Responsibilities of authors

• Submit original work, cite sources accurately and disclose all related submissions, prior dissemination and material overlap.
• Preserve underlying records and provide relevant raw data, protocols, approvals or images when a legitimate editorial investigation requires them.
• List only qualified authors, acknowledge other contributions and obtain approval from all authors before submission.
• Disclose funding, sponsor roles and financial or non-financial competing interests that could reasonably be perceived to affect the work.
• Notify the journal promptly if a significant error is found during review or after publication.

Unacceptable practices

Similarity screening

The journal may use text-similarity and other integrity checks before or after publication. A similarity score is a screening signal, not an automatic plagiarism judgment: quotations, methods, references and legitimate overlap require contextual assessment. Authors may be asked to explain overlap or supply source documents. Editorial responses are informed by relevant COPE guidance without implying organisational membership.

Images, data and citations

Images must represent the original observations. Selective enhancement, undisclosed splicing, duplicated panels, relabelling or removal of features that changes interpretation is prohibited. Data exclusions and transformations must be justified. Citations must be relevant and must not be added solely to raise metrics, satisfy coercive requests or support claims the cited source does not make.

Preprints and prior communication

A genuine preprint, thesis, conference abstract or registered protocol does not automatically prevent consideration, but it must be disclosed and cited where relevant. Authors must explain substantial overlap and must not present already published findings as new. Copyright or sponsor restrictions remain the authors' responsibility.

How concerns are handled

1. The journal records the concern and performs an initial evidence check without assuming guilt.
2. Authors or reviewers may be asked for a response, raw material or clarification; confidentiality is maintained as far as a fair process permits.
3. The editor may seek independent expertise and may contact an institution, ethics committee, funder or another journal when necessary to protect the record.
4. Outcomes may include no action, clarification, correction, rejection, review termination, expression of concern, retraction or a restriction on future submissions.
5. The journal corrects the public record with a linked, clearly labelled notice when post-publication action is warranted.

Editorial and publisher conduct

Editors must act on academic merit, manage conflicts and protect confidential material. Reviewers must provide respectful, evidence-based reports and must not appropriate ideas or data. The publisher does not interfere with individual academic decisions. Advertising, sponsorship, special issues and publication charges are kept separate from editorial judgment.