Research Misconduct and Allegations

The journal takes allegations of research misconduct seriously, whether they arise before or after publication.

Potential misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

- Plagiarism and inappropriate text recycling;

- Data fabrication or falsification;

- Duplicate or redundant publication;

- Improper authorship or undisclosed contributions;

- Undisclosed conflicts of interest;

- Manipulation of citations or peer review;

- Misrepresentation of research ethics approval or informed consent;

- Unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential research materials; and

- Inappropriate or undisclosed use of AI that compromises the integrity of the research or publication.

The journal takes all allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously, including plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, and other forms of unethical research or publishing practices.

All allegations will be assessed carefully, impartially, and confidentially. The journal will follow the relevant procedures outlined in the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and flowcharts, as appropriate to the nature of the case.

Where necessary, the journal may:

- Conduct a preliminary assessment of the available evidence and request explanations or supporting information from the authors or other relevant parties.

- Contact the authors' affiliated institutions, research integrity offices, or relevant funding bodies to request further investigation.

- Suspend the editorial or peer review process while serious concerns are being assessed.

- Take appropriate action based on the findings, including rejection of a manuscript, publication of a correction or an expression of concern, or retraction of a published article.

The journal will provide relevant parties with an opportunity to respond and will take appropriate measures to protect the confidentiality and rights of all parties involved. Decisions will be made based on the available evidence and the need to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.