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Publication ethics

The ethical standards a submission is held to, before and after publication.

Standards we follow

These standards apply to every submission and to the published record that follows from it. They follow the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Human and animal subjects

Studies involving human participants state the approving body and the form of consent obtained. Studies involving animals state the approval and the welfare framework applied. Where an individual is identifiable in an image or a case description, the paper confirms that consent to publish was obtained. Where a jurisdiction did not require ethical approval, the paper states this and explains why.

Authorship

Authorship is limited to those who contributed materially to the work and can answer for it. Tools are not authors. A change to the author list requires the written agreement of everyone named before and after the change.

Competing interests

Financial and non-financial interests that could bear on the work are declared by authors and by anyone who assesses it. A declared interest does not affect assessment. An undisclosed interest that emerges later is handled as a correction.

Misconduct

Duplicate submission, undisclosed reuse, plagiarism and fabricated or falsified data are grounds for rejection before publication and for retraction after it. An allegation is assessed against the evidence. The authors are asked to respond. The outcome is recorded. The notice names what occurred.

The published record

Content is never removed. Every version remains available. Corrections, expressions of concern and retractions stay attached to the article permanently.