Kurios takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously. Misconduct includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism (including self-plagiarism), fabrication or falsification of data or sources, improper or manipulated citation, duplicate or redundant submission or publication, unethical research involving human participants, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and false claims of authorship.

Allegations may be raised by readers, reviewers, authors, or other parties and may concern submitted or published articles. Anyone raising an allegation should contact the editorial office and provide sufficient detail and evidence to allow the matter to be assessed.

The editors will handle each allegation in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The process generally involves:

• an initial assessment of the allegation and the evidence provided;
• confidential communication with the author(s) concerned, who will be given the opportunity to respond;
• consultation with reviewers, editorial board members, or the author’s institution where necessary; and
• a decision proportionate to the findings.

Depending on the outcome, actions may include requesting clarification or revision, publishing a correction or expression of concern, retracting the article, rejecting the submission, and informing the author’s institution or funder.

Confidentiality is maintained throughout the process as far as possible. Authors found to have committed misconduct may be barred from future submissions.