Integrity in Publishing. Trust in Science. For better medicine and healthier lives.
In 1886, Georg Thieme founded his publishing company with the explicit goal “publish high-quality, reliable medical and scientific information to support healthcare professionals and advance medicine”. Ever since, publishing curated, cutting-edge medical and scientific research has been our mission. As a leading provider of scientific and healthcare information, ensuring the correctness of what we publish forms the foundation of everything we do. We are committed to safeguarding the credibility of the scholarly record, every step along the way: through rigorous editorial standards, advanced screening technologies, and transparent ethical practices. Learn more about our policies, global collaborations, and what we do to protect research integrity.
Our Commitment
We recognize that the credibility of scientific literature – indeed of science itself -- depends on rigorous standards, transparent processes, and ethical responsibility. Manuscripts entrusted to us undergo careful evaluation by academic and publishing experts and are screened with the help of advanced technologies: We do our best to ensure that the information we share is reliable, based on research conducted in accordance with internationally respected rules and regulations, and contributes meaningfully to scientific progress.
How We Safeguard Integrity
Integrity begins with clarity and accountability. We provide detailed guidance for authors (journal policies), reviewers (reviewer guidelines), and editors to ensure that every stage of the publishing process reflects honesty and fairness. Authors are expected to report their work accurately, disclose conflicts of interest, share underlying data where possible, and detail their use of generative AI. Reviewers commit to impartiality and confidentiality, while editors make decisions based on fairness, scientific merit, and adherence to internationally recognized ethical standards.
Our principles are aligned with COPE and the requirements of the ICMJE. They are reinforced through training for staff and editors. Our editorial teams participate in workshops on detecting paper mills, handling ethical concerns, and applying COPE flowcharts to resolve complex cases. By combining education with robust procedures, we aim to prevent misconduct before it occurs.
Detecting and Preventing Misconduct
We take a proactive approach to safeguarding against misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, image manipulation, and peer review manipulation. Submitted manuscripts are screened for fraudulent attempts, such as duplicate submissions and plagiarism, and our editorial teams employ AI-assisted tools to identify image anomalies, citation irregularities, as well as other inconsistencies. Manual checks and human evaluation remain essential, particularly for patterns associated with paper mills. Reviewer guidelines are in place to prevent coercive citation practices and ensure that peer review remains constructive and unbiased.
Responding to Concerns
We provide a secure and confidential channel for reporting integrity concerns and can also be contacted anonymously. Whistleblower protections are in place to ensure that individuals can raise concerns without fear of reprisal. Post-publication dialogue is encouraged, and any formal critiques or allegations are handled with care and transparency. Our commitment is to act swiftly and communicate outcomes clearly to all stakeholders.
When concerns arise, cases are rapidly escalated and resolved with publishing and research integrity team working hand in hand. All actions follow COPE guidelines and are documented transparently. Where necessary, we issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record in line with our policies and NISO recommendations.
Responsible Use of AI
Artificial intelligence plays a growing role in publishing, but it does not replace human judgement. At Thieme, AI is used to support editorial workflows under strict oversight. All editorial decisions remain the responsibility of qualified professionals. We require full disclosure of any AI-generated content and apply clear policies for text and image submissions
The Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics Team
Our dedicated Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics Team ensures that ethical standards are applied consistently. This team is responsible for developing and implementing policies, investigating cases of suspected misconduct, and providing strategic oversight for integrity initiatives. They work closely with editorial offices, publishing teams, and external experts to resolve concerns promptly and transparently.
The team also trains editors and staff, ensuring that everyone involved in the publishing process understands best practices and emerging risks. By combining expertise with collaboration, the Research Integrity Team plays a central role in safeguarding the credibility of the scholarly record.
Global Collaboration and Continuous Improvement
Integrity is best achieved through awareness and collaboration. Thieme works closely with industry partners to strengthen research integrity across the publishing ecosystem. As a member of the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM), we participate in initiatives such as the STM Integrity Hub, which enables publishers to share intelligence and detect fraudulent submissions. We are also a signatory of United2Act Against Paper Mills, a global alliance committed to combating large-scale manuscript fraud. These partnerships allow us to respond quickly to emerging risks and adopt new technologies that enhance detection and prevention. By sharing knowledge and learning from others, we strengthen our ability to protect the scholarly record and uphold the trust placed in us by researchers, clinicians, and the public – in line with Georg Thieme’s vision, and ever since 1886.