The British Journal of Surgical Science (BJSS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. The journal follows the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines to handle allegations of misconduct, ensuring transparency, fairness, and accountability.
 
1. Definition of Misconduct

Misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

• Plagiarism – copying text, ideas, images, or data without proper attribution
• Data fabrication or falsification – manipulating or inventing research data
• Duplicate publication or redundant publication – submitting the same work to multiple journals
• Authorship disputes – inappropriate attribution or exclusion of contributors
• Unethical research practices – failure to obtain proper ethical approval for human or animal studies

2. Detection and Investigation

• All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software prior to peer review.
• Reviewers and editors are encouraged to report suspected misconduct.
• Allegations are handled confidentially and assessed by the editor-in-chief or an appointed ethics committee.

Investigation Steps

1. Preliminary assessment – Verify evidence of potential misconduct
2. Author notification – Authors are informed and given an opportunity to respond
3. External consultation – Independent experts may be consulted if needed
4. Decision – Editors determine the appropriate course of action based on evidence

3. Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern

• Retractions
  • Articles may be retracted if:
    • Data or results are found to be unreliable
    • Serious ethical breaches or misconduct are confirmed
    • Duplicate publication is identified
  • Retractions are clearly labeled and linked to the original article. The reason for retraction is publicly stated.
• Corrections / Errata
  • Minor errors that do not affect the conclusions of the work are corrected via errata.
  • Corrections are linked to the original article and clearly describe the changes made.
• Expressions of Concern
  • If an investigation is ongoing or there is credible suspicion of misconduct but confirmation is pending, the journal may issue an expression of concern to alert readers.
  • Once the investigation concludes, appropriate action (retraction or correction) is taken.

4. Transparency and Record-Keeping

• All decisions regarding retractions, corrections, or expressions of concern are documented and published to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.
• Retraction notices include author names, article title, DOI, and reason for retraction.
• The journal maintains permanent links to retracted or corrected articles for citation and archival purposes.

5. Author and Reader Assurance

• BJSS ensures that all cases of misconduct are handled fairly, promptly, and consistently.
• Authors, readers, and reviewers are assured that the academic record remains trustworthy and transparent.