Through the eyes of the editor: Ethics in research and publication-the case of the University of Botswana journals

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the ethics principles that guide the University of Botswana editors and authors who submit articles to the University of Botswana-based journals, and the ethical challenges encountered by editors in the articles that are submitted to the journals. The study investigated ethical practices related to (a) authorship, (b) conflict of interest, (c) plagiarism, (d) simultaneous submission, (e) research fraud, and (f) salami slicing. The data were collected through a survey where a questionnaire was sent out to the editors via email. The data were analyzed and interpreted following the Aristotelian school of thought of ‘moral virtue’ as presented in Duffy (2017). The study determined that authorship, conflict of interest, and research fraud were not a serious problem in the submissions made to some of the University of Botswana journals. However, plagiarism, simultaneous submissions and salami slicing were reported to be a problem in some of the journals. The study also determined that some editors did not always practice due diligence, such as requiring authors to declare order of authorship, conflict of interest, and checking manuscripts for plagiarism, research fraud (data falsification and fabrication), and salami slicing. The findings of this study are important as they indicate areas in which editors need to focus on for improved quality of publications. In addition, the article recommends measures that can influence the University’s publication policy for UB journals