Allegations of Research Misconduct

The journal takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously, whether they concern a submitted manuscript or a published article. Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to, fabrication or falsification of data, plagiarism, image manipulation, duplicate or redundant publication, inappropriate authorship, citation manipulation, and failure to disclose conflicts of interest or obtain required ethical approval. Allegations should be sent in writing to the Editor-in-Chief and must include specific, verifiable evidence. Anonymous allegations will be considered if the evidence is substantive. All allegations are handled confidentially and in accordance with the guidelines and flowcharts of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The author(s) concerned will be informed of the allegation and given a fair opportunity to respond before any decision is made. Where necessary, the journal may refer the matter to the author’s institution or another appropriate body for investigation, because the journal does not itself determine individual guilt. Depending on the findings, outcomes may include rejection of the manuscript, publication of a correction, an expression of concern, or retraction of the article. The journal will not take punitive action on the basis of an unsubstantiated allegation.