Allegations of Research Misconduct

MOLEKUL takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously and is committed to investigating concerns fairly, confidentially, and objectively.

Research misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

• Fabrication or falsification of research data.

• Plagiarism or inappropriate appropriation of intellectual contributions.

• Duplicate or redundant publication.

• Manipulation of images, experimental results, or research records.

• Undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect the integrity of the work.

• Unethical research practices, including the absence of required ethical approval or consent.

• Inappropriate authorship practices, citation manipulation, or other serious violations of publication ethics.

Reporting Concerns

Authors, reviewers, readers, institutions, and other concerned parties may report suspected misconduct to the Editor-in-Chief through the journal's official contact channels. Reports should provide sufficient information and supporting evidence to allow an initial assessment.

Assessment and Investigation

Upon receiving an allegation, the editorial team will:

1. Assess whether the allegation falls within the journal's responsibility and whether sufficient information is available.

2. Preserve relevant records and restrict access to confidential information as appropriate.

3. Contact the corresponding author or other relevant parties for an explanation when appropriate.

4. Seek additional information from reviewers, institutions, research organizations, or other independent experts when necessary.

5. Evaluate the evidence impartially and determine an appropriate editorial response.

The journal will not presume misconduct solely on the basis of an unverified allegation. Authors and other involved parties will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond, subject to legal, confidentiality, and investigative requirements.

Where appropriate, MOLEKUL may refer serious concerns to the relevant institution or research integrity office. The journal may suspend editorial processing or take action on a published article while an investigation is ongoing.

Possible outcomes include dismissal of an unsupported allegation, a request for correction, rejection of a manuscript, publication of an expression of concern, retraction, or other appropriate action.

All cases will be handled in accordance with applicable publication ethics principles and relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Conflict of Interest Policy

MOLEKUL requires authors, editors, and reviewers to disclose relationships or interests that could reasonably be perceived to influence the research, its interpretation, the peer-review process, or editorial decisions.

Conflicts of interest may be financial or non-financial and may include employment, consultancies, honoraria, research funding, intellectual property interests, personal relationships, academic competition, professional affiliations, or other relevant connections.

Authors

All authors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and sources of financial support in their manuscript or the designated submission form. If no relevant conflict exists, the authors should include the statement:

"The authors declare no conflict of interest."

Funding sources and the role of funders in the research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and decision to publish should be disclosed where applicable.

Editors

Editors must declare relevant conflicts of interest and must not handle manuscripts in which their personal, professional, financial, or institutional interests could compromise impartiality. Such manuscripts will be assigned to an independent editor whenever appropriate.

Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflict of interest before accepting a review invitation. They should decline the assignment if a conflict could affect their objectivity or if confidentiality cannot be maintained.

Management of Conflicts

The Editor-in-Chief or an appropriately designated independent editor will assess disclosed conflicts and determine appropriate measures, including reassignment of editorial responsibility, selection of alternative reviewers, additional disclosure, or other safeguards.

Failure to disclose a material conflict of interest may lead to further investigation and, where appropriate, editorial action, including correction or retraction of a published article.

The journal seeks to ensure that editorial decisions are based on scientific merit, originality, relevance, methodological rigor, and compliance with publication ethics.

Post-Publication Discussion and Correspondence

MOLEKUL recognizes that scholarly discussion may continue after an article has been published. Constructive post-publication discussion contributes to scientific transparency, critical evaluation, and the improvement of research quality.

Readers and researchers who identify a substantial scientific concern, methodological limitation, possible error, or interpretation that warrants clarification may contact the editorial team through the journal's official communication channels.

Submissions intended for post-publication discussion should:

1. Clearly identify the published article, including its title, authors, DOI, and relevant sections.

2. Present a specific scientific argument or concern supported by verifiable evidence and relevant references.

3. Use professional, respectful, and evidence-based language.

4. Disclose any relevant conflicts of interest.

5. Avoid unsupported allegations, personal attacks, and confidential information that should not be made public.

The editor will assess the relevance, scientific merit, and suitability of the communication. Where appropriate, the original authors may be invited to provide a response. The editor may consult independent experts before deciding whether a discussion or response should be published.

Any accepted correspondence will undergo editorial assessment and, where necessary, peer review. Publication of a discussion or response does not automatically imply endorsement of the views expressed by the journal.

If a post-publication concern raises questions about the reliability or integrity of the published record, it will be handled under the journal's policies on research misconduct, correction, and retraction.

MOLEKUL may decline communications that are outside the journal's scope, lack sufficient evidence, or do not meet its editorial and ethical standards.