IN A PUBLISHED ARTICLE

FABRICATED DATA

READER EXPRESSES
SUSPICION OF FABRICATED DATA

Thank reader and state your

plans to investigate. Consider getting a
second opinion from another reviewer

Contact author to explain your concerns

but do not make direct accusations

No response

Attempt to contact all other

Author responds authors (check Medline/Google
for current affiliations/emails)

Unsatisfactory explanation/
admits guilt
Inform all authors
that you intend to
contact institution/
regulatory body
No response
Satisfactory explanation
Contact author’s institution
APOLOGISE TO AUTHOR, requesting your concern is passed
PUBLISH CORRECTION IF to author’s superior and/or person
NECESSARY (EG, IF AN responsible for research governance,
if necessary coordinating with
HONEST ERROR HAS BEEN
DETECTED) AND INFORM co-authors’ institutions
READER OF OUTCOME

No response

Contact regulatory body

(eg, GMC for UK doctors)
requesting an enquiry
Contact authors’
institution(s) requesting
an investigation

Cite this as:

COPE Council.
COPE Flowcharts
and infographics —
Fabricated data in Author(s) found Author(s) No or
a published article not guilty found guilty unsatisfactory
— English. response PUBLISH EXPRESSION
https://doi.org/ OF CONCERN
10.24318/cope.
2019.2.4
©2021 Committee
on Publication Ethics
(CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)  PUBLISH RETRACTION
INFORM READER OF
publicationethics.org APOLOGISE OUTCOME/ACTION
TO AUTHOR(S)
Version 1: 2006.

DATA AND
REPRODUCIBILITY