VIRAL: Veritas International Research in Applied Linguistics takes allegations of research misconduct seriously and is committed to maintaining the integrity, credibility, and ethical standards of scholarly publication. Allegations of misconduct may include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, duplicate publication, unethical research practices, improper authorship, citation manipulation, and undisclosed conflicts of interest.

Any allegation of research misconduct will be handled confidentially and evaluated carefully by the editorial team. The editor may request clarification, supporting documents, or additional information from the authors, reviewers, or relevant institutions when necessary. Manuscripts suspected of containing unethical practices may be suspended from the review or publication process until the investigation is completed.

If misconduct is confirmed before publication, the manuscript will be rejected. If misconduct is discovered after publication, the journal may publish corrections, expressions of concern, or retract the article depending on the severity of the violation. The journal may also notify the authors’ affiliated institutions or relevant authorities if required.

Reviewers, editors, and readers are encouraged to report suspected misconduct supported by sufficient evidence. All reports will be treated professionally, fairly, and objectively in accordance with publication ethics principles and international scholarly publishing standards.