• Fabrication or falsification of data, results, images, records, or evidence.
• Plagiarism, duplicate submission, redundant publication, or misleading text recycling.
• Improper image manipulation, data manipulation, or selective reporting intended to mislead.
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest, unethical research, or lack of required ethical approval/consent.
• Authorship manipulation, paper-mill activity, citation manipulation, or peer-review manipulation.
• Use of fabricated references, fabricated reviewer identities, or false institutional/ethical statements.

1. The editor records the allegation and performs a preliminary assessment.
2. Where appropriate, the corresponding author is asked for an explanation and supporting evidence.
3. The editor may consult independent experts, the editorial board, publisher, relevant institution, or ethics body while managing conflicts of interest.
4. The decision is based on available evidence and documented in the editorial record.
5. If the scholarly record is affected, the journal may issue a correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other appropriate notice.

Information is shared only with parties necessary to investigate and resolve the case. Editors who have a conflict must recuse themselves.