Statement on Publication Ethics and Misconduct

The Thai Journal of Anesthesiology is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity in accordance with internationally recognized principles of scholarly publishing. The journal adopts a zero-tolerance policy toward research and publication misconduct. All allegations of unethical conduct will be investigated thoroughly and handled in a fair, transparent, and timely manner. Manuscripts may be rejected, and published articles may be corrected, retracted, or otherwise addressed when evidence of misconduct is identified.

1. Plagiarism

Plagiarism in any form, including the unauthorized use, reproduction, or appropriation of another person's ideas, data, text, figures, or intellectual work without proper acknowledgment, is strictly prohibited. All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism-detection software. Manuscripts exhibiting exceeding 25% similarity (excluding quotation and references) or evidence of plagiarism may be rejected, and further actions may be taken in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies.

2. Data Fabrication and Falsification

Authors must report research findings truthfully and accurately. Data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, selective reporting, or any intentional misrepresentation of research data or results constitutes scientific misconduct and may lead to manuscript rejection, article retraction, and notification of relevant institutions, as appropriate.

3. Duplicate Submission and Redundant Publication

Manuscripts submitted to the journal must be original and must not be under consideration, accepted, or published elsewhere, in whole or in part, without appropriate disclosure. Simultaneous submission to multiple journals and redundant or duplicate publication are considered unethical publishing practices and may result in immediate rejection or retraction.

4. Authorship Misconduct

Authorship should accurately reflect each individual's substantial scholarly contribution to the work. All authors must meet the journal’s authorship criteria and approve the final version of the manuscript prior to submission. Practices such as guest authorship, gift authorship, ghost authorship, or misrepresentation of author contributions are unacceptable. Any authorship disputes must be resolved by the authors and their institutions before editorial consideration can proceed.

5. Peer Review Manipulation

Any attempt to compromise the integrity, objectivity, or independence of the peer-review process is considered misconduct. This includes the provision of false reviewer information, the creation of fraudulent reviewer accounts, coercive influence on reviewers or editors, or any other actions intended to manipulate editorial decisions. Such conduct may result in rejection of the manuscript and further investigation.

6. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence, or be perceived to influence, the conduct, review, or interpretation of research. Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may result in corrective actions, including rejection or retraction.

7. Ethical Approval and Human Subjects Protection

Research involving human participants, human biological materials, or identifiable personal data must have received prior approval from an appropriately constituted Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee and must be conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable regulations. Failure to obtain or report appropriate ethical approval constitutes a serious breach of research ethics.

8. Misconduct Investigation and Corrective Actions

When concerns regarding research or publication misconduct arise, the journal will investigate in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, corrective actions may include manuscript rejection, publication of corrections, expressions of concern, article retraction, notification of the authors’ institutions or funding agencies, and restrictions on future submissions.

The Thai Journal of Anesthesiology is dedicated to preserving the integrity, reliability, and credibility of the scientific record. It expects all participants in the publication process to uphold the highest ethical standards.