Ethics Training Program: Building Research Integrity

IJOER Engineering Journal - Research Ethics Education

ISSN: 2395-6992 | COPE Member | Free Online Training Resources

"Journal editors need diverse skills – the WAME e-Learning Program provides a one-stop resource for obtaining these. Research integrity is increasingly facing such threats as predatory journals, paper mills, and AI-generated content. Engineering journal editors need to have the knowledge and tools to evaluate research content and implement best practices."

IJOER is committed to advancing publication ethics through comprehensive training. As a COPE member, we provide free access to world-class ethics education resources for our authors, reviewers, editors, and the broader engineering research community.

6. Data Integrity & Reproducibility
7. Identifying Predatory Journals
8. AI in Scholarly Publishing (2025)
9. NIH Responsible Conduct of Research
10. Certification & Continuing Education

1. WAME eLearning Program: Free Global Ethics Training

Now Available: Free for Everyone

The World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) has launched a comprehensive eLearning Program for journal editors, available to anyone involved in scholarly publishing. IJOER strongly endorses this program.

Program Features

100% Free: No cost to any user worldwide
Self-Paced: Complete sections at your convenience
Pre- and Post-Tests: Assess knowledge gain
Case Scenarios: Apply ethics principles to real situations
Certificates: Awarded upon successful completion
Global Focus: Applicable to engineering and interdisciplinary research

Curriculum Sections

The Journal Editor: Editor roles, independence, staying current
Journal Operations: Editorial boards, tracking systems, mentoring
Manuscript Processing: Peer review, decisions, initial evaluation
Ethics: Conflicts, authorship, research subjects, misconduct
Publishing: Print/electronic, media relations, indexing, translations
Business & Legal: Copyright, metrics, revenue models, CC licenses

Access the WAME eLearning Program

Anyone is eligible to sign up and take any and all sections, entirely for free. WAME members who successfully complete the program are eligible for a Certificate of Commendation.

Citation: World Association of Medical Editors. WAME eLearning Program (eLP). 2025.

Access WAME eLP

2. COPE Ethics Toolkit for Editorial Offices

Comprehensive Guide to Ethical Publishing Practices

The COPE Ethics Toolkit explains expected ethical practices and helps editorial offices develop codes of ethical conduct aligned with COPE's principles.

Toolkit Applications

Guidelines for Authors: Develop clear authorship and submission policies
Guidelines for Reviewers: Define expectations for ethical peer review
Misconduct Handling: Processes to identify and address ethical concerns
Complaint Procedures: Clear rules for confidentiality breaches, COI, retractions
COPE Membership Application: Identify areas needing development

COPE Member Tools

COPE eLearning: Practical guidance on plagiarism, falsification, authorship, conflicts of interest, and reviewer misconduct
Journal Audit: Checklist to ensure robust, publicly documented processes
Template Letters: Draft correspondence for potential misconduct cases
Flowcharts & Infographics: Step-by-step ethical decision-making tools
COPE Forum: Submit anonymized cases for advice from Council members

COPE Focus Topics: Emerging Ethical Dilemmas

Managing Conflicts of Interest

Pre-publication and post-publication stages

Geopolitical Events

Response to events affecting scholarly research

Emerging AI Dilemmas

Accountability, tools, and guidance for 2025

Access COPE Toolkit COPE Member Tools

3. Responsible Authorship: ICMJE Criteria and Ethical Practices

Authorship Requires Substantial Contribution

Responsible authorship means giving proper credit to each contributor and understanding the accountability that comes with authorship.

ICMJE Authorship Criteria

All FOUR criteria must be met:

Substantial contributions to conception OR design OR data acquisition/analysis/interpretation
Drafting or revising critically for important intellectual content
Final approval of the version to be published
Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work

Those who do not meet all four criteria should be acknowledged, not listed as authors.

Ethical Issues to Avoid

Redundant/Duplicate Publications: Presenting same research in multiple journals
Self-Plagiarism: Reusing substantial text without citation
Predatory Journals: Publishing in deceptive or low-quality venues
Gift Authorship: Including individuals who did not contribute
Ghost Authorship: Omitting legitimate contributors

Author Responsibilities Declaration

Based on the Declaration on Ethics and Good Publication Practice, authors submitting to IJOER certify that:

Manuscript is original, unpublished, and not plagiarized
Prior work on same topic is appropriately cited
Same research not presented in previously published works
Authorship limited to significant contributors

Accurate account of work with objective discussion
Sufficient detail for reproducibility
Duty to report errors and cooperate with corrections

4. Ethical Peer Review: Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewer Responsibilities

Timeliness: Decline promptly if unqualified or unavailable
Confidentiality: Treat manuscripts as confidential; do not discuss with others without permission
Objectivity: Conduct reviews objectively; avoid personal criticism
Citation Verification: Identify relevant uncited works
Similarity Reporting: Alert editor to substantial overlap with other articles
Conflict Disclosure: Recuse if conflicts exist

Reviewer Misconduct

COPE eLearning provides practical guidance on identifying and addressing reviewer misconduct, including:

Using privileged information for personal gain
Delaying review to disadvantage competitors
Suggesting citations to inflate own metrics
Breaching confidentiality
Unprofessional or biased comments

IJOER Reviewer Ethics Pledge

All IJOER reviewers agree to: "conduct reviews in an objective manner, maintain confidentiality, identify relevant published works not cited, report substantial similarity to other articles, and decline manuscripts with conflicts of interest."

5. Conflicts of Interest: Identification and Management

Conflicts of Interest Are Highly Relevant to Credibility

COPE's discussions focus on managing conflicts of interest in both pre-publication and post-publication stages.

Financial COIs

Employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, patents, grants

Personal COIs

Family relationships, friendships, rivalries, academic competition

Institutional COIs

Departmental affiliations, institutional endorsements, funding sources

COPE Conflict of Interest Resources

COPE Discussion Forum: Sessions on COI management
COPE eLearning: Module on conflicts of interest
Template Letters: Correspondence templates for undisclosed COIs

Flowcharts: Step-by-step COI investigation guides
ICMJE Form: Standard disclosure form for journals

6. Data Integrity, Management, and Reproducibility

Research Integrity Training

Comprehensive research integrity training covers:

Research Integrity: Online modules on core principles
Research Ethics Workshop: Scientific integrity, publication, authorship, peer review, mentor-trainee relationships, data acquisition and management
Annual Review of Ethics Cases: Case discussions on emerging issues

Research Integrity Core Modules

Core modules for research integrity:

Responsible/irresponsible research practice
Planning your research
Managing and recording your research
Data selection, analysis and presentation
Scholarly publication
Professional responsibilities

IJOER Data Integrity Standards

Accurate Data Representation: Underlying data must be accurately represented in manuscripts
Data Availability: Link to databases or repositories encouraged
Sufficient Detail: Enough information for others to reproduce work
Fraudulent Data: Knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior

Data Reproducibility Training: Reproducibility training modules are available through various platforms, covering "Data selection, analysis and presentation" as core research integrity components.

7. Identifying Predatory Journals and Paper Mills

A Growing Threat to Research Integrity

Paper mills are a real threat to the integrity of the scholarly record. COPE Focus brings together guidance, discussions, and videos on this topic.

Red Flags: Predatory Journals

Rapid publication promises (24-48 hours)
Unsolicited email invitations to submit
Fake or non-existent impact factors
Editorial boards with uncontactable members
Hidden article processing charges
False claims of indexing

How to Verify Journal Credibility

Check Indexing: Verify in legitimate databases
COPE Membership: Verify on publicationethics.org
DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals
Think.Check.Submit: Campaign for journal verification
Publisher Website: Review for transparency and professional standards

COPE Focus on Paper Mills

COPE Focus brings together COPE's most important resources on paper mills, providing up-to-date, carefully chosen collections of guidance, discussions, and videos.

8. Artificial Intelligence: Emerging Ethical Dilemmas (2025)

Emerging AI Dilemmas in Scholarly Publishing

COPE's 2025 discussions address key accountability measures, emerging tools, and guidance to ensure ethical standards in an environment increasingly shaped by AI.

Key Questions for 2025

Can AI tools be listed as authors? (No - cannot take responsibility)
How should AI use be disclosed?
What constitutes appropriate vs. inappropriate AI assistance?
How to detect undisclosed AI-generated content?
What are the accountability measures for AI use?

IJOER AI Policy

No AI Authors: AI tools cannot be listed as authors
Disclosure Required: Authors must disclose AI use in manuscript preparation
Human Responsibility: Authors are fully responsible for all content
Plagiarism: AI-generated text may constitute plagiarism if not attributed

See our complete AI in Publishing Policy

COPE Discussion: Emerging AI Dilemmas

COPE's discussion forum addresses key accountability measures, emerging tools, and guidance to ensure ethical standards in an environment increasingly shaped by AI in 2025.

9. Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training

RCR Training Requirement

Many funding agencies require a minimum of 8 hours RCR training completed within the first year of fellowship or grant period.

Training Component	Credit Hours	Topics Covered	Timeline
RCR Online Module	1 hour	Research integrity, authorship, mentor/trainee relationships	Within first month
Annual Ethics Cases Review	1 hour	Institute-facilitated review of current ethics cases	Annually
Research Ethics Workshop	6 hours	Scientific integrity, publication, authorship, peer review, mentor-trainee, data management	Within first year
Research Mentor Training	3 hours (elective)	Expectations, communication, research ethics, mentoring philosophy	Annually

RCR Training Resources

CITI Program: RCR courses for engineering and biomedical researchers
Epigeum Research Integrity: University subscription-based training

Research Integrity Modules: Core modules + supplementary modules
Refresher Training: Knowledge check, policy updates, emerging issues

10. Certification and Continuing Ethics Education

WAME Certificate

Awarded upon completion of WAME eLearning Program. WAME members eligible for Certificate of Commendation.

Research Integrity Certificate

Downloadable certificate upon completing all core modules. Individual certificates also available per module.

Refresher Training

Research Integrity: Refresher - shorter programme with modules on knowledge check, policy updates, current and emerging issues.

IJOER Ethics Training Recognition

IJOER recognizes the following training programs for continuing education in publication ethics:

WAME eLearning Program: Free, comprehensive, certificate-awarding
COPE eLearning: Practical guidance, case-based
RCR Training: 8-hour requirement, certificate available

Epigeum Research Integrity: University subscriptions
CITI Program: RCR and research ethics
IJOER Author Ethics Tutorial: Coming 2026

Authors, reviewers, and editors may include completion certificates in their professional portfolios. IJOER encourages all stakeholders to complete at least one comprehensive ethics training program annually.

IJOER Author Ethics Tutorial Series

Coming in 2026: IJOER Ethics Education Initiative

IJOER is developing a series of short video tutorials on key publication ethics topics, freely available to our author community.

Authorship

ICMJE criteria, contributor roles, avoiding gift authorship

Coming Q1 2026

Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism, paraphrasing, similarity reports