Publication ethics
Integrity framework
Zocto Research follows COPE core practices and ICMJE recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing and publication of scholarly work in medical journals.
Plagiarism and duplicate submission
All submissions are screened with similarity detection. Text recycling beyond methods boilerplate, duplicate publication and salami slicing are treated as misconduct.
Image and data integrity
Figures must not be manipulated beyond uniform brightness or contrast adjustment. Editors may request raw data, imaging files or analysis scripts at any stage.
Human and animal research
Studies involving humans must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and be approved by a recognised institutional ethics committee. Animal studies must state approval and follow ARRIVE reporting.
Corrections and retractions
Errors that do not affect conclusions are handled by a correction notice. Findings that are unreliable or unethical are retracted with a public, permanently linked retraction statement. The original article remains available and clearly marked.
Allegations and appeals
Concerns can be raised confidentially with the editorial office. Investigations follow COPE flowcharts, and authors are given the opportunity to respond before any action is published.
Editorial independence
Editorial decisions are made solely on scientific merit. Advertising, sponsorship and commercial partnerships have no influence over peer review or acceptance.
Contact
Write to research@zocto.in with any ethics concern. Complaints are acknowledged within 5 working days.