Core Editorial Standards

International Journal of Thorax follows rigorous editorial policies to ensure fairness, transparency, and research integrity across all submissions.

Policies guide peer review, ethics compliance, conflicts of interest, data transparency, and corrections.

All manuscripts undergo editorial screening and peer review by subject experts. Decisions are based on methodological quality, originality, and relevance.

Ethical approval is required for human or animal derived materials, and authors must disclose conflicts of interest.

Plagiarism screening is performed for all submissions. Suspected misconduct is handled in accordance with publishing ethics guidance.

Corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions are issued when necessary to protect the scholarly record.

Preprint posting is permitted when disclosed at submission, and authors should update preprint records after acceptance.

Policies are reviewed periodically to reflect changes in ethical guidance and data sharing expectations.

Reviewer comments and manuscript content remain confidential throughout the review process.

Editors must manage conflicts of interest and recuse themselves when impartiality could be compromised.

Studies involving human samples should describe consent procedures and approvals clearly.

Data availability statements are required for all submissions and should describe access conditions clearly.

Authorship disputes are handled using documented contribution roles and institutional guidance when needed.

Ethical breaches may result in rejection, correction, or retraction with public notice in line with COPE guidance.

All authors must meet contribution standards and approve the final manuscript.

Submissions must be original and not under review elsewhere.

Data integrity concerns may prompt requests for raw data or documentation.

Corrections and retractions are issued transparently when required.

Appeals are reviewed with clear scientific justification and editorial oversight.

Confidentiality is required for reviewers and editors throughout the process.

Preprint disclosures should be included at submission and updated after acceptance.

Policies align with recognized publishing ethics guidance and best practices.

The journal follows clear authorship criteria to prevent guest or ghost authorship.

Conflicts of interest must be disclosed for authors, reviewers, and editors.

Ethics approvals are required for studies using human or animal derived materials and must be stated.

Research involving human samples must comply with consent and institutional guidelines.

Image integrity checks may be performed to detect inappropriate manipulation.