Research Misconduct Policy

Last updated: April 13, 2026

Research misconduct undermines the integrity of the scientific record. This policy follows frameworks established by COPE, the OECD Global Science Forum, and national research integrity frameworks including those of the UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) and the US Office of Research Integrity (ORI).

1. Definitions

Research misconduct includes:

Fabrication: Making up data or results.
Falsification: Manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes; changing or omitting data so that results are not accurately represented.
Plagiarism: Appropriating another's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit. See our Plagiarism Policy.
Duplicate publication: Publishing substantially the same work in more than one outlet without disclosure.
Image manipulation: Adjusting images in ways that misrepresent the original data.

2. Reporting

Any person who suspects research misconduct in a submitted or published manuscript should report concerns to the Editor-in-Chief at raman@rsyn.org. Complaints will be handled confidentially. Whistleblowers acting in good faith are protected from retaliation.

3. Investigation Procedure

Investigations follow the relevant COPE flowcharts. Where misconduct is confirmed, outcomes may include rejection, retraction, notice to authors' institutions, and reporting to funding bodies. We cooperate fully with institutional investigations.