Research misconduct includes fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, image or data manipulation, citation manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, authorship misconduct, duplicate submission, and violation of research ethics (including lack of consent or ethical approval for research involving children).
Reporting
Anyone may report suspected misconduct concerning a submitted or published article to the Editor-in-Chief at [auladjoec@gmail.com]. Reports should identify the article and provide supporting evidence. Anonymous reports are considered when the evidence is substantial.
Procedure
- The Editor-in-Chief acknowledges receipt within 7 working days and conducts a confidential preliminary assessment.
- If the concern is substantiated, the authors are contacted and asked for an explanation and supporting data.
- If the response is unsatisfactory, the case is referred to the authors' institution and/or funder.
- All cases follow the relevant COPE flowcharts. Outcomes may include rejection, correction, expression of concern, retraction, and/or a submission ban.
Research involving children must comply with ethical principles for research with minors, including informed consent from parents/guardians and child assent where appropriate.
