Concerns, Complaints, Allegations and Appeals

All concerns, complaints, allegations of ethical misconduct, or related matters should be directed to our Committee on Publication Ethics at CPE@InterPore.org. Currently, this committee is composed of the following individuals, all of whom are also members of our Editorial Board.

When such issues or complaints arise, the Committee will work with the Editor-in-Chief as well as the Managing Editor of the Journal to conduct a preliminary assessment of the situation to determine whether there is sufficient merit to the allegation. If warranted, further investigation will be conducted and the corresponding author of the paper in question will be contacted via an official letter containing a summary of the allegation and a request for an explanation. Additional analyses may also be conducted as needed (e.g., forensic analysis of images, similarity checks). Depending on the nature of the allegation, it may also be necessary to contact the relevant institution, research body, or employer.

We will refer to the policies, guidelines and flowcharts provided by COPE when investigating allegations and determining the most appropriate corrective actions. When necessary, a correction, retraction, or expression of concern may be published. Should the allegation concern a paper currently undergoing peer review, the review process will be placed on hold until the issue has been resolved.

All concerns, complaints, allegations, and related matters that are reported or discovered will be investigated, regardless of when the paper was published.

Concerns, complaints, allegations, or appeals relating to publication ethics matters should be submitted in writing to the Committee on Publication Ethics within 30 days of the original decision or discovery of the issue, where applicable. Submissions should include a clear description of the concern or grounds for appeal, the title and DOI of the article in question (if applicable), and any supporting documentation or evidence relevant to the case.

Appeals relating to editorial decisions on manuscripts (e.g., rejection decisions) are handled separately through the journal’s Editorial Appeal Process described under the Editorial and Review Process section.