Case Reports and Reviews: Open Access

Case Reports and Reviews: Open Access maintains a rigorous commitment to publication ethics. All parties involved in the publication process — authors, peer reviewers, and editors — are expected to adhere to the ethical standards described on this page. The journal's publication ethics policies are informed by internationally recognised publication ethics guidance, including resources published by COPE, the ICMJE, and WAME, where appropriate.
 

Originality and Plagiarism
Case Reports and Reviews: Open Access maintains a rigorous commitment to publication ethics. All parties involved in the publication process — authors, peer reviewers, and editors — are expected to adhere to the ethical standards described on this page. The journal's publication ethics policies are informed by internationally recognised publication ethics guidance, including resources published by COPE, the ICMJE, and WAME, where appropriate.

Research Misconduct
Fabrication and Falsification
The fabrication or falsification of data, results, images, or any other component of a manuscript constitutes a serious breach of research integrity. The journal will not publish work found to contain fabricated or falsified content. Confirmed cases will be referred to the relevant institutional authorities and managed in a manner consistent with internationally recognised publication ethics best practices.

Image Manipulation
The fabrication or falsification of data, results, images, or any other component of a manuscript constitutes a serious breach of research integrity. The journal will not publish work found to contain fabricated or falsified content. Confirmed cases will be referred to the relevant institutional authorities and managed in a manner consistent with internationally recognised publication ethics best practices.

Duplicate Publication
Manuscripts that reproduce substantial content from previously published work — including the authors' own prior publications — without appropriate citation and disclosure will be rejected. Redundant publication undermines the integrity of the scientific record.

Authorship and Contributorship
All individuals listed as authors must meet established authorship criteria. The journal uses the ICMJE Recommendations as guidance when assessing authorship. The inclusion of individuals who do not meet these criteria (guest or honorary authorship) and the exclusion of individuals who do (ghost authorship) are considered forms of research misconduct. Full details are set out in the Authorship & Contributorship policy.

Editorial Responsibilities
Editors are responsible for evaluating manuscripts fairly, transparently, and without bias. Editors must recuse themselves from handling submissions in which they have a conflict of interest. Editorial decisions must be based solely on the scientific and clinical merit of the manuscript. Editors must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and associated correspondence.

Reviewer Responsibilities
Peer reviewers are expected to provide honest, constructive, and timely assessments of submitted manuscripts. Reviewers must decline invitations where a conflict of interest exists and must maintain strict confidentiality regarding all manuscript content. Reviewers must not use unpublished information from manuscripts for their own research or disclose it to third parties.

Guiding Ethics Framework
Publication ethics policies are informed by internationally recognised best practices, including the Core Practices published by COPE and the recommendations of the ICMJE. Where appropriate, the editorial office may refer to relevant guidance from these sources when investigating concerns or making post-publication decisions. Such references do not imply membership, endorsement, or any form of accreditation by these organisations.

Actions in Cases of Misconduct

Upon identifying or receiving credible allegations of misconduct, the editorial office will:

• Acknowledge receipt of the concern and initiate an internal review
•  Request a response from the relevant author(s)
• Consult COPE guidance and, where appropriate, seek advice from the editorial board
• Issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction as warranted
• Notify institutional authorities where serious misconduct is confirmed

The journal is committed to maintaining an accurate and trustworthy published record. Where published articles are found to contain errors or misconduct, appropriate post-publication action will be taken promptly.