Allegation of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes fabrication, falsification, citation manipulation, and plagiarism in research, peer review, reporting, or manuscript preparation. All allegations of misconduct will be assessed fairly and investigated by the Editors, including an evaluation of potential conflicts of interest. Authors will be given the opportunity to respond to allegations, and further expert assessment may be sought when necessary. Manuscripts found to involve misconduct will be rejected, while published articles may be corrected, retracted, or subject to other appropriate editorial actions.

Authors, journals, and relevant institutions share responsibility for investigating suspected misconduct and preserving the integrity of the scholarly record. The journal will take appropriate action based on the findings of each investigation and in accordance with COPE recommendations.