Publication Ethics and Research Integrity Policy
The Archives of Basic and Applied Medicine (ABAM) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, transparency, and accountability. The journal expects authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers to adhere to internationally accepted principles of ethical scholarly publishing. The journal follows the recommendations and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and other recognized international publishing standards.
1. Research Integrity
All submitted manuscripts must represent honest, original, and accurate research. Fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, image manipulation, inappropriate data alteration, or any other form of scientific misconduct is strictly prohibited.
2. Originality and Plagiarism
Submitted manuscripts must be original works that have not been previously published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere. All manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, and text recycling beyond acceptable limits are considered unethical and may result in rejection or retraction.
3. Authorship
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research, including study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, or critical revision. All authors must approve the final version before submission and agree to be accountable for the published work.
4. Conflict of Interest (COI)
Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, personal, or other relationships that could influence—or reasonably be perceived to influence—the objectivity of the research or editorial process.
Examples include:
- Employment
- Research funding
- Grants
- Consultancy
- Stock ownership
- Patents
- Honoraria
- Personal relationships
- Academic competition
When a conflict exists, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure an unbiased editorial process.
5. Funding Disclosure
Authors must disclose all sources of financial support, grants, sponsorship, or institutional funding related to the research. If no funding was received, authors should clearly state that the research received no specific funding.
6. Human Research Ethics
Research involving human participants must comply with internationally accepted ethical principles, including the Declaration of Helsinki. Authors must state that approval was obtained from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB), where applicable.
7. Animal Research Ethics
Research involving animals must comply with recognized international and national guidelines for the ethical care and use of laboratory animals. Appropriate ethical approval must be obtained before conducting the study.
8. Informed Consent
When research involves identifiable individuals or patient information, authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from participants or their legal representatives before publication.
9. Data Availability and Reproducibility
Authors are encouraged to retain original research data and make supporting datasets available whenever possible, subject to ethical, legal, and privacy considerations. Data should be sufficient to allow verification and reproducibility of published findings.
10. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used only to assist with language editing or manuscript preparation. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and content of their manuscripts. AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
11. Confidentiality
Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff shall maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts throughout the editorial and peer-review process. Confidential information must not be disclosed or used for personal advantage.
12. Peer Review Integrity
The journal maintains an independent, fair, and unbiased peer-review process. Editors select qualified reviewers based on their expertise while managing potential conflicts of interest. Reviewer identities and manuscript details are handled according to the journal's peer-review policy.
13. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern
When significant errors, ethical concerns, or research misconduct are identified after publication, the journal may publish corrections, corrigenda, retractions, or expressions of concern to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.
14. Appeals and Complaints
Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a detailed justification. Complaints regarding editorial procedures, peer review, publication ethics, or journal management will be investigated fairly, impartially, and confidentially by the Editorial Office.
15. Misconduct
The journal takes allegations of research or publication misconduct seriously. Suspected cases—including plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, citation manipulation, peer-review manipulation, and unethical research practices—will be investigated following established international guidelines. Appropriate actions may include manuscript rejection, publication of corrections, retraction of articles, notification of relevant institutions, or other corrective measures.
16. Post-Publication Responsibility
Authors are expected to promptly notify the Editorial Office if significant errors are discovered in their published work. The journal will work with the authors to publish appropriate corrections or take other necessary editorial actions.
The Archives of Basic and Applied Medicine (ABAM) is committed to promoting ethical research, responsible authorship, transparent editorial practices, and the integrity of the scientific record through fair, rigorous, and internationally recognized publication standards.
