The Journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and adheres to the principles outlined in the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
All submitted manuscripts must be original, not previously published, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere unless explicitly disclosed and permitted under the Journal's policies.
Research and publication misconduct, including but not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate or redundant publication, data fabrication, data falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, citation manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and misrepresentation of authorship or contributions, is strictly prohibited.
The Journal reserves the right to screen submitted manuscripts using plagiarism-detection and other integrity-assessment tools. Allegations or evidence of misconduct, whether identified before or after publication, will be investigated in accordance with COPE guidance and established editorial procedures. Authors may be asked to provide explanations, original data, ethics approvals, or other supporting documentation during the investigation process.
Where misconduct is suspected or confirmed, the Journal may take appropriate corrective actions, including but not limited to manuscript rejection, publication of corrections or expressions of concern, article retraction, removal of content where legally required, and notification of the authors' institutions, funding agencies, or other relevant authorities when warranted.
The Journal is committed to conducting all investigations fairly, confidentially, and transparently, while ensuring due process for all parties involved.