Ethical Standards for Authors

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Authors submitting to the Archives of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (APPS) must comply with internationally recognized ethical standards to maintain the credibility of the scholarly record. This page consolidates expectations from COPE, ICMJE, and APPS editorial policies.

Sources: APPS Editorial Policies, COPE, ICMJE.

1) Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must submit only original works that have not been published elsewhere. Proper acknowledgment of the work and words of others must always be given. APPS uses plagiarism-detection software to ensure compliance with originality requirements.

2) Authorship and Contribution

Authorship should reflect substantial contributions to conception, design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation. All listed authors must approve the final version. The CRediT taxonomy is encouraged to specify individual roles.

3) Data Integrity and Transparency

Authors must represent data truthfully, without fabrication or falsification. Underlying data should be preserved and shared upon request. Data availability statements should be included where required by funders or the journal.

4) Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Submissions

Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior. Authors must disclose any related publications and avoid redundancy.

5) Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose financial or other conflicts of interest that could influence results or interpretation. Conflict-of-interest statements are published alongside accepted articles.

6) Ethical Approval for Human and Animal Research

Research involving humans or animals must comply with institutional and international guidelines. Authors must provide evidence of ethical approval (e.g., IRB or ethics committee clearance) and informed consent where applicable.

7) Acknowledgment of Sources

Proper acknowledgment of others’ work is required. Authors must cite publications that have influenced their work, and permission must be obtained for reproducing third-party content.

8) Reporting Significant Errors

If an author discovers a significant error in their published work, it is their duty to notify the journal promptly and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions.

9) Cooperation with Review Process

Authors must respond promptly to editorial communications and reviewer comments. Failure to engage in the review process may lead to rejection or withdrawal.

 

Contact Information

Questions regarding ethical standards can be directed to: