Resolving Controversial Unethical Situations

Any person who has information about violations of ethical standards and other irregularities in connection with published scientific works can inform the Editor-in-Chief and his deputy about it. He is obliged to submit appropriate evidence about this.

In the event of controversial and unethical situations, the editor-in-chief, in agreement with the members of the Editorial Board, will decide to initiate a procedure aimed at verifying the allegations and evidence presented. During that procedure, all presented evidence will be considered confidential material and will be presented only to those persons who are directly involved in the procedure. Individuals suspected of having violated ethical standards will be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations made.

Decisions related to established violations of ethical standards are made by the Editorial Board in cooperation with the Editor-in-Chief and his deputy. Decisions may include the following measures:

• Publication of a statement or introduction describing a case of violation of ethical standards;
• Sending an official notification to the managers or employers of the author/reviewer;
• Unconditional rejection of manuscripts or withdrawal of already published work in accordance with the procedure described under “Retraction policy”;
• The author is permanently prohibited from publishing in the journal;
• Informing relevant professional organizations or competent authorities about the case so that they can take appropriate measures.

When resolving disputed situations, the Editorial Board is guided by the guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).