Allegation of Research Misconduct Policy

1. Definition of Research Misconduct The journal strictly prohibits and addresses all forms of research and publication misconduct, including:
  • Fabrication: Making up fake research data, observations, or results.
  • Falsification: Manipulating research data, images, processes, or evaluation outcomes.
  • Plagiarism: Presenting another person's work, ideas, or words as one's own without appropriate citation, including text recycling/auto-plagiarism.
  • Improper Authorship: Practicing ghost authorship, gift/honorary authorship, or changing author lists without substantive contribution and mutual consent.
  • Duplicate/Multiple Submission: Submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal.
  • Undisclosed Conflict of Interest: Failing to disclose financial, professional, or personal competing interests that could compromise scientific objectivity.
2. Handling and Investigation Procedure All allegations or reports of misconduct received from reviewers, readers, or third parties will be handled transparently and systematically:
  1. Initial Assessment: The Editorial Board conducts a preliminary review of the complaint and supporting evidence.
  2. Clarification: The Editorial Board officially contacts the corresponding author to request a formal explanation (right of reply).
  3. Investigation: If needed, an independent committee is established, or the author's home institution is notified to conduct an in-depth investigation following COPE Flowcharts.
  4. Decision: The final decision is reached based on objective evidence and verified facts.
3. Corrective Actions and Sanctions When research misconduct is proven, the journal enforces appropriate corrective measures:
  • Manuscript Withdrawal: Termination of the review/publication process for unpublished manuscripts.
  • Correction (Erratum/Corrigendum): Publishing a formal correction notice for minor errors that do not compromise the study's core findings.
  • Article Retraction: Formally retracting published articles in cases of severe violations (e.g., fabrication, falsification, plagiarism). Retracted articles remain accessible on the website marked clearly with a "RETRACTED" watermark alongside an open retraction notice linked via DOI.
  • Sanctions: Rejection of current submissions, temporary or permanent blacklisting of authors from submitting to the journal, and formal notification to the author's home institution.