Ethics Policy

Image Manipulation & Figure Ethics Policy

SIARE (Society of Integrated Academic Research and Education) requires that all images, figures, and graphical data presented in submitted manuscripts accurately represent the original data without misleading manipulation.

This policy ensures transparency, reproducibility, and integrity in the visual presentation of research findings across all publications on AcademicProceeding.org.

Based on COPE, STM Integrity Guidelines

Authenticity

Figures must reflect original, unaltered data.

Transparency

All adjustments must be disclosed.

No Misleading Edits

Manipulations that distort meaning are prohibited.

Editorial Checks

Figures may be screened for integrity issues.

1. Scope of the Policy

This policy applies to all visual materials submitted for publication, including:

  • Photographic images (e.g., microscopy, clinical images)
  • Graphs, charts, and plots
  • Gel images, blots, and electrophoresis results
  • Illustrations and diagrams
  • Supplementary visual materials

2. General Principle

Images and figures must represent data truthfully and must not be manipulated in a way that could mislead readers or alter scientific interpretation.

Any modification that changes the scientific meaning or interpretation of data is strictly prohibited.

3. Acceptable Image Adjustments

The following adjustments are permitted if applied uniformly and transparently:

  • Brightness and contrast adjustments (applied to entire image)
  • Color balance adjustments (without altering data meaning)
  • Cropping for clarity (must not remove relevant data)
  • Annotation (labels, arrows) that does not obscure original data
All adjustments must be applied consistently across the entire image and disclosed if significant.

4. Prohibited Manipulations

The following practices are strictly prohibited:

  • Selective enhancement or removal of specific features
  • Adding or deleting elements from an image
  • Splicing or combining images without clear disclosure
  • Duplicating images to represent different experiments
  • Altering image content to exaggerate or suppress findings
Misrepresentation of visual data is considered scientific misconduct.

5. Composite Images and Figure Assembly

When combining multiple images into a single figure:

  • Boundaries between images must be clearly indicated
  • Source of each component must be described
  • Image assembly must not mislead interpretation

6. Original Data Availability

Authors may be required to provide original, unprocessed image data upon request.

  • Raw images should be retained by authors
  • Editors may request original files during review
  • Failure to provide data may lead to rejection

7. Editorial Screening

SIARE may screen submitted figures using manual checks or software tools to detect:

  • Image duplication
  • Inconsistent manipulation patterns
  • Suspicious alterations

8. Reporting Requirements

Authors should clearly describe:

  • Image acquisition methods
  • Processing steps (if any)
  • Software used for image editing

9. Ethical Violations

Violations of this policy may result in:

  • Manuscript rejection
  • Retraction of published articles
  • Notification to authors' institutions

Cases will be handled under the Handling Misconduct Policy.

10. Proceeding-Specific Requirements

Some SIARE proceedings may define additional image-related requirements.

Authors must review the Publication Ethics & Integrity page of the respective proceeding before submission.

11. External Standards

Contact

For figure and image ethics queries:

[email protected]
[email protected]