Research Misconduct & Whistleblower Policy

International Journal of Innovative Trends in Engineering Science and Technology adheres to the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) to uphold research integrity and combat fraudulent scholarly practices.

• Data Fabrication: Inventing experimental results, statistical observations, or mathematical derivations that did not take place.
• Falsification & Image Fraud: Inappropriately manipulating research equipment, data points, or figures to support false conclusions.
• Authorship Malpractice: Ghost authorship (omitting valid contributors), gift authorship (including non-contributors), or purchasing author slots.
• Redundant Submissions: Submitting identical or duplicate empirical findings across multiple journals simultaneously.

Allegations of research malpractice undergo a confidential, multi-step investigation:

1. Initial Assessment: The Editor-in-Chief reviews the allegations to establish whether prima facie evidence of misconduct exists.
2. Author Query: The corresponding author is given 14 business days to provide verified raw datasets, laboratory logs, or institutional approvals.
3. Expert Forensic Review: Independent image and statistical specialists examine the disputed artifacts if necessary.
4. Institutional Escalation: If significant fabrication or manipulation is substantiated, the editor formally contacts the author's institutional integrity officer.

Academic whistleblowers, reviewers, and readers may report documented ethical concerns directly to the Editor-in-Chief via support@ijitest.org.

All reports are handled with absolute confidentiality to shield whistleblowers from institutional or professional retaliation.