Following acceptance and production, the corresponding author will receive galley proofs of the manuscript for final review prior to publication.
Authors are responsible for carefully checking the proofs for typographical errors, formatting issues, completeness of author information, accuracy of figures and tables, and any minor editorial corrections. Proof corrections should be returned to the editorial office within the specified timeframe.
At the proof stage, only minor corrections are permitted. Substantial changes to the scientific content, authorship, title, data, results, conclusions, or references may require additional editorial review and approval.
Publication of the article constitutes confirmation that the authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Any concerns regarding authorship, contributor recognition, copyright ownership, research integrity, or publication ethics should be communicated to the editorial office as soon as possible and preferably before publication.
Where a dispute is raised prior to publication, the journal may suspend publication of the manuscript pending investigation and resolution of the matter.
After publication, corrections to published articles will be considered only when necessary to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. Depending on the nature of the issue, the journal may publish a correction (erratum), expression of concern, or retraction in accordance with its publication ethics policies.
The journal reserves the right to investigate allegations of research misconduct, authorship disputes, plagiarism, copyright infringement, or other ethical concerns at any stage before or after publication.