Allegations of Research Misconduct

The journal takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously and is committed to addressing them fairly, confidentially, and promptly. This policy follows COPE guidelines and applies to both manuscripts under review and published articles.

Proactive measures include editorial screening, similarity checks (Turnitin), and ethical evaluations. The journal, editors, and reviewers do not knowingly allow or encourage misconduct to occur.

Misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

• Plagiarism and duplicate publication.
• Data fabrication or falsification.
• Citation manipulation and undisclosed conflicts of interest.
• Unethical research practices or authorship breaches.

Allegations must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief. Credible anonymous complaints may be considered. The Editor-in-Chief will conduct an initial assessment while maintaining strict confidentiality.

Authors will be notified and given an opportunity to respond. Outcomes may include:

• Manuscript rejection or request for correction.
• Publication of a retraction or expression of concern.
• Notification of the author's affiliated institution.

Authors and complainants will be formally notified of the final decision. Cases are considered closed once all editorial actions are completed and records are securely archived.