Research Misconduct

PLPB takes all allegations of research misconduct exceptionally seriously. Research misconduct encompasses, but is not limited to, data fabrication (inventing data), data falsification (manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing/omitting data), citation manipulation (citation cartels), and severe plagiarism.

If the editorial board suspects or receives an allegation of research misconduct concerning a submitted or published manuscript, the journal will initiate a formal investigation following the established flowcharts and protocols of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). During the investigation, the corresponding author will be contacted and given an opportunity to provide an explanation and raw data. If the explanation is unsatisfactory and misconduct is conclusively proven, the journal reserves the right to take decisive disciplinary actions. These actions may include immediate rejection of the manuscript, issuing a formal retraction of a published article, barring the authors from publishing in the journal for a specified period, and formally notifying the authors' affiliated institutions, funding bodies, or relevant regulatory authorities.