Ethical Issues arising in scholarly publishing

Ethical issues in scholarly publishing encompass a range of violations that compromise the integrity of academic work. Plagiarism, or the unauthorized use of another's work without proper acknowledgment, is a fundamental concern. Similarly, redundant publication, also known as dual publication, involves the submission of the same work to multiple journals, while self-plagiarism, or text recycling, refers to authors reusing their own previously published work without citation. Authorship issues often arise over the attribution of credit, where contributions may be misrepresented or overlooked. Coercive citation pressures authors to include unnecessary references to inflate a journal's citation metrics. Defamation or libel in academic works can harm reputations through false claims. The fabrication of data undermines the validity of research findings, as does unethical research and testing, which breaches accepted standards of conduct. Conflicts of interest, where personal or financial interests might influence research outcomes, further muddy the ethical waters of scholarly publishing, demanding vigilance and integrity from all involved.