Will journals conduct in-depth ethical reviews of articles?

Yes, reputable academic journals typically conduct thorough ethical reviews of submitted articles as an integral part of the peer review and editorial process. This review rigorously examines adherence to established ethical standards. Key areas include: confirmation that research involving human participants or animals received appropriate institutional ethics approval and informed consent; ensuring proper authorship attribution and disclosure of competing interests; verifying data integrity and originality, including checks for plagiarism and fabrication; and assessing the ethical implications of the reported methods and findings. Journals enforce these checks through specialized editorial staff, specific ethical review committees, and screening software. Robust ethical scrutiny is essential to maintain the integrity and credibility of published research, protect research participants, prevent misconduct, and uphold public trust in the scholarly record. It constitutes a critical safeguard within the scholarly publishing ecosystem, ensuring published work meets fundamental standards of probity.