Policy Document

JBKCD POLICY DOCUMENT

In accordance with the guidelines/instructions relevant to the system established for the process of submitting and publishing an article as specified in the prescribed criteria/guidelines (available on HEC's website). The journal's mandatory information/policyis as follows:

PUBLICATION FREQUENCY

The journal is published biannually.

  • Spring Issue (January-June)
  • Fall Issue (July-December)

AUTHORS/SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Instructions to Authors

Editorial Policy

The Journal of Bacha Khan College of Dentistry (JBKCD) is the official peer-reviewed publication of Bacha Khan College of Dentistry. The journal is dedicated to sharing new knowledge in all areas of dental sciences, including the oral cavity and related structures in both health and disease.

JBKCD aims to be a leading voice in dental research by providing a platform for high-quality, impactful studies from Pakistan and around the world. It welcomes submissions that contribute to scientific understanding and clinical advancement in dentistry.

The journal publishes a wide range of article types, including:

  • Original research articles
  • Clinical studies and innovations
  • Reviews
  • Evidence-based case reports
  • Short communications
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guest editorials

Our goals include:

  • Promoting original research in oral health sciences within Pakistan
  • Supporting continuing dental education
  • Sharing valuable scientific insights with both local and international audiences

JBKCD is published biannually and serves a broad readership of dental professionals, researchers, and students interested in staying informed about current developments and innovations in dentistry.

Manuscript Submission

The Journal of Bacha Khan College of Dentistry (JBKCD) adheres to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), as last updated in October 2004. These guidelines are available at www.icmje.org.

Only manuscripts that have not been previously published or submitted elsewhere for publication will be considered.

Submission Requirements:

  • Tables and illustrations must be typed or drawn on separate pages.
  • A covering letter (Annexure-1), signed by the principal author and must accompany the manuscript. This letter should include:
    • A declaration of originality
    • A statement that the work has neither been published nor is under consideration elsewhere

Electronic Submission:

  • Authors, including international contributors, may submit manuscripts electronically via the journal’s official website:
    https://jbkcd.bkcd.edu.pk
  • Manuscripts, including tables and references, must be submitted as MS Word documents.
  • All graphics and illustrations should be submitted as JPEG files.

Format Requirements

Manuscripts reporting original research should be structured as follows:

  1. Title Page
    Page 1 must include:
  • Title of the article
  • Full names of all authors in the order they should appear in print
  • Academic degrees, titles/designations, departmental and institutional affiliations
  • Corresponding author’s full contact details (address, telephone number, and email)
  • Acknowledgements, if any
  1. Abstract
    Page 2 should feature a structured abstract (maximum 250 words) with the following headings:
  • Objectives
  • Materials and Methods
  • Results
  • Conclusion
    Note: Structured abstracts are not required for evidence-based clinical cases or literature reviews.
  1. Keywords
    include 3–6 relevant keywords listed at the bottom of the abstract page.
  2. Abbreviations
    Use only standard abbreviations. Define each abbreviation in full at its first mention in the text. Avoid abbreviations in the title and abstract.
  3. Introduction
    Briefly state the rationale and objectives of the study. Do not include extensive literature review, data, or conclusions. Limit references to those most pertinent and clearly present the working hypothesis.
  4. Materials and Methods
    Describe the study design and procedures in detail to allow reproducibility. Include:
  • Ethical approval number (mandatory in unblinded version)
  • Description of the sample (patients, subjects, or materials)
  • Consent procedures (verbal or written)
  • Drug or material names (generic), dosages, and routes of administration
  • Statistical methods and software used
  1. Results
    As per JBKCD editorial policy, articles that present only frequency-based results will not be accepted. Present findings clearly through text, tables, and figures. Avoid repeating data across these formats. Highlight key results in the text and reference tables/figures for additional details.
  2. Discussion
    Interpret and compare your findings with existing literature. Avoid repetition of content from the Introduction or Results. Discuss implications and limitations of the study.
  3. Conclusion
    List evidence-based conclusions in numbered format, directly linked to the study’s objectives.
  4. Tables
    Each table must be:
  • Presented on a separate page
  • Double-spaced
  • Titled briefly and accompanied by a legend
    Avoid duplicating results presented in figures.
  1. Illustrations (Figures)
    All graphics, drawings, and photographs are labeled as “Figures” and numbered consecutively.
  • Each figure must be on a separate page with a caption
  • Photographs must be labeled on the back with figure number and caption
  1. References
    · References must be formatted according to the Vancouver style; double-spaced, and numbered consecutively in the order in which they appear in the text.
  • The total number of references should not exceed 40 for original articles and 100 for review articles.

Journal Articles:

  • Include full names and initials of all authors if there are six or fewer.
  • If there are more than six authors, list the first six followed by et al.
  • Provide the following details:
    • Author(s)
    • Title of the article
    • Abbreviated name of the journal (as listed in Index Medicus)
    • Year of publication
    • Volume number
    • Issue number (in parentheses)
    • Page range

Example:
Bashir U, Hassan A, Arshad N. Cleidocranial dysplasia. J Pak Dent Assoc 2005;14(3):177–80.

Book Chapters:

  • Include:
    • Author(s) of the chapter
    • Title of the chapter
    • Editor(s) of the book
    • Title of the book
    • Edition (if not the first)
    • Place of publication
    • Publisher
    • Year of publication
    • Page numbers

Example:
Shafer WG, Hine MK, Levy BM. Dental caries. In: Shafer WG, Hine MK, Levy BM, editors. A Textbook of Oral Pathology. 4th ed. India: Saunders; 1997:406–11.

  1. Ethics
    State whether the research was approved by the institutional ethics committee and conducted according to the Helsinki Declaration (1975, revised 1983). Do not include patients’ names, initials, or hospital numbers in text or illustrations.
  2. Units of Measurement
    Use SI units wherever possible. Conventional units may be included in parentheses.
  3. Drug Names
    Prefer generic names. If brand names are necessary, place them in parentheses.
  4. Permissions
    if using content from other sources include written permission from both the original author and publisher for reproduction.

PEER REVIEW POLICY

The Journal of Bacha Khan College of Dentistry (JBKCD) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and publication ethics. To ensure the quality, validity, and significance of all published work, we employ a rigorous and impartial peer-review process. This policy outlines the principles and procedures that guide this essential function.

  1. Review Model
    JBKCD operates a double-blind peer-review system. In this model, the identities of both the authors and the reviewers are concealed from each other throughout the entire process to ensure objectivity and eliminate potential bias.
  2. Reviewer Selection
    Reviewers are carefully selected based on their demonstrated expertise, academic qualifications, and publication record in fields relevant to the submitted manuscript. Each submission is evaluated by a minimum of two independent, external experts (National or Internatioal).
  3. Responsibilities of the Reviewer
    Reviewers are entrusted with the critical task of assessing the scholarly merit of a submission. Their key responsibilities include:
  • Objective Assessment: Providing an unbiased, fair, and constructive evaluation of the manuscript's originality, methodological soundness, clarity, and significance to the field of dentistry.
  • Confidentiality: Treating the manuscript as a confidential document. Reviewers must not disclose, discuss, or use any part of the unpublished work for their own advantage.
  • Constructive Feedback: Delivering a clear, detailed, and respectful report with specific comments to guide the authors, alongside a definitive recommendation (Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject).
  • Timeliness: Completing the review within the stipulated timeframe.
  • Conflict of Interest: Immediately disclosing to the Editor any potential conflicts of interest—personal, financial, or professional—that could compromise their impartiality.
  1. Confidentiality
    All manuscripts submitted to JBKCD are privileged communications. Reviewers, editors, and editorial staff must maintain strict confidentiality and are prohibited from sharing any details of the submission or the review process.
  2. Review Timeline
    Reviewers are requested to submit their reports within two to three weeksof accepting the invitation to review. We understand that schedules can be demanding; extensions may be granted upon reasonable request.
  3. Recognition of Reviewers
    JBKCD deeply values the vital contribution of its peer reviewers. As a token of our gratitude:
  • Reviewers are formally acknowledged in the journal's annual print issue (with their prior consent).
  • Certificates of Review are provided upon request to document their scholarly service.

COPYRIGHTS AND LICENSING

The authors will retain the copyrights of their submitted manuscripts for all purposes.
The work published in this journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International License

Readers may “Share-copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format” and “Adapt-remix, transform, and build upon the material”. The readers must give appropriate credit to the source of the material and indicate if changes were made to the material. Readers may not use the material for commercial purposes. The readers may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

OPEN ACCESS POLICY

This journal provides immediate open access to all its published contents on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

We abide by the Budapest Open Access Initiative definition of Open Access;

“Free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself. The only constraint on reproduction and distribution, and the only role for copyright in this domain, should be to give authors control over the integrity of their work and the right to be properly acknowledged and cited.”

ARTICLE PROCESSING CHARGES (APC)

The journal does not charge any fee for submission, peer review, or publication.
Publication is completely free of cost.

DATA SHARING POLICY

The authors are requested to deposit their data in any spreadsheet (Stata, SPSS, Excel, or any other) in any public repository and share the name of the repository and the link under the heading of "Data Sharing" at the end of the submitted document before acknowledgment references.

APPEAL PROCESS

The readers, authors, reviewers, or any other person may submit a formal appeal to the Managing Editor through his official email (managingeditor@bkcd.edu.pk) regarding any problem, including but not limited to any conflict, delays in review or publishing or article processing charges or rejection of manuscripts to the chief editor. He will refer it to the Appeals Committee of the Editorial Board/ Advisory Board for enquiry and recommendations in the light of the Core Practices of COPE, COPE Guidelines and Policies of WAME, and Council of Science Editors and HEC.

COMPLAINTS PROCESS

Any person may submit a formal complaint to the Managing Editor through his official email (managingeditor@bkcd.edu.pk) regarding any publication misconduct on the part of the author, reviewer, or editor/ editorial board. He will be refer the case to the Complaints Process Committee of the editorial board/ advisory board for recommendations to the board for decision in the light of the Core Practices of COPE, COPE Guidelines and Policies of WAME, and Council of Science Editors and HEC. 

DIGITAL ARCHIVING POLICY

The Journal of Bacha Khan College of Dentistry (JBKCD) is dedicated to ensuring the long-term preservation, accessibility, and integrity of all published scholarly content. This policy outlines our formal strategy to mitigate the risks of digital obsolescence and data loss, guaranteeing that the research we publish remains a permanent resource for the global dental community.

The primary digital archive for all JBKCD content is the Bacha Khan College of Dentistry Institutional Repository. This ensures that a complete, sovereign copy of all published articles (final published PDFs and associated metadata) is preserved on secure, locally managed servers.

 

In accordance with our licensing, authors are explicitly encouraged and permitted to self-archive the final published version of their work. Authors may deposit the PDF immediately upon publication in their personal websites, institutional repositories, or non-commercial subject repositories (e.g., ResearchGate, Academia.edu, Google Scholar, etc.)

REPOSITORY & SELF-ARCHIVING POLICY

Repository & Self-Archiving Policy

The Journal of Bacha Khan College of Dentistry (JBKCD) supports the rapid and widespread dissemination of research. As an open-access journal, we encourage authors to self-archive their work to maximise its reach and impact.

Accepted Manuscript (Author's Final Draft)
Authors may deposit the accepted manuscript (the peer-reviewed version before journal formatting) in institutional or subject-based repositories (e.g., arXiv, SSRN) immediately upon acceptance for publication. There is no embargo period.

Published Version (Version of Record)
JBKCD strongly recommends that the Version of Record (the final, typeset, and published PDF) be used for all citations. Authors are permitted and encouraged to deposit the published PDF directly on their personal websites, institutional repositories, or other free public servers immediately upon publication, with a proper citation and link to the final article on the JBKCD website.

Terms of Deposit
All deposited versions must include a full bibliographic citation and a link to the final article's DOI on the JBKCD website. For the published Version of Record, the work must be distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial (CC BY-NC) license, which permits use and distribution for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution.

PLAGIARISM POLICY

The Journal of Bacha Khan College of Dentistry (JBKCD) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism, in strict accordance with the guidelines of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.

Screening Process
All submitted manuscripts are screened using Turnitin software to identify text overlap with published literature. The Editorial Board may provide authors with a similarity report and request a clarification regarding any potential inappropriate re-use of wording.

Interpreting the Similarity Report
The overall similarity percentage is an initial indicator, not a definitive verdict. A high percentage may be acceptable depending on the context, while a low percentage may still conceal significant issues. The editorial decision is based on a careful analysis of the report, considering:

  • Nature of Overlap: Is the text copied in fragmented phrases or in entire sentences/paragraphs?
  • Location of Overlap: Overlap in the introduction (common knowledge) or methods (standard techniques) is often less critical than duplication in the results, discussion, or conclusion sections.
  • Data Duplication: The replication of data, figures, or tables is almost never acceptable without explicit permission and citation.
  • Proper Attribution: Was the original source appropriately cited?
  • Self-Plagiarism: Overlap with the authors' own previous work (e.g., a thesis or preprint) must be disclosed and cited to avoid concerns of redundant publication. Copyright permission may be required.

Editorial Actions
Based on this analysis, the editor may:

  • Request Revisions: Ask authors to rephrase text and provide missing citations before peer review.
  • Reject the Manuscript: Deem the manuscript unacceptable for publication due to significant plagiarism.
  • Proceed to Review: If the overlap is deemed minor and appropriately cited.

Authors are expected to ensure their work is entirely original and to properly cite all sources and previous work.

ETHICAL GUIDELINES

There are ethical publication norms in place to ensure high-quality scientific publications, public faith in scientific discoveries,and credit for people's ideas. The standards and fundamental policies of the Committee on Publication Ethics are followed by our journal (COPE)

PRIVACY STATEMENT

Non-registered users' information is not collected by the JBKCD journal. The information gathered from our journal's registeredusers as part of the usual operation of peer-reviewed journals. It contains information that facilitates editorial communication; it allows for the collection of aggregated statistics on submissions and publications, as well as the tracking of geopolitical andsociological aspects of scholarly communication. This data is used by the journal's editorial team to influence their work inpublishing and developing the publication.

AUTHOR AGREEMENT FORM

On behalf of all co-authors, I certify that our Manuscript, which was submitted to the Journal of Bacha Khan College of Dentistry (JBKCD)

Article's Title: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Author/s Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

  1. This script has never been published before, either in its entirety or in part.
  2. The paper is not being considered for publication in another journal at this time; if I send it to another publisher, I will notifyyou in advance, which will be considered my voluntary withdrawal from the QJSS.
  3. In addition, nothing in the work is abusive, defamatory, libelous, obscene, fraudulent, or illegal.
  4. All of the writers were directly and actively involved in the substantive effort that led to the manuscript, and they shall bejointly and individually liable for its content.

Corresponding Author Signature: _______________

Date: _____________________________________

 

DEADLINES OF ALL PROCESSES

All deadlines and time frames are negotiable. Depending on the quality of the content and the review procedure, it may take

longer or shorter.

Duration of paper submission

The deadline for the submission of papers in JBKCD in all issues is as follows:

  • Spring Issue: 28th /29th of February
  • Fall Issue: 30th of August

Duration of Review of articles

The deadline for the review of papers in JBKCDis all issues is as follows:

  • Spring Issue: 30th of April
  • Fall Issue: 30th of October

Duration of Acceptance of articles

The average time it takes for an article to be accepted in this journal is 30-120 days, starting with the submission of the paper andconcluding with the successful completion of the peer review process

Duration of Publication of articles

The total time it takes for a manuscript to be published in this journal is 60-180 days, from the time it is submitted to the time, itis peer-reviewed and uploaded to our website

STEPS OF PUBLISHING AN ARTICLE

  1. The author submits an article for consideration
  2. Editorial staff checks the article for discrepancies like plagiarism score, length of abstract, total length of the paper, numberof keywords, references style, and so on.
  1. Articles with discrepancies are sent back to the author for correction and/or revision.
  2. All the articles with no discrepancies are sent for proofreading
  3. After proofreading, all the articles are sent for double-blind peer reviews to multiple experts in the related fields.
  4. If at least two of the reviewers are in favor of the publication of the article, the article is sent to the production unit forpublication, otherwise it is sent back to the author for revision or rejection.
  5. After successful peer reviews of the article, all the articles are formatted/styled according to the style of the journal and sentto the IT section for online publication.

DISCLOSURE AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Conflict Resolution Policy

The Editorial Board of the Journal of Bacha Khan College of Dentistry adheres to the conflict of interest guidelines outlined by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to ensure integrity and transparency in the publication process.

A conflict of interest occurs when an author, reviewer, or editor has personal, financial, or professional relationships that could potentially influence their impartiality, whether or not such influence actually affects their judgment. Common examples include financial ties—such as employment, consultancy, stock ownership, honoraria, or expert testimony—directly or via immediate family members. Conflicts may also stem from personal relationships, academic rivalry, or strong intellectual commitments.

The credibility of the peer review process and published work relies on how effectively these conflicts are disclosed and managed. While scientific rigor often helps minimize bias, financial and other conflicts can be more subtle and harder to detect.

All participants involved in the peer review and publication process are required to disclose any relevant conflicts of interest. This transparency enables editors and readers to evaluate the potential impact on the work. Given the increased risk of bias, some journals avoid accepting review articles or editorials from authors with significant conflicts.

Editors may use disclosed information on conflicts of interest to guide their decisions and may publish these disclosures when they believe it is important for readers’ understanding.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

When submitting a manuscript to the Journal of Bacha Khan College of Dentistry, authors must clearly declare any personal or financial relationships that could influence their work.

This includes things like funding, employment, speaking fees, or close personal ties that may affect the study. If there are no such conflicts, authors must clearly state that as well.

Please include this information on a separate “Conflict of Interest” page right after the title page of your manuscript. You can also mention any extra details in your cover letter.

If the research involved participants, authors should let them know about any potential conflicts and mention in the manuscript that this was done.

Our editors will review the information and decide whether to publish it. If there’s any uncertainty, we believe it's better to share the details to maintain trust and transparency.

Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to Project Support

Many biomedical research projects receive support from commercial organizations, private foundations, or government bodies. While such support is valuable, it can sometimes create a risk of bias in research findings.At JBKCD, we believe authors have an ethical responsibility to present honest and independent research. Researchers must not enter into agreements that limit their access to study data, interfere with data analysis, or restrict the writing and publication of results.

Authors are required to clearly state the role of any funding source or sponsor in the following areas:

  • Study design
  • Data collection, analysis, and interpretation
  • Manuscript preparation
  • Decision to submit the work for publication

If the funder had no role in any of these areas, authors must explicitly declare that.

When a sponsor has a financial or proprietary interest in the outcomes of the study, the journal may request the authors to confirm, by signed statement, that:

“I had full access to all the data in this study and take full responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the data analysis.”

In such cases, editors may also request to review the study protocol or any contracts between the authors and the funding agency before making a publication decision. If a sponsor restricts an author’s ability to publish independently, the journal reserves the right to decline the manuscript.

Transparency in funding and sponsor involvement is essential for maintaining scientific integrity and reader trust.

Conflicts of Interest: Editors, Reviewers, and Journal Staff

At the Journal of Bacha Khan College of Dentistry (JBKCD), maintaining transparency and fairness in the editorial process is a top priority. To ensure unbiased decision-making, all individuals involved in the publication process—editors, reviewers, and staff—must avoid conflicts of interest.

Editors

Editors who make decisions on manuscripts must have no personal, professional, or financial interests that could affect their judgment. Editors should not handle papers in which they are involved as authors or have a personal connection to the research. In such cases, the editorial responsibility will be passed to another qualified editor.

Editors must also regularly disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to their role in the journal.

Reviewers

Reviewers must:

  • Disclose any potential conflicts of interest—whether personal, academic, or financial—before accepting a review task.
  • Decline to review a manuscript if they feel their objectivity could be compromised.
  • Avoid using any unpublished information from the manuscript for their own benefit.

If a conflict exists or is suspected, reviewers must clearly state it. Silence will not be assumed as a lack of conflict.

Journal Staff

Editorial staff involved in the decision-making process must:

  • Share a declaration of any financial or other interests that might affect editorial judgment.
  • Refrain from making decisions on manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists.
  • Not use unpublished information gained through the journal for personal or professional gain.

Author Requests

Authors may request that specific individuals not be selected as reviewers due to potential conflicts of interest (e.g., colleagues from the same institution). These requests should be explained and will be considered by the editorial team during reviewer selection.

By following these practices, JBKCD upholds integrity, impartiality, and trust throughout the peer review and publication process.

CORRECTION AND RETRACTION POLICY

JBKCD updates published articles when needed by issuing corrections, retractions, and other notices such as editor updates and statements of concern. These actions help maintain accuracy and clarity in published work.

Different types of updates may be released for peer-reviewed articles, review papers, and selected non-peer-reviewed items. Major mistakes in supplementary files are corrected in the same way as mistakes in the main article. Except for Editor’s Notes, all updates are linked both ways to the original article and are indexed.

JBKCD uses a Crossmark button on all online articles and PDFs. Crossmark helps readers confirm whether the version they are viewing is current. By clicking it, readers can see the record of all official updates made to that article.

  1. Author Correction

An Author Correction is issued when the authors request a change due to a serious mistake made by them, which affects the article’s accuracy, the scientific record, or the reputation of authors or the journal.

  1. Author Name Change

Authors who have changed their name and want it updated on published work may request changes according to the journal’s Author Name Change rules.

  1. Publisher Correction

A Publisher Correction is issued when the journal has made a significant mistake that influences the scientific credibility of a paper, or impacts the authors or journal negatively.

  1. Addendum

An addendum is released when new, essential information related to the published article becomes available and is necessary for a better understanding of the work.

  1. Editor’s Note

An Editor’s Note is a short notice to inform readers that the journal is looking into issues raised about a published article. It appears only on the online HTML version and is not indexed.

  1. Editorial Expression of Concern (EEoC)

An EEoC alerts readers to major doubts or serious issues that could affect the reliability of the published article. These notices are linked to the paper, given a DOI, and indexed.

COPE recommends using Editor’s Notes and EEoCs when an investigation is ongoing and may take time. When the investigation ends, these notices are usually replaced by a correction or retraction.

  1. Retraction

A retraction may occur when an article is found to have major problems affecting the study’s reliability, or if ethical breaches are identified. The original article remains accessible but is clearly marked as retracted, and the retraction note is linked to it. The notice usually states whether the authors agree or disagree with the retraction.

  1. How Corrections Are Made

In most cases, errors are corrected directly in the online article (HTML and PDF), and a notice is published explaining what was changed.

If the correction changes figures, tables, or data, the update will include the original version of the affected material.

For older articles where edits cannot be made, the original remains unchanged, but links to the correction notice are added both ways.

  1. Removal of Published Content

In rare cases, JBKCD may remove content if:

  1. It is defamatory, violates legal rights, or is otherwise unlawful.
  2. A legal order instructs removal.
  3. It poses a serious and immediate health risk if acted upon.

The removal may be temporary or permanent. Metadata such as title and authors will remain, along with a note explaining why the content was removed.

  1. Matters Arising

The journal acknowledges the importance of academic discussion after publication. Formal comments that challenge, clarify, or replicate published findings may be submitted and, after review, published along with a reply from the original authors. Guidance on submission is provided in the journal’s author instructions.

  1. Addressing Post-Publication Issues

JBKCD is committed to preserving the accuracy of the research record. Concerns raised by authors or readers are investigated carefully. Authors are allowed to respond, and experts may be consulted. Original data may also be requested.

Possible outcomes include:

  • Rejection, if the manuscript is still under review.
  • For published papers:
    • issuing a correction or addendum
    • posting an Editor’s Note or EEoC
    • retracting the article
    • contacting the author’s institution in serious cases

The purpose of these notices is transparency and record-keeping, not assigning personal blame. If institutional reports are available publicly, readers may be directed to them.

Investigations can take time, so Editor’s Notes or EEoCs may be posted as temporary alerts until a final outcome is decided.