Verdant Legacy Publications

Plagiarism and Publication Ethics Policy

Verdant Legacy Publication upholds the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. All authors, editors, and reviewers are expected to adhere to the following ethical guidelines based on international standards (COPE, ICMJE, and WAME).

1. Plagiarism Policy

All manuscripts submitted to Verdant Legacy Publication are screened for plagiarism using reliable plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts exhibiting more than 15% similarity (excluding references and quotations) will be returned to authors for revision or may be rejected at submission step.

Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:

• Copying text, ideas, or figures from other sources without proper citation.
• Self-plagiarism (reusing significant parts of one’s previously published work).
  • Paraphrasing others’ work without acknowledgment.

2. Data Fabrication and Falsification

Authors must present accurate data and results. Fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting of data is considered unethical and unacceptable.

3. Authorship and Contribution

All listed authors must have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the research and agree to be accountable for the content. Guest, honorary, or ghost authorship is strictly prohibited.

4. Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence their research. Editors and reviewers are also required to declare potential conflicts of interest before participating in the review process.

5. Peer Review Integrity

Verdant Legacy Publication follows a double-blind peer review process to ensure objectivity and fairness. Reviewers must treat manuscripts confidentially and provide unbiased, constructive feedback.

6. Ethical Approval and Human/Animal Subjects

Studies involving human participants or animals must include a statement of ethical approval from the relevant institutional review board. Authors must also confirm that informed consent was obtained when applicable.

7. Retraction and Correction Policy

In cases of proven misconduct, such as plagiarism, data manipulation, or unethical research practices, Verdant Legacy Publication reserves the right to retract or issue corrections to published articles. Authors will be notified and involved in the process.

8. Reporting Misconduct

Any ethical concerns regarding a manuscript or published article should be reported directly to the editorial office at ethics@verdantlegacy.org. All reports are handled confidentially and investigated according to COPE guidelines.

9. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

It is ethical responsibility of reviewers to treat manuscripts as confidential documents and to provide objective, constructive, and unbiased reviews. Use of AI for review process is not the part of our policy, and it is strictly prohibited at this stage. If there is any conflicts of interest, reviewers must declare it and decline reviews where appropriate.

10. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must ensure a fair, impartial, and timely review process while maintaining the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts. They should avoid handling any manuscript where a conflict of interest exists to uphold the integrity of the publication process. Furthermore, in cases of confirmed research or publication misconduct, editors are responsible for taking appropriate actions such as issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern as necessary.

11. Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern

1. Retraction: Issued when published findings are unreliable due to misconduct or major error.
2. Correction (Erratum/ Corrigendum): Issued for minor mistakes that do not invalidate the results.
3. Expression of Concern: Issued when an investigation into suspected misconduct is ongoing.

8. Data Transparency and Availability

• Authors should retain raw data for at least five years and provide it upon request for verification.
• Where applicable, data should be deposited in publicly accessible repositories.

9. Appeals and Complaints

Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions or lodge complaints regarding ethical concerns. Appeals will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and the Advisory Board, ensuring impartial resolution.

Note: This policy is subject to periodic updates in line with COPE and international publishing standards.