The International Journal of Molecular Medicine and Advance Sciences (IJMMAS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and ethical publishing. The journal takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously and investigates them fairly, confidentially, and objectively, regardless of whether they are raised before or after publication.

IJMMAS follows the recommendations and COPE Flowcharts developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for handling allegations of publication misconduct. Editors follow the appropriate COPE guidance when investigating ethical concerns to ensure a transparent, consistent, and impartial process.

Authors are strongly encouraged to read the journal's Author Guidelines, Publication Ethics Policy, Research Ethics Policy, and all other editorial policies carefully before submitting their manuscripts.

Definition of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

• Plagiarism.
• Duplicate or redundant publication.
• Data fabrication.
• Data falsification.
• Image manipulation.
• Citation manipulation.
• Fake peer review.
• Unethical authorship practices.
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest.
• Failure to obtain ethical approval or informed consent where required.
• Misrepresentation of research findings.
• Any other practice that compromises the integrity of the scholarly record.

Reporting Allegations

Allegations of research misconduct may be submitted by authors, reviewers, editors, readers, institutions, or any other concerned individual. Every allegation is treated confidentially and evaluated objectively based on the available evidence.

Investigation Process

Upon receiving an allegation, the Editorial Office will conduct a preliminary assessment to determine whether further investigation is warranted. Where appropriate, the corresponding author may be contacted and asked to provide explanations, supporting documentation, original data, ethical approvals, or other relevant information.

If necessary, the journal may also communicate with the authors' affiliated institutions, funding agencies, or other relevant organizations to facilitate a fair investigation.

Editorial Actions

Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

• Request clarification from the authors.
• Request correction or revision of the manuscript.
• Suspend editorial processing while the investigation is ongoing.
• Reject the manuscript.
• Publish a correction or corrigendum.
• Publish an Expression of Concern.
• Retract the published article.
• Notify the authors' institution, funding agency, or other relevant authorities where appropriate.

The action taken will be proportionate to the nature and severity of the confirmed misconduct.

Fairness and Confidentiality

All investigations are conducted impartially, confidentially, and without bias. Authors will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to allegations before a final editorial decision is made. The journal seeks to protect the rights of all parties while preserving the integrity of the scientific record.

COPE Guidance

Editors handle ethical concerns using the COPE Flowcharts and guidance documents available from the Committee on Publication Ethics to ensure that investigations are conducted according to internationally accepted best practices.

COPE Guidance: https://publicationethics.org/guidance

Policy Compliance

By submitting a manuscript to IJMMAS, authors confirm that they have read and agree to comply with the journal's Author Guidelines, Publication Ethics Policy, Research Ethics Policy, and all other editorial policies. Failure to comply with these policies may result in editorial action in accordance with this policy and the recommendations of COPE and ICMJE.