Expressions of Concern

A temporary, evidence-based warning while a potentially serious concern remains unresolved

When JPM May Issue a Notice

• credible but inconclusive evidence questions the reliability, originality, ethics, consent, privacy, authorship, conflict disclosure, data, images, or peer-review integrity of an article;
• an institutional or regulatory investigation is underway and a reliable outcome will take substantial time;
• the responsible institution cannot or will not conduct a sufficiently fair and conclusive investigation;
• authors do not provide essential data, approvals, consent records, source files, or explanations needed to assess a serious concern; or
• legal, safety, or confidentiality constraints temporarily prevent a final determination while readers still need warning.

Assessment and Notice

1. An unconflicted editor records the evidence, urgency, risks, responses, referrals, and reasons why a final action is not yet possible.
2. Affected authors and relevant parties are normally informed and allowed to respond unless notification would compromise a lawful investigation or create a documented safety risk.
3. The notice identifies the article and DOI, states the specific unresolved concern without declaring guilt, identifies the issuing authority, gives the date, and explains that assessment is continuing.
4. The article and notice link in both directions. Crossref and indexing metadata are updated where applicable.
5. The journal reviews the notice periodically and replaces or updates it with a correction, retraction, removal, or resolution statement when sufficient evidence becomes available.

An Expression of Concern is not used to punish authors, settle ordinary academic disagreement, conceal delay, or avoid making a supported final decision. Misconduct assessment follows the Research Misconduct and Allegation Handling Policy.