Editorial

Vol. 9 | Issue 2 | August-September 2021 | Page: 01 | Anil K Bhat

DOI:10.13107/jkoa.2021.v09i02.037

Authors: Anil K Bhat [1]

[1] Department of Hand Surgery, Kasturba Medical College Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.

Address of Correspondence

Dr. Anil K Bhat,
Professor and Head Department of Hand Surgery, Kasturba Medical College Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
E-mail: jkoa.editor@gmail.com

It is heartening to see the decline of the current pandemic which has taken a significant toll of our work, health and other valuable resources as we limp back to normalcy.
The editorial team of the JKOA has been working tirelessly to bring new information in Orthopaedics and with this issue, we continue the endeavour to showcase the good work done by our members. It has been a privilege for the editorial team to serve KOA and with immense pride and responsibility as we present this new issue for the members. We congratulate the authors for their innovative scientific work presented in this issue.
Scientific research and publication entirely stands on the honesty and integrity of the authors and the editorial teams of journals worldwide invariably are dependent on the sense of trust in their presumed ethical study. It is a matter of great concern to see an increasing frequency of misconduct in scientific publishing which include various forms of plagiarism, Salami slicing, manipulation of authorship and bias based on presence of potential conflict of interest.
Duplicate publication is one such example where the authors submit their papers to multiple journal at the same time. The authors withdraw their manuscript as soon it is accepted in another journal. This appalling act amounts to disrespect for rules, guidelines and above all the ethics of publication. It results in loss of precious time and resources for the journal editors, reviewers associated with issues related to copyright. The authors should be aware that the journals frequently communicate with each on ethical issues and a failed response from the authors or their institution could jeopardise their paper. Our journal follows the COPE guidelines diligently which clearly mentions the problems and solutions related to duplicate submissions. Many of the journals state in their information for authors including that of ours, that dual submission is unethical and subject to automatic rejection.
In recent times, academic competition have become more intense in our institutions which has lead to the adage of ‘publish or perish’. It is regrettable to see the rise of predatory journals which have made significant contribution to the rise of such academic misconduct. Such journals ignore the vital steps of peer review and end up as low-quality articles which unfortunately offers unfair competition for genuine hard working authors for academic positions. A more sinister consequence would be risks for our patients if scientific results of publications lacks credibility. It is extremely important for all the authors to be aware of the current ethical guidelines for publication.
Professional integrity in clinical work and research is absolutely essential for research to offer the best possible care for our patients. It is also very vital that we guide our younger generation to practise in both these spheres with the highest ethical standards.

Dr. Anil K. Bhat

Chief Editor
Associate Dean, Professor, Unit of Hand and Microsurgery,
Department of Orthopaedics, Kasturba Medical College Manipal,
Manipal Academy of Higher education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.

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