Academic research involves many coordinated steps and processes – appropriate study design, study execution, data collection, data analysis, and finally publication. While going through these steps and culminating in a publication can be an exhilarating experience, one should be aware of ethical code of conduct that binds researchers at every stage. The [[Committee on Publication Ethics]] ([[COPE]]) is an international forum for editors and publishers of peer-reviewed journals that provide the “code of conduct” and “best practice guidelines” that define publication ethics and advises editors on how to handle cases of research and publication misconduct