Peer review is not generally good at detecting misconduct. Editors need to be alert!
- Don't ignore it or just reject the paper
- 查阅处理流程图(可用的资源urces section)
- Discuss with publisher
- Consider taking legal advice
In most cases editors should NOT attempt to investigate cases themselves but should try to ensure that the appropriate bodies investigate the case.
Guiding principles
- Keep the case confidential as far as possible and don't spread unproven accusations
- Keep complete and accurate records
- Remain neutral - state the facts, do not make accusations
- Give the accused an opportunity to respond
- Inform everybody involved (eg all authors, funders, other editors)
Next steps
In most cases, journals should NOT investigate suspected misconduct themselves, however in some cases, the evidence will be incontrovertible, for example if text matching software indicates majorplagiarismor screening reveals image manipulation.
You should still give authors a chance to explain, as first impressions can be deceptive
- But if their explanation is unsatisfactory and you have clear evidence of misconduct, you should consider retracting the article
- In most cases, the alleged misconduct is best investigated by the authors’ institution. In this case, you should wait for the results of the investigation, but you might consider publishing an Expression of Concern to notify readers about the investigation
- Expressions of Concern may also be used if the institution refuses to investigate the case in an appropriate way
COPE’s retraction guidelines can be downloaded from theResourcessection.