1. Purpose

Post-publication discussion helps maintain the accuracy, transparency, reliability, and integrity of the scholarly record. It allows relevant scientific questions or concerns to be considered after an article has been published.

A post-publication submission does not automatically indicate that an article contains an error or research misconduct. Every submission will be evaluated objectively and proportionately based on its content and supporting evidence.

2. Scope of Discussion

Post-publication discussion may address matters including, but not limited to:

3. Submission of Comments or Concerns

A post-publication comment or concern should be submitted to the JTST Editorial Office. The submission should be written clearly, respectfully, and in good faith.

The submission should include:

• The title of the published article;
• The article DOI or official publication URL;
• The volume, issue, and year of publication;
• A clear explanation of the question, comment, or concern;
• Relevant references, data, documents, images, or other supporting evidence;
• The submitter’s full name, institutional affiliation, and contact information; and
• A declaration of any relevant conflict of interest.

Anonymous submissions may be considered when they contain specific, verifiable, and credible evidence. However, the Editorial Team may be unable to follow up on submissions that do not provide sufficient information.

4. Editorial Assessment

The Editor-in-Chief or an appointed editor will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether the submission is relevant, sufficiently supported, and within the journal’s editorial responsibility.

The assessment may include:

1. Reviewing the published article and the submitted comment or evidence;
2. Examining relevant manuscript, peer-review, editorial, and publication records;
3. Requesting clarification or additional evidence from the submitter;
4. Inviting the article’s author or authors to provide a response;
5. Consulting independent reviewers or subject specialists when necessary; and
6. Referring serious ethical concerns to the relevant institution or competent authority when appropriate.

5. Author’s Right to Respond

When a comment or concern directly relates to a published article, the author or authors will normally be given an appropriate opportunity to respond. Responses should address the matter objectively, provide relevant clarification or evidence, and disclose any applicable conflicts of interest.

The Editorial Team may request revisions to a response when it is unclear, unsupported, disrespectful, or unrelated to the matter under consideration.

6. Possible Editorial Outcomes

Depending on the nature and significance of the matter, JTST may:

7. Publication and Linking

When a post-publication comment, author response, correction, expression of concern, or retraction is published, it will be clearly identified and linked to the affected article whenever technically possible.

Published notices will include appropriate bibliographic information and will form part of the permanent scholarly record. JTST will not silently remove or replace published content except in exceptional circumstances involving legal, privacy, security, or public-safety considerations.

8. Conduct and Confidentiality

All participants must communicate professionally and avoid personal attacks, discriminatory language, unsupported accusations, harassment, or defamatory statements. JTST may decline or discontinue correspondence that does not meet these standards.

Editorial assessment will be handled confidentially when necessary. Information may be shared with authors, editors, reviewers, institutions, ethics committees, publishers, or other competent parties when required to assess or resolve the matter fairly.

9. Related Policies

10. Contact