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Publication Ethics Statement

AJNCD Publication Ethics Statement

1. Duties of Authors

1.1 Reporting Standards

Authors of original research should provide an accurate and objective account of the work performed, along with a clear discussion of its significance. The underlying data must be represented accurately, and the paper should include sufficient detail and references to allow others to replicate the study. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are unethical and unacceptable.

For review or professional publication articles, accuracy and objectivity remain essential. Editorial or opinion-based works should be clearly identified as such.

1.2 Data Access and Retention

Authors may be required to provide the research data supporting their paper for editorial review or to comply with the journal's open data policies. Authors should be prepared to make such data publicly accessible, where possible, and retain it for a reasonable number of years following publication. Specific data requirements can be found in the journal’s Guide for Authors.

1.3 Originality and Acknowledgment of Sources

Authors must ensure their work is entirely original. If others' work or words are used, they must be appropriately cited, quoted, and accompanied by obtained permissions where necessary.

Proper acknowledgment of others’ contributions is essential. Authors must cite prior publications that influenced their work and provided relevant scholarly context. Privately obtained information, such as conversations, correspondence, or discussions with third parties, should not be used without explicit written permission.

Plagiarism, in any form, constitutes unethical behavior. This includes presenting another’s work as one’s own, copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another’s work without proper attribution, or claiming results from research conducted by others.

1.4 Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors must avoid publishing manuscripts describing essentially the same research in multiple journals of primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently is unethical and unacceptable.

Manuscripts previously published elsewhere, except as abstracts, academic theses, or electronic preprints, should not be submitted to other journals. However, certain secondary publications, such as translations or clinical guidelines, may be justifiable if specific conditions are met. The authors and editors of both journals must agree to the secondary publication, which must cite the primary reference and include identical data and interpretations. For further details, authors may consult ICMJE guidelines.

1.5 Confidentiality

Information obtained through confidential services, such as reviewing manuscripts or grant applications, must not be used without explicit, written permission from the original author.

1.6 Authorship of the Paper

Authorship should be restricted to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All substantial contributors must be listed as co-authors.

Contributors who participated in specific aspects of the work, such as language editing or medical writing, should be acknowledged in the appropriate section.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that:

• All eligible co-authors are included, and no inappropriate contributors are listed.
• All co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.
• All co-authors have agreed to the submission of the paper.

Authors are expected to finalize the list and order of authors before submitting the manuscript. Requests for changes to authorship (e.g., additions, removals, or rearrangements) after submission will only be considered under exceptional circumstances and must be approved by all authors. Such requests must be clearly communicated to the Editor, who may exercise discretion in accepting them.

Authors share collective responsibility for the integrity of the work. Each author is accountable for addressing and resolving any questions related to the accuracy or integrity of the paper.

Individual journals may adopt specific definitions of authorship, such as those outlined by the ICMJE, and authors should ensure compliance with the policies of their target journal.

2. The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in scientific writing and in figures, images and artwork

2.1 The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Scientific Writing

For Authors

Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies may be used in the writing process only to improve language and readability. These tools must be applied with human oversight and control, as AI-generated content can sound authoritative while being incorrect, incomplete, or biased. Authors remain fully responsible and accountable for the accuracy and integrity of their work.

Authors must disclose any use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in their manuscript. A statement regarding this disclosure will appear in the published article. This transparency fosters trust among authors, reviewers, editors, and readers, while ensuring compliance with the usage policies of the respective tools.

AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors, nor cited as authors. Authorship requires human contributions and accountability. Co-authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the work, qualifying for authorship, approving the final version, and agreeing to its submission.

2.2 The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Tools in Figures, Images, and Artwork

Generative AI and AI-assisted tools cannot be used to create, alter, or manipulate images and figures in submitted manuscripts. Prohibited practices include enhancing, obscuring, moving, removing, or introducing features within images. Acceptable adjustments (e.g., brightness, contrast, or color balance) must not obscure or remove original information. AJNCD may use forensic tools to identify potential image irregularities.

Exceptions: If AI tools are part of the research methods (e.g., AI-assisted imaging for biomedical data analysis), their use must be clearly described in the Methods section. This includes: - A detailed explanation of how the tools were used, - The name, version, and manufacturer of the AI model or software, - Compliance with AI usage policies and proper content attribution.

Authors may be required to provide pre-AI-adjusted versions of images or raw composite data for editorial assessment.

• Artwork and Graphical Abstracts: The use of generative AI is not permitted for creating graphical abstracts.
• Cover Art: Generative AI may be used for cover art only with prior approval from the journal editor and publisher. Authors must demonstrate that all usage rights have been cleared and ensure proper content attribution.

2.3 The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Peer Review

For Reviewers

Manuscripts provided for peer review must be treated as confidential. Reviewers must not upload any part of a manuscript into generative AI tools, as this may violate author confidentiality, proprietary rights, or data privacy laws, particularly where personally identifiable information is involved.

This confidentiality also applies to peer review reports, which may contain sensitive information about the manuscript or its authors. Reviewers must not use AI tools to draft, improve, or enhance peer review reports.

Peer review demands critical thinking and original analysis, responsibilities that fall outside the scope of generative AI technologies. Reviewers are accountable for the content and conclusions of their reports. AI tools pose risks of generating incomplete, incorrect, or biased assessments.

AJNCD’s policy permits authors to use AI for language improvements before submission, with appropriate disclosure, which reviewers can find in a separate section preceding the references.

2.4 The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Editorial Process

For Editors

Manuscripts must remain confidential throughout the editorial process. Editors must not upload manuscripts, parts thereof, or related communications (e.g., decision letters) into generative AI tools, even for language enhancement, as this could compromise author confidentiality, proprietary information, or data privacy.

Editorial evaluation requires human judgment, critical assessment, and accountability, which generative AI cannot provide. AI tools introduce risks of generating biased, incomplete, or inaccurate conclusions. Therefore, editors must refrain from using generative AI to assist in decision-making or manuscript evaluation.

Editors are solely responsible and accountable for the editorial process, including evaluation, final decisions, and communications with authors.

3. Jurisdictional Claims

The AJNCD respects authors' decisions regarding how they designate territories and identify their affiliations in published content. AJNCD maintains a neutral stance on territorial disputes and jurisdictional claims, including maps and institutional affiliations.

• Maps: Study areas within maps should be locatable using standard mapping platforms. Maps must focus solely on the area under study, and authors should avoid including location maps that extend beyond the study area’s bounding box. Authors must include a clear note stating: “Map lines delineate study areas and do not necessarily depict accepted national boundaries.” During the review process, AJNCD editors may request revisions to maps that do not adhere to these guidelines.
• Institutional Affiliations: Authors must use either the full, official title of their institution or its standard abbreviation to ensure the institutional name can be independently verified for research integrity.

4. Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects

• Hazards: If the work involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment with unusual hazards, authors must clearly identify these in the manuscript.
• Human and Animal Subjects:
  • Compliance and Approvals: Manuscripts must include a statement confirming that all procedures were conducted in compliance with relevant laws, institutional guidelines, and were approved by the appropriate institutional committee(s).
  • Human Subjects: Authors must confirm that the study complies with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) for human experiments. A statement affirming that informed consent was obtained for all human subjects must be included, and the privacy rights of participants must always be respected.
  • Animal Subjects: Animal experiments must adhere to the ARRIVE guidelines and comply with the U.S. Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and relevant local laws (e.g., Animal Welfare Act).
• Patient Information: For inclusion of case details, personal information, or patient images, authors must obtain appropriate written consent, retain copies, and provide evidence of such consents to AJNCD upon request.

5. Declaration of Competing Interests

The AJNCD follows WAME’s definition of conflict of interest as “a divergence between an individual’s private interests (competing interests) and their responsibilities to scientific and publishing activities, such that a reasonable observer might question whether the individual’s behavior or judgment was influenced by competing interests.”

• Disclosure: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships with individuals or organizations that could be perceived as influencing their work.
• Financial Support: All funding sources for the research and article preparation must be disclosed. If sponsors played a role in study design, data collection, interpretation, or manuscript preparation, this must be explicitly stated. If sponsors was not involved, this should also be clarified.
• Examples: Potential conflicts include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patents, or grants. Authors must disclose conflicts as early as possible.

6. Notification of Fundamental Errors

If authors identify a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must promptly inform the journal editor or publisher and cooperate to correct or retract the article. If a third party notifies the editor of an error, authors must provide evidence and collaborate with the editor as required.

7. Image Integrity

• Manipulating images to enhance, obscure, move, or introduce features is strictly prohibited. Adjustments to brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable only if they do not obscure or eliminate original information.
• Clarifications or enhancements for image clarity are permitted, but manipulations for other purposes will be treated as ethical misconduct.
• Authors must comply with specific policies for graphical images, such as submitting original images as supplementary material or depositing them in suitable repositories.

8. Clinical Trial Transparency

AJNCD supports transparency in clinical trials. Authors must adhere to industry best practices for clinical trial registration and reporting, including guidelines like CONSORT, as specified by the relevant journal.

ISSN: 2768-2749