Publishing Ethics Guidelines of Anhui Medical Journal

To uphold research integrity and academic ethics to standardize the conduct of all parties involved in the academic publishing process, Anhui Medical Journal has established these ethical guidelines for authors, reviewers, and editors. This code is formulated with reference to relevant national and international publishing ethics standards and is adapted to the specific practices of this journal.

I. Ethical Guidelines for Authors

1.      Record data accurately, analyze and discuss results objectively, and avoid common-sense errors, omissions, and exaggerated descriptions.

2.      Retain original data; do not tamper with or fabricate experimental data. All processed content shall faithfully reflect the original records and data, preserving their original meaning.

3.      Accurately describe animal sources and the informed consent of research subjects for studies involving animal experiments and human subjects. The ethical approval number must be provided, along with supporting approval documentation.

4.      Quote and annotate all viewpoints, data, methods, texts cited from published literature, clearly distinguishing original contributions from cited content.

5.      All named authors must have made substantial contributions to the research, be ranked according to the magnitude of their contributions, and be accountable for the content of the paper. The list of authors shall not be arbitrarily modified.

6.      Academic debate is an important component of scientific research. Authors should treat peer review comments objectively and rationally; they may appeal to the editorial department if they have legitimate objections.

7.      Strictly prohibit all forms of academic misconduct. Do not provide false funding information, or interfere with the review process, and guarantee that submitted manuscripts contain no confidential information.

8.      Authors must provide valid contact information for communication throughout the entire publishing process. If authors discover errors in their published work, they are obligated to promptly notify the editorial department for corrections.

II. Ethical Guidelines for Reviewers

1.      Fulfill review duties diligently and submit review comments in a timely manner. If unable to complete reviews on schedule, promptly decline the review request, suggest alternative reviewers, or inform the editorial department of the anticipated delay and its reasons.

2.      Provide impartial evaluation of the manuscript’s topic selection, theoretical level, writing quality, and the rationality of arguments. Reviewers should respect the authors’  research efforts and avoid demeaning remarks or personal attacks.

3.      Adhere to the confidentiality principle of peer review, complete the review independently, and maintain the confidentiality of all manuscript content and related information.

4.      Proactively assess and recuse themselves from manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist; if such conflicts arise, they must immediately decline the review and notify the editorial department.

5.      Strictly adhere to academic ethics standards and refrain from unauthorized use of the author’s research findings.

III. Ethical Guidelines for Editors

1.      Rigorously implement the “three rounds of review and three rounds of proofreading” system and strictly follow all review procedures.

2.      Conduct initial reviews of all submitted manuscripts in a timely, fair and objective manner, and send manuscripts that pass the initial review for external peer review.

3.      Respect peer review outcomes and make reasonable decisions, such as requesting revision, acceptance. or rejection. Decisions to reject a manuscript must be accompanied by sufficient justification.

4.      Select peer reviewers whose research fields align with the manuscript and who have no conflicts of interest with the authors; do not interfere with the review process.

5.      Maintain confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts, protect the anonymity of reviewers, and refrain from disclosing manuscript information or review progress to anyone other than the authors and relevant editorial staff.

6.      Recuse themselves from manuscripts involving personal conflicts of interest, transfer such manuscripts to another editor, and never abuse editorial authority for personal gains.

7.      Actively monitor for and prevent academic misconduct throughout the publishing process and issue appropriate warnings or take other actions as necessary.

8.      Ensure the timely publication of corrections or retractions, publish official statements as needed, and notify relevant academic databases.