Flowcharts
The flowcharts are designed to help editors follow COPE’s Code of Conduct and implement its advice when faced with cases of suspected misconduct and have been translated into a number of different languages. They can be downloaded individually (English only) or as a complete set.
Complete set
Translations
- ENGLISH [All flowcharts, PDF, 546KB]
- CHINESE [All flowcharts, PDF 330KB]
- FRENCH [ All flowcharts, PDF 372KB]
- ITALIAN [All flowcharts, PDF 476 KB]
- PERSIAN [14 flowcharts, PDF 374KB]
- POLISH [All flowcharts, PDF 398KB]
- SPANISH [All flowcharts, PDF 409KB]
- CROATIAN [All flowcharts, PDF 404KB]
- TURKISH [All flowcharts, PDF 358 KB]
- ARABIC [All flowcharts, 317KB]
Individual flowcharts
How to respond to whistle blowers
- Responding to Whistle blowers - Concerns Raised Directly [PDF, 206KB (Version 1, November 2015)]
- Responding to Whistle blowers - Concerns Raised via Social Media [PDF, 102KB (Version 1, November 2015)]
What to do if you suspect plagiarism
- Suspected plagiarism in a submitted manuscript [PDF, 145KB]
- Suspected plagiarism in a published manuscript [PDF, 147KB]
What to do if you suspect redundant (duplicate) publication
- Suspected redundant publication in a submitted manuscript [PDF, 159KB (Revised November 2015)]
- Suspected redundant publication in a published manuscript [PDF, 144KB (Revised November 2015)]
Changes in Authorship
- Corresponding author requests addition of extra author before publication [PDF, 128KB]
- Corresponding author requests removal of author before publication [PDF, 134KB]
- Request for addition of extra author after publication [PDF, 133KB]
- Request for removal of author after publication [PDF, 132KB]
- Suspected guest, ghost or gift authorship [PDF, 154KB]
- How to spot authorship problems [PDF, 106KB]
Conflict of Interest
What to do if you suspect an ethical problem
What to do if you suspect fabricated data
- Suspected fabricated data in a submitted manuscript [PDF, 136KB]
- Suspected fabricated data in a published manuscript [PDF, 137KB]
What to do if you suspect a reviewer has appropriated an author’s idea or data
Copyright
Our COPE materials are available to use under the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-NoDerivs license
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
Non-commercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
No Derivative Works — You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
We ask that you give full accreditation to COPE with a link to our website: http://publicationethics.org/
Future translations
Some or all of the flowcharts have been, or are the process of being, translated by COPE members into: Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese. We are currently reformatting the remaining translated versions but if you would like a PDF, or if you are able translate the flowcharts into a language not yet represented, please contact the Administrator here