Publication Ethics Case Handling — per case

Overview

An email arrives alleging that a paper you published two years ago contains manipulated figures, and copies the authors’ dean. You are the editor, you are unpaid, and you have no idea what the correct next step is, only that a wrong one will be quoted back to you. Ethics cases are rare enough that small journals never build the routine, and common enough that every journal eventually faces one. This service manages the case from receipt to resolution following procedures aligned with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance, so the editor can make an informed decision and the journal has a defensible record. It is for editors, publishers and societies facing a live case, and for journals that want a retainer in place before one arrives.

What’s Included

• Initial assessment: what is alleged, which COPE flowchart applies, who needs to be contacted and in what order
• Evidence gathering: manuscript history, review records, correspondence, image or text analysis where relevant, and a timeline
• Correspondence with complainants, authors and institutions, drafted for the editor’s approval and sent in the journal’s name
• A case file and decision memo laying out the findings, the options open to the editor and the consequences of each
• Execution of the outcome on the editor’s decision: correction, expression of concern or retraction notice drafted to COPE standards, published, linked to the article and registered with Crossref
• Notification of indexers and abstracting services where required
• A closing summary for the journal’s records and, where appropriate, the board

How It Works

1. The editor forwards the complaint or concern, with whatever has been received so far.
2. We assess it and agree on a plan with the editor within five working days.
3. We run the process: correspondence, evidence, institutional referral where the COPE guidance calls for it.
4. The editor decides on the basis of the decision memo; we execute the decision and close the file.
5. Pricing is per case, scaled by complexity. Journals can also hold a retainer that covers assessment of any case that arrives during the year.

What Stays With Your Editors

The editor decides the outcome. We manage the process and advise on what the guidance says, but whether to correct, retract or take no action is the editor’s judgment, and the notice is published under the journal’s authority. Where the case concerns a manuscript under review, reviewer selection and editorial assessment remain with the journal’s editors.

Important Limitations

• We are not lawyers and do not give legal advice. Cases involving defamation claims, legal threats or regulatory matters should also go to the journal’s or publisher’s legal counsel.
• Investigation of research misconduct is the responsibility of the authors’ institution, not the journal. We refer and follow up; we do not investigate on the institution’s behalf.
• Institutions do not always respond. Some cases end with an expression of concern rather than a resolution.
• COPE membership is separate; alignment with COPE guidance does not make the journal a COPE member.

Common Questions

How long does a case take? Simple corrections can close in weeks. Cases requiring institutional investigation are often measured in months, largely because of the institution’s timeline.

Can you handle a case that started before we engaged you? Yes. We begin by reconstructing the record and note any gaps.

Do you handle complaints against the editor? These are better handled through an independent route; see the Appeals and Ombudsman Service.

Request a proposal, or begin with the Journal Health Check.