Allegations of Misconduct

The journal takes all allegations of research or publication misconduct seriously, whether they concern submitted manuscripts or published articles.

Concerns — including plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, image manipulation, undisclosed competing interests, authorship disputes, or duplicate publication — may be raised confidentially with the editorial office via the Contact page.

Allegations are investigated following the flowcharts and principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Where misconduct is confirmed, outcomes may include correction, expression of concern, or retraction, and notification of the authors’ institutions. The journal protects the confidentiality of those who raise concerns in good faith.