions are multiple submission of papers for publication, use of unauthorized assistance or various forms of dishonesty that occur in relation to any academic exercise. Research integrity is a complex multifaceted task that touches on different phases of research. Institutions in Africa barely have policies and structures to uphold research integrity and where they exist, the enforcement mechanisms are not synchronized. Prevention of research misconduct and enforcement of research integrity policies cannot be the responsibility of any single person or institution, it can only be successful if it is a concerted effort. Universities, national bodies and research ethics committees have a major role to play in maintaining research integrity. The purpose of this paper is to explore and develop a systematic approach to enhance research integrity. The paper examines common research integrity issues and proposes pragmatic approaches for preventing research misconduct. Methodology: The methodology employed was desktop document analysis of related journal articles, guidelines and institutional websites. Case studies of misconduct were reviewed to make sense of types of scientific misconduct that have been recorded in Africa. Results: Institutions can customize the institutional model according to identified needs and existing structures. The proposed framework would be successful if the efforts are implemented within a multi-thronged approach that includes mentorship and capacity building at all levels for creation of an ethical research culture that enhances credibility of research and builds public trust. Contributions to theory, policy and practice: It is envisaged that the proposed model will improve enforcement of related policies and promote research integrity. A holistic model to streamline prevention of misconduct and nurture a culture of ethical conduct in research is also recommended.

Withdrawal Notice: Impact of One-rod Levonorgestrel Implant on Blood Chemistry Profile: A Cohort Study

The article has been withdrawn at the request of the authors and editor of the journal Current Women's Health Reviews. <P> Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may cause. <P> <b>Bentham Science Disclaimer:</b> <P> Articles in Press (articles that have been accepted for publication or published as E-pub Ahead of Schedule but which have not been formally published with volume/issue/page information) that include errors, or are determined to violate the publishing ethics guidelines such as multiple submission, fake claims of authorship, plagiarism, fraudulent use of data or the like, maybe "Withdrawn" from the journal. Withdrawal means that the article files are removed and replaced with a PDF stating that the article has been withdrawn from the journal in accordance with BSP Editorial Policies.

Assessing Digital Literacy in Web-Based Physical Activity Surveillance: The WIN Study

Purpose. Investigate relations between demographic characteristics and submission method, Internet or paper, when physical activity behaviors are reported. Design. Observational. Setting. Metropolitan. Subjects. Adult women (N = 918) observed weekly for 2 years (total number of weekly reports, 44,963). Measures. Independent variables included age, race, education, income, employment status, and Internet skills. Dependent variables were method of submission (Internet or paper) and adherence. Analysis. Logistic regression to analyze weekly odds of submitting data online and meeting study adherence criteria. Model 1 investigated method of submission, model 2 analyzed meeting study's Internet adherence, and model 3 analyzed meeting total adherence regardless of submission method. Results. Whites, those with good Internet skills, and those reporting higher incomes were more likely to log online. Those who were white, older, and reported good Internet skills were more likely to be at least 75% adherent online. Older women were more likely to be adherent regardless of method. Employed women were less likely to log online or be adherent. Conclusion. Providing participants with multiple submission methods may reduce potential bias and provide more generalizable results relevant for future Internet-based research.