Retraction And Scientific Misconduct

The journal Infectious Diseases (Інфекційні хвороби) strictly adheres to the COPE  (Committee on Publication Ethics) principles regarding all potential violations. Particular attention is given to verifying the originality of works and preventing instances of plagiarism.

MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS

Authors must submit unique manuscripts that are not currently under consideration by any other journal. Submitting the same article to multiple journals or submitting several articles based on the same research (salami slicing) is a violation of publication ethics.

Like plagiarism, duplicate submission can take various forms:

  • Literal (verbatim) copying;
  • Partial but substantial copying;
  • Excessive paraphrasing of the same research.

Any violation of this policy will result in the immediate rejection of the manuscript and potential sanctions against the authors.

CITATION MANIPULATION

Manuscripts found to include citations whose primary purpose is to artificially increase the number of references to a specific author’s work or to articles published in a particular journal (citation farming/padding) will be immediately rejected. The Editorial Board reserves the right to impose sanctions against authors involved in such practices.

DATA FALSIFICATION AND FABRICATION

The discovery of falsified or fabricated experimental results (including image manipulation) in a submitted manuscript will lead to immediate rejection and potential sanctions against the authors.

In cases of suspected misconduct or fraud, the journal will conduct an investigation in accordance with COPE guidelines. If the investigation raises substantiated concerns, the involved authors will be contacted via email and provided with an opportunity to address the issue. Depending on the outcome, the journal may take specific actions:

  • During Review: The manuscript may be formally rejected.
  • Post-Publication: Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, the journal will implement the following measures:

Corrections and Errata

  • Correction (Corrigendum): A notice of a significant error made by the authors (e.g., an experimental error or calculation mistake) may be published alongside the article if the error is fundamental to the research. All corrections must be approved by the Editorial Board.
  • Errata: A notice used if the journal's Editorial Board committed a significant error during the preparation of the article for publication. This includes errors such as failing to correct factual evidence within the timeframe established by the journal's policy.

A significant error is defined as one that affects the scholarly record, the scientific integrity of the article, or the reputation of the authors or the journal.

CORRECTION PROCEDURE

  1. Initiation: Corrections may be initiated by the authors, editors, or readers.
  2. Evaluation: The Editorial Board evaluates the request and, if necessary, consults with the authors to verify the information.
  3. Publication: Once approved, corrections are published as a separate document linked to the original article and clearly labeled as a "Correction."

RETRACTION POLICY

In certain cases, the Editorial Board may decide to retract a published article. Reasons for retraction include:

  • Clear evidence of unreliable findings, such as data fabrication or image manipulation;
  • Redundant publication, where research findings have been previously published elsewhere without proper citation or justification;
  • Plagiarism;
  • Fraudulent authorship;
  • Compromised peer review process;
  • Ethical violations, including breaches of research integrity or professional codes of conduct.

Requests for retraction may be initiated by authors, editors, or third parties. The Editorial Board conducts an investigation involving the authors and, if necessary, external experts. The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or their Deputy.

Once a retraction decision is finalized:

  • A "Retracted" watermark is added to the published version of the article;
  • The article title is updated to: "Retracted: [Article Title]";
  • A formal Retraction Statement is published separately under the title "Retracted: [Article Title]", assigned a unique DOI, and signed by the Editors.

Manuscript Withdrawal (Pre-publication)

Authors may request to withdraw their manuscript only prior to publication. To do so, authors must submit a letter to the Editorial Board providing a clear and comprehensive explanation for the withdrawal. The letter must be signed by all authors. A withdrawn manuscript is completely removed from the publisher's database, though copyright remains with the authors.

ADDITIONAL ETHICAL PROVISIONS

  • Paper Mills and Fraudulent Practices: The Editorial Board may retract articles if they are found to be part of a group of publications compromised by "paper mills" or other systemic fraudulent practices.
  • AI Usage Misconduct: Hidden or undeclared use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate text, images, or data is considered a serious breach of ethics and may result in retraction. The Editorial Board reserves the right to use automated detection tools, peer reviewer assessment, and additional inquiries to verify the use of generative AI.
  • Authorship Falsification and Identity Theft: Manuscripts may be retracted in cases of confirmed false authorship, identity theft (e.g., misuse of ORCID or names), or undisclosed guest/coerced authorship.

EXPRESSION OF CONCERN

In cases where significant concerns exist regarding the authenticity of an article or breaches of academic integrity, but evidence is insufficient for immediate retraction, the Editorial Board may publish an Expression of Concern.

  • This statement is assigned its own DOI, linked to the original article, and provides a brief explanation of the investigation.
  • It remains active until the editorial investigation is concluded.

IMPLEMENTATION AND AVAILABILITY

  • Timeliness: Decisions regarding corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions are implemented as soon as possible. If coordination with authors is not feasible, the Editorial Board reserves the right to publish the statement unilaterally to preserve scientific integrity.
  • Archive Visibility: Retracted articles remain in the open-access archives and databases but are clearly marked as "Retracted." Full removal of an article occurs only in exceptional circumstances required by legal regulations (e.g., data protection laws, copyright infringement, court orders, or safety concerns).