It is far preferable to do so before an article is published, because the subsequent publication of corrections although serving a useful purpose when required can never completely eliminate the possibility that individuals will read the original article and assume it to be accurate, having not read the correction. Authors must strive to ensure that every aspect of a manuscript is correct. This responsibility does not end when a manuscript has been submitted for publication. Should a significant error be discovered after the article has been submitted, is in press, or has been published, the authors must immediately contact the editor and establish how the error should best be corrected. If there is a disagreement among the authors about such matters, the editor of the journal to which the manuscript was submitted must determine the proper course of action.
Plagiarism is unacceptable.
Scientific publication is an important part of the process by which credit and priority are established for experimental work and research ideas. Duplicating without citation text previously published by others or expropriating without attribution the experimental findings, methods, or ideas of others is plagiarism and is unethical. In addition to denying scholarly credit, plagiarism also has potentially important legal implications for commercial development and patenting. Fabrication and falsification are unacceptable. It is essential that researchers and others be able to trust the validity of published data.