Whistleblowing refers to the intentional reporting of information regarding unethical, unlawful, threatening, or biased practices carried out by current or former staff members. It also covers any offensive, inappropriate, or infringing behavior that violates ethical or legal standards. Bentham Open Science maintains strict policies and procedures for addressing all whistleblower allegations. Any such allegation is treated with the same level of seriousness as an external complaint. All reported concerns are carefully reviewed and evaluated by Bentham’s Ethics Advisory Panel, which will then issue a decision and outline any required actions via email.

For detailed information on the various types of misconduct, please refer to Bentham’s guidelines at:

https://openbiomedicalengineeringjournal.com/research-misconduct.php

Allegations of misconduct raised on social media will be reviewed in accordance with COPE Guidelines available at:

https://publicationethics.org/resources/flowcharts/responding-whistleblowers-when-concerns-are-raised-social-media