Research misconduct refers to unethical practices such as fabrication, falsification, citation manipulation, and plagiarism committed during the conduct, evaluation, or reporting of research, including the preparation and review of scholarly manuscripts. When authors are identified as having engaged in research misconduct or other significant irregularities in published articles, the Editors are responsible for safeguarding the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

In cases where misconduct is suspected, the Editors and Editorial Board will follow the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines and best practices to ensure that complaints are handled objectively, transparently, and fairly. This process includes a formal assessment and investigation conducted by the Editors. Manuscripts found to involve research misconduct during the submission stage will be rejected. If misconduct is identified in a published article, the journal may issue a retraction, which will be clearly linked to the original publication.

The initial stage of the evaluation process involves verifying the credibility of the allegation and determining whether it aligns with the journal’s definition of research misconduct. This stage also includes assessing whether the complainant has any relevant conflicts of interest.

When there is a reasonable possibility of scientific misconduct or other substantial research irregularities, the allegations will be communicated to the corresponding author, who will be asked to provide a detailed response on behalf of all co-authors. Upon receipt and assessment of the response, the Editors may seek additional review or consult independent experts, including statistical reviewers, where appropriate. In cases where misconduct is deemed unlikely, the matter may be resolved through clarifications, additional analyses, or formal corrections, which may be published as letters to the editor or correction notices.

Authors’ affiliated institutions are expected to conduct appropriate investigations into allegations of scientific misconduct. Ultimately, authors, journals, and institutions share a collective responsibility to uphold the reliability of the scholarly record. By addressing concerns related to research misconduct in a timely and appropriate manner, and by implementing corrective actions such as corrections, retractions with replacement, or full retractions when necessary, the journal remains committed to maintaining the validity, transparency, and integrity of scientific publications.