The Annals of Biomedical Science and Engineering (ABSE) upholds the highest standards of ethical conduct in scientific publishing. Authors submitting manuscripts are expected to adhere to the ethical principles described below, derived from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). These guidelines ensure research integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly communication.

1. Research Integrity and Originality

Authors must ensure that all research submitted to ABSE is:

Original and has not been published elsewhere in any form or language.
Free from plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or data manipulation.
Ethically conducted in accordance with institutional and international standards.
Accurately and honestly reported, with transparent presentation of results.

“All submissions to ABSE must represent the author’s authentic work and uphold the principles of scientific honesty and reproducibility.”

2. Authorship and Contribution

Authorship should reflect meaningful intellectual contribution to the research and manuscript preparation. Each author must meet the following criteria:

Substantial involvement in study conception, design, data collection, or analysis.
Significant contribution to drafting or revising the article for intellectual content.
Approval of the final version before submission.
Accountability for the accuracy and integrity of the published work.

Honorary, guest, or ghost authorship is strictly prohibited. Changes in authorship after submission require written consent from all co-authors and approval by the Editor-in-Chief.

3. Data Accuracy and Reproducibility

Authors must present accurate data and sufficient methodological detail to allow replication of the work by others. Manipulation or selective reporting of data is a serious ethical violation. Raw data may be requested by editors or reviewers during the evaluation process.

4. Ethical Approval for Research Involving Humans or Animals

Studies involving human subjects must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and be approved by an institutional review board or ethics committee.
Animal research must follow recognized welfare standards (e.g., ARRIVE guidelines).
Authors must state the name of the approving body and include an ethics approval number where applicable.
Informed consent must be obtained from all human participants or their legal guardians.

5. Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could influence the research findings or interpretation. Common examples include:

Employment, consultancy, or advisory roles.
Grants, honoraria, or stock ownership in related organizations.
Competing academic or political interests.

A “Conflict of Interest” statement must appear at the end of the manuscript. If there are no conflicts, authors should state: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

6. Funding and Acknowledgments

All sources of financial or material support must be disclosed in the Acknowledgments section. Grant numbers, funding agencies, and institutional affiliations should be specified to ensure transparency and allow readers to assess potential influences.

7. Plagiarism and Redundant Publication

Manuscripts found to contain plagiarized or overlapping material will be rejected or retracted in accordance with the Plagiarism Policy. Redundant or duplicate publication—submitting the same work to multiple journals—is unethical and may lead to permanent rejection from future consideration.

8. Data Sharing and Availability

Authors are encouraged to deposit data, software, and code in reputable repositories (e.g., Zenodo, Dryad, Figshare) and provide accession numbers or DOIs. A Data Availability Statement should be included, specifying where supporting materials can be accessed.

9. Image Integrity

Figures and images must accurately represent the original data. Authors must avoid digital manipulation that could mislead readers or obscure results. Adjustments for clarity (brightness, contrast, cropping) are acceptable if applied uniformly and described in the figure legend.

10. Reporting Guidelines

Authors should adhere to relevant international reporting standards, including:

CONSORT — Randomized controlled trials.
PRISMA — Systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
STROBE — Observational studies.
CARE — Case reports.
ARRIVE — Animal experiments.
ICMJE — General biomedical manuscripts.

11. Corrections and Retractions

Authors are obligated to notify the editorial office immediately upon discovering significant errors in their published or submitted work. ABSE follows COPE flowcharts for corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern. Corrections are issued for factual errors; retractions apply to proven cases of misconduct.

12. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their published work under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), permitting unrestricted sharing with proper citation. This ensures compliance with open-access mandates and data reuse standards.

13. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Submissions

Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously is unethical and prohibited. Authors must withdraw the article from ABSE before submitting elsewhere if they choose not to continue with the current review process.

14. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automated Tools

AI-assisted tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly, statistical software) may be used to improve language or structure, but their use must be disclosed in the “Methods” or “Acknowledgments” section. AI cannot be listed as an author and must not replace human accountability.

15. Authorship Disputes

Any disputes regarding authorship (inclusion, exclusion, or order) should be resolved before submission. If disputes arise post-submission, ABSE may suspend the review process until all parties confirm authorship details in writing. The editorial team follows COPE’s authorship dispute resolution guidance.

16. Responsibilities After Publication

Authors must cooperate in post-publication investigations, provide data upon request, and assist in resolving ethical concerns raised by readers or editors. Transparency after publication is considered an integral part of ethical authorship.

17. Sanctions for Ethical Violations

Violations of these standards—such as plagiarism, fabrication, duplicate submission, or false authorship—may result in one or more of the following actions:

Immediate rejection of the manuscript.
Retraction of published articles.
Notification to the author’s institution or funding body.
Temporary or permanent submission ban.
Public notice of ethical misconduct when warranted.

18. Commitment to Ethical Publishing

“By submitting a manuscript to ABSE, all authors confirm their full adherence to these ethical standards and accept accountability for the integrity and originality of their work.”

19. Policy Review and Updates

The Ethical Standards for Authors are reviewed annually to align with emerging ethical challenges and international best practices in scholarly publishing.

20. Contact Information

For Ethical Queries: [email protected]
For Editorial Queries: [email protected]
Editorial Office: Annals of Biomedical Science and Engineering (ABSE), USA