MEBIS accepts good-faith concerns regarding possible fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, unethical research, manipulated images or data, inappropriate authorship, peer-review manipulation, or undisclosed conflicts of interest.

Concerns should be submitted to the editorial office through the official journal contact channel and should, where possible, identify the relevant manuscript or article and provide a factual description and supporting evidence. The journal will treat complainants and respondents fairly and will limit disclosure of sensitive information to persons who need it for a legitimate assessment.

Assessment Procedure

1. The Editor-in-Chief or an independent editor conducts an initial assessment of relevance, credibility, and potential seriousness. An editor with a conflict of interest must not lead the assessment.
2. Where warranted, the editorial office contacts the authors or other relevant parties for clarification and supporting records, allowing a reasonable opportunity to respond.
3. When the alleged conduct concerns matters beyond editorial authority, such as institutional data fabrication or research ethics violations, the journal may notify or seek a determination from the relevant employer, institution, or ethics committee.
4. The journal evaluates the available evidence and decides whether no action, clarification, manuscript rejection, correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other proportionate action is appropriate.
5. The parties will be informed of relevant outcomes within the limits of confidentiality and lawful disclosure. Final journal-level decisions about the published record are taken by the Editor-in-Chief or an independent authorised editor.

The journal does not promise a fixed completion period for complex investigations. Where concerns could materially affect reader reliance on an article and a conclusive finding is pending, an expression of concern may be considered in accordance with the Correction and Retraction Policy.