IN A SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT

FABRICATED DATA

REVIEWER EXPRESSES
SUSPICION OF FABRICATED DATA

Thank reviewer, ask for evidence

(if not already provided) 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 requesting
your concern is passed to author’s
superior and/or person
APOLOGISE TO AUTHOR, responsible for research governance,
INFORM REVIEWER OF if necessary coordinating with
OUTCOME AND PROCEED co-authors’ institutions
WITH REVIEW

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 a
submitted manuscript Author(s) found Author(s) No or
— English. not guilty found guilty unsatisfactory
https://doi.org/ response
10.24318/cope.
REJECT MANUSCRIPT
2019.2.3
©2021 Committee
on Publication Ethics
(CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) 
APOLOGISE TO
publicationethics.org INFORM REVIEWER OF
AUTHOR(S) AND
OUTCOME/ACTION
PROCEED WITH REVIEW
Version 1: 2006.

DATA AND
REPRODUCIBILITY