Standards and responsibilities

HNCBT expects research and publication conduct that protects participants, supports reproducibility and preserves an accurate scholarly record. Its policies draw on the ICMJE Recommendations and relevant COPE guidance. Referencing this guidance does not imply organizational membership or certification.

Authors must report research honestly, use authorized data and materials, disclose relevant relationships and give appropriate credit. Editors must manage submissions fairly and independently. Reviewers must protect confidentiality, disclose conflicts and provide evidence-based assessments.

Unacceptable practices

• Fabrication, falsification or misleading manipulation of data or research images.
• Plagiarism, undisclosed redundant publication or unauthorized use of materials.
• False authorship, purchased manuscripts or manipulation of reviewer identities and reports.
• Research undertaken without required ethical authorization or consent.
• Concealment of a material competing interest or coercion to add irrelevant citations.

Reporting and assessing a concern

Send a concern to the Editorial Office, identifying the manuscript or article and the specific evidence. The journal considers substantiated concerns raised by authors, readers, reviewers or other parties, including concerns submitted anonymously when the evidence can be assessed. Allegations must not be treated as proven findings.

The editor may seek an explanation and supporting records from the authors, consult independent expertise and contact the responsible institution or funder when appropriate. Authors should cooperate and preserve relevant records. Confidential information is shared only as necessary for an appropriate assessment. An editor implicated in the concern must not control its resolution.

Actions and the scholarly record

Before publication, unresolved concerns may lead to a pause in assessment or rejection. After publication, the journal may issue a correction, expression of concern or retraction according to the reliability of the article and the available evidence. The purpose is to protect readers and the record, with clear reasons and appropriate opportunity for author response. See Corrections & Retractions. Institutional misconduct findings and journal publication decisions serve different purposes; the journal may need to act on reliability before an external investigation is complete.