Publication Ethics

Duties of Authors

  1. Reporting Standards: Authors of original research reports should present an accurate account of the work, along with an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data must be accurately represented. Sufficient detail and references should be provided to allow replication of the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are unacceptable.
  2. Data Access and Retention: Authors should provide the raw data for editorial review and ensure public access to such data, if practicable, in accordance with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases. Data should be retained for a reasonable period post-publication.
  3. Originality and Plagiarism: Authors should ensure their work is entirely original. If any work or words of others are used, they must be properly cited or quoted. Self-plagiarism is also considered unethical.
  4. Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication: An author should not publish the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Concurrent submission to multiple journals constitutes unethical publishing behavior.
  5. Acknowledgement of Sources: Authors must acknowledge all sources that have influenced their work. Relevant publications should be cited appropriately.
  6. Authorship of the Paper: Authorship should be limited to those who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All co-authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission for publication.
  7. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors must disclose any financial or substantive conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of their work. All sources of financial support should be disclosed.
  8. Fundamental Errors in Published Works: If an author discovers significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work, they must promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate to retract or correct the paper.
  9. Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects: If the work involves chemicals, equipment, or procedures with inherent hazards, these must be clearly identified in the manuscript.

Duties of Editors

  1. Fair Play: Editors should evaluate manuscripts solely on their intellectual content, without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
  2. Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about submitted manuscripts to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher.
  3. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Unpublished materials in submitted manuscripts must not be used in an editor’s own research without the author's explicit consent.
  4. Publication Decisions: The editorial board is responsible for deciding which manuscripts to publish. Decisions should be based on the work’s validity and its importance to the research community, as well as legal considerations such as copyright and plagiarism.
  5. Review of Manuscripts: Editors must ensure each manuscript is evaluated for originality and assigned to appropriate peer reviewers with sufficient expertise.

Duties of Reviewers

  1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review helps editors make publication decisions and may assist authors in improving their manuscripts.
  2. Promptness: Reviewers should promptly inform the editor if they are unqualified to review or unable to complete the review on time.
  3. Standards of Objectivity: Reviews should be objective. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should provide clear arguments supporting their opinions.
  4. Confidentiality: Manuscripts must be treated as confidential documents and should not be shared with others unless authorized by the editor.
  5. Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must not use privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review for personal gain. They should avoid reviewing manuscripts where they have conflicts of interest.
  6. Acknowledgement of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant work that has not been cited by the authors and highlight any substantial overlap with other published works.