Editorial Misconducts: Boosting Citation and Impact Factor

Editorial misconduct involves various forms of manipulations like tampering impact factors and unethical citation malpractices. Such manipulations are considered a severe violation of academic publishing. Editors play an important role in maintaining the integrity of scholarly records and any attempt to artificially boost citations or impact factors undermines the trust in the publication processes. Journal self-citations are recognized for their impact factor-boosting influences. To counter these challenges, the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) provides ethical norms for editors and publishers of peer-reviewed journals. It is essential to address editorial misconduct effectively at institutional, editorial, or journal levels. This chapter explores the significance of these ethical norms and outlines strategies for handling editorial misconduct emphasizing the importance of upholding integrity in academic publishing.