Umm Al-Qura University to take legal action in the case of erring research scholar

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Umm Al-Qura University said that it will take the necessary legal measures in the case of a female research scholar who is accused of violating the university rules with regard to submission of research papers. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the university reiterated its commitment to implement all applicable rules and regulations to ensure scientific integrity and honesty by research students.

It was found in investigations carried out by the university that the research scholar presented to the university the same scientific paper that she had submitted earlier to a foreign university while doing her master’s degree as a scholarship student. She later published it in one of the journals.

In her testimony before the university’s Scientific Research Ethics Committee, the research scholar apologized for this misconduct. She also withdrew the scientific paper from the journal, tendering an apology to the principal researcher.

In the statement, the university clarified its position with regard to the circumstances of what was recently circulated on the X platform regarding the violation of the rules and regulations related to submission and publication of scientific research papers. The university warned that it rejects any violation of intellectual property or ethics of scientific research.

The university clarified that it had neither seen the scientific paper nor learned about it in advance. It noted that the relationship between publishing outlets and researchers is direct, and that the paper was not presented to the university’s scientific committees and councils, either before or after its publication

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