The integrity and credibility of scholarly research depend on the importance of publication ethics. It encompasses a set of principles and guidelines that govern the conduct of authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers involved in the process of disseminating scientific knowledge. Adhering to these ethical principles fosters transparency, objectivity, and accountability, upholding the standards of academic excellence. The publication provides a platform for researchers to disseminate their findings, contributing to the advancement of knowledge and providing a basis for further study. However, the process of publication should be guided by a set of ethical principles to avoid potential pitfalls and maintain the trust of the scholarly community.
Publication and authorship
The Vancouver style should compile references in numerical order based on their citation in the text. It is recommended that original articles have over 40 references, and case reports have no more than 35 references. If there are over 3 authors credited, only the names of the first three authors should be provided, followed by the phrase "et al."
The title page should include a statement showing any financial support received by the authors.
Authors are not permitted to directly copy text from previously published papers or manuscripts that have been submitted elsewhere.
The corresponding Author is required to sign an Assignment Form confirming that the article is an original piece, has not been published previously, and is not being considered for publication elsewhere in either printed or electronic form. The same research cannot be published in multiple journals.
The responsibilities of the authors
Actively participating in the peer-review process and promptly addressing the comments made by peer reviewers.
All authors must have made significant contributions to the research and meet the criteria for authorship.
The authors must also affirm that all data included in the article are genuine and credible. If any mistakes or inaccuracies are discovered, the authors are expected to provide retractions or make corrections accordingly.
In terms of copyright, if the manuscript contains previously published images or texts, the author must get permission from the copyright holders.
The author should provide written original permission letters for all copyrighted material used in the manuscript.
The responsibility of reviewers
Evaluations should be unbiased.
Objective judgments are necessary during the peer review process.
Reviewers must not have any conflicts of interest concerning the research, authors, or research funders.
Reviewers should make sure to mention any relevant published work that has not been cited yet.
The articles being reviewed should be treated as confidential information.
While reviewers can advise the editors, the final decision on an article rests with the Editors-in-Chief.
Reviewers should offer constructive feedback to enhance the quality of the article.
The Responsibility of Editorial
The Editors-in-Chief bear full accountability and have the authority to reject or accept articles.
Editors must not have any conflicts of interest regarding the articles they reject or accept.
When errors are identified in a manuscript, the editors actively encourage the publication of corrections or retractions.
The anonymity of reviewers is preserved in order to maintain the integrity of the process.
Ethical Considerations in Publishing
This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). When faced with any ethical misconduct, we follow COPE's flowcharts and guidelines.
To retract a published article, the ACCM follows the COPE flowchart protocol.
It is essential to fully inform all patients and research participants about the study's objectives and potential drug or intervention side effects.
Written consent from participants or their legal guardians is required for such studies.
The Journal has the right to request supporting documentation.
The ACCM ensures that intellectual and ethical standards are not compromised by business interests.
The editors-in-chief is always open to publishing corrections and clarifications.
Plagiarism: Unauthorized use of exact texts from other sources without acknowledgment is not allowed. All articles must be original works and should not be copied from other sources. Cases of plagiarism are dealt with using COPE's flowcharts and guidelines.
Data falsification/fabrication: Falsification is altering or omitting research materials, data, or processes, making the research results inaccurate. Fabrication is inventing data or results and reporting them in research. Both actions are fraudulent and seriously compromise the integrity of the research. Therefore, articles must be based on original data, and the use of falsified or fabricated data is strictly prohibited.
Image manipulation: The ACCM encourages authors to submit their original images. All digital images in accepted manuscripts will be checked for inappropriate manipulation.
No specific aspect within an image should be enhanced, obscured, moved, removed, or introduced.
Adjustments such as brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable if applied to the entire image and do not misrepresent the original information, including the background.
Where inappropriate manipulation is suspected, the editors will request the original data from the authors to compare the manipulated figures.