Purpose

The Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. All allegations of research and publication misconduct are handled fairly, confidentially, transparently, and without bias. The Journal follows the recommendations and flowcharts of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and applies internationally recognized best practices when investigating concerns relating to submitted or published manuscripts.

Scope of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, duplicate publication, redundant publication, authorship disputes, undisclosed conflicts of interest, citation manipulation, unethical research involving human or animal subjects, peer review manipulation, and any other practice that compromises the integrity of the scholarly record.

Author Responsibilities

Authors are expected to conduct and report research honestly, accurately, and transparently. Before submitting a manuscript, authors must carefully read and comply with the Journal's Author Instructions, Publication Ethics, and Editorial Policies. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that their work complies with these requirements and with accepted international standards of research integrity.

Reporting Allegations

Allegations of research misconduct may be submitted by authors, reviewers, editors, readers, institutions, or any other concerned party. Reports should be supported by sufficient evidence to allow an appropriate assessment. The identity of whistleblowers will be treated confidentially whenever possible and in accordance with applicable laws and ethical standards.

Investigation Process

Upon receiving an allegation, the Editorial Office will conduct a preliminary assessment to determine whether further investigation is warranted. If necessary, the Journal will contact the corresponding author for an explanation and may request original data, ethics approval documents, authorship confirmations, or other relevant information. Where appropriate, the Journal may also consult reviewers, Editorial Board members, authors' institutions, funding agencies, or other relevant organizations.

All investigations are conducted fairly, objectively, and confidentially. The Journal follows the COPE Flowcharts and Guidance when evaluating and resolving allegations of research misconduct to ensure consistency and due process.

Editorial Actions

Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the Journal may take one or more of the following actions:

• Request clarification or additional documentation from the authors.

• Require correction or revision of the manuscript.

• Reject the manuscript before publication.

• Publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction after publication.

• Notify the authors' institution, employer, funding agency, or relevant regulatory authority when appropriate.

• Impose restrictions on future submissions where serious or repeated misconduct is confirmed.

Confidentiality and Fair Process

The Journal is committed to protecting the rights of all parties during the investigation. Allegations will not be considered proven until appropriate evidence has been evaluated. Editors will avoid conflicts of interest throughout the investigation and will ensure that decisions are based solely on the available evidence and established ethical standards.

COPE Compliance

The Journal follows the COPE Core Practices and COPE Flowcharts for handling allegations of publication misconduct. Editorial decisions are guided by the official COPE recommendations available at https://publicationethics.org/guidance, together with applicable legal, institutional, and professional standards.

Key Requirements

• Authors must carefully read the Journal's Author Instructions and Publication Ethics policies before submission.

• All allegations of research misconduct are investigated fairly, objectively, and confidentially.

• The Journal follows COPE Flowcharts and international publication ethics guidance when handling misconduct cases.

• Authors may be asked to provide original data, ethics approvals, or other supporting documentation during an investigation.

• Appropriate editorial action will be taken when misconduct is confirmed.

• The Journal is committed to preserving the integrity, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record.