Guidelines on Governance of Good Conduct in Research

a) Honesty and Transparency

• Researchers must present data, methods, and findings truthfully.
• Fabrication, falsification, and selective reporting must be avoided.
• Limitations and uncertainties must be clearly acknowledged.
• Data should be stored properly and shared when required for verification.

b) Accuracy and Research Rigor

• Use appropriate, validated methodologies.
• Maintain accurate records of procedures, observations, and data analysis.
• Ensure reproducibility by following established standards.
• Perform proper checks, quality control, and error correction.

c) Accountability and Responsibility

• Researchers are responsible for the integrity of their work.
• Follow institutional regulations, ethical committee approvals, and funding agency guidelines.
• Ensure proper handling of resources, materials, and samples.

d) Fairness and Respect

• Give appropriate credit to contributors.
• Avoid misuse of ideas, data, or materials from colleagues.
• Maintain confidentiality of human participants and sensitive data.
• Treat all members of the research group ethically and professionally.

e) Ethical Authorship and Publication Practices

• Only individuals who contributed significantly should be listed as authors.
• Avoid plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate submissions, or data slicing.
• Cite all relevant literature and acknowledge funding sources.
• Correct errors in publications through errata or retractions if needed.

f) Conflict of Interest Management

• Declare all financial, personal, or professional interests that may influence the research.
• Avoid situations where conflicts compromise objectivity.
• Institutions must have mechanisms to manage and review conflicts.

g) Supervision, Mentoring, and Training

• Senior researchers must provide proper guidance and a safe research environment.
• Ensure that junior researchers are trained in research ethics, data handling, and publication norms.
• Avoid exploitation, undue pressure, or unfair authorship claims.

h) Compliance With Laws, Ethics, and Institutional Policies

• Follow guidelines for human and animal ethics.
• Follow biosafety, environmental, and data protection regulations.
• Obtain necessary approvals before beginning any study.
• Ensure ethical handling, storage, and use of biological, chemical, or digital materials.

2. Case Studies/ Examples of Authorship Malpractices

Case Study 1: Gift / Guest Authorship

Situation

A PhD student completes the majority of a research project, including experimental work, analysis, and drafting the manuscript. During manuscript submission, the supervisor adds the names of a senior professor (who did not contribute) and another researcher (who had no involvement) in order to:
• maintain good relations
• increase the paper’s perceived importance

Type of Misconduct

• Gift authorship (author added as a favour)
• Guest authorship (adding a prestigious name to increase acceptance chances)

Why It Is Wrong

• Violates authorship criteria recommended by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics).
• Misrepresents actual contributions.
• Undermines the efforts of the primary researcher.
• Creates a false scientific record by attributing credit improperly.
• Promotes power imbalance and unfair academic practices.

Case Study 2: Duplicate or Multiple Publication

Situation

A research team submits a manuscript based on their antimicrobial peptide study to Journal A. While it is under review, they submit the same study — with only minor text changes — to Journal B without disclosure. Both journals later detect the duplication.

Type of Misconduct

• Duplicate publication
• Self-plagiarism
• Violation of journal submission policies

Why It Is Wrong

• Misleads the scientific community by presenting the same data as two independent contributions.
• Wastes editorial and peer-review resources.
• Inflates publication metrics unfairly.
• Distorts meta-analyses and systematic reviews.
• May result in retraction and disciplinary action.

Guidelines on Governance of Good Conduct in Researcha) Honesty and Transparency

b) Accuracy and Research Rigor

c) Accountability and Responsibility

d) Fairness and Respect

e) Ethical Authorship and Publication Practices

f) Conflict of Interest Management

g) Supervision, Mentoring, and Training

h) Compliance With Laws, Ethics, and Institutional Policies

2. Case Studies/ Examples of Authorship Malpractices

Case Study 1: Gift / Guest Authorship

Situation

Type of Misconduct

Why It Is Wrong

Case Study 2: Duplicate or Multiple Publication

Situation

Type of Misconduct

Why It Is Wrong

Guidelines on Governance of Good Conduct in Research

a) Honesty and Transparency

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Rahul Shrivastava

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Guidelines on Governance of Good Conduct in Research