Mass manipulation and paper mills

If an article is found to be part of a group of publications produced using so-called “paper mills” or other systematic fraudulent practices, the editorial board may decide to retract it. The retraction statement will indicate that the work belongs to a group of publications with similar violations.

Use of artificial intelligence

Undeclared use of artificial intelligence systems for generating text, images, or other materials in a manuscript is considered a violation of ethical standards and may serve as grounds for retraction. Authors must disclose the use of such tools. The editorial board reserves the right to check manuscripts for AI-generated content using specialized tools, expert assessment by reviewers, or additional inquiries to the authors.

Authorship falsification

An article may be retracted in cases where false authorship is confirmed, including the use of another person’s personal data (for example, name or ORCID) or hidden or forced authorship.

Expression of Concern

If substantiated doubts arise regarding the reliability of a publication but there is insufficient evidence for immediate retraction, the editorial board may issue an Expression of Concern. Such a document receives its own DOI, is linked to the relevant article, and remains available until the investigation is completed.

Timeliness of editorial decisions

Correction notices, Expressions of Concern, or retraction statements are published as promptly as possible after confirmation of violations. If agreement with the authors cannot be obtained, the editorial board may publish the relevant statement independently in order to preserve scholarly integrity.

Accessibility of retracted articles

Retracted publications remain openly accessible in the journal’s archives and databases with a clear “Retraction” label. Complete removal of material is possible only in exceptional cases provided for by law (for example, copyright infringement, court orders, or personal data protection).