Ethics

Ethical Standards and Integrity

Ax Publications (AxP) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. The journal follows the principles and guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics Core Practices. All participants in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher—are expected to adhere to these standards.

Any form of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, inappropriate authorship, or unethical research practices, will be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines and may result in rejection, correction, or retraction.

Research Ethics (Human and Animal Studies)

Research involving human participants, human data, or biological materials must comply with national and international ethical standards. Authors are required to obtain approval from an appropriate institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee prior to conducting the study.

Manuscripts must include an Institutional Review Board Statement specifying the approving body, approval number, and date. Informed consent must be obtained from all participants, and their privacy and anonymity must be protected.

For non-interventional studies (e.g., surveys or observational research), authors must ensure that participants are fully informed about the purpose of the study, data usage, and any potential risks.

The editorial office reserves the right to request supporting documentation, including ethics approvals or consent forms.

Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for making publication decisions based solely on the academic merit of the manuscript, without discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, nationality, religious beliefs, or institutional affiliation. Editorial decisions are guided by the importance, originality, clarity, and validity of the work.

Editors must maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and must not use unpublished information for their own research. Where a conflict of interest exists, editors must recuse themselves from handling the manuscript.

Editors are also responsible for maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and for issuing corrections or retractions when necessary.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers play a critical role in ensuring the quality and integrity of scholarly publications. They are expected to evaluate manuscripts objectively, based solely on academic merit.

Reviewers must:

Author Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality, accuracy, and integrity of their work. Manuscripts must present an honest account of the research conducted and include sufficient detail to allow replication.

Authors must:

If significant errors are identified after publication, authors are obligated to notify the journal promptly and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions.

Plagiarism and Image Integrity

All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software. Similarity reports are evaluated qualitatively, and manuscripts with unacceptable overlap will be rejected.

Manipulation of images that misrepresents data is strictly prohibited. This includes altering, enhancing, removing, or repositioning elements in a way that affects interpretation. Any detected manipulation may result in rejection or retraction.

Misconduct and Investigation

Allegations of research or publication misconduct are taken seriously and will be investigated in accordance with established ethical guidelines. Where necessary, the journal may contact authors’ institutions or relevant bodies.

Confirmed cases of misconduct may result in rejection, retraction, notification of institutions, and restrictions on future submissions.

Confidentiality

All parties involved in the editorial and review process must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Information must not be disclosed or used for personal or professional advantage.

Conflict of Interest

All participants in the publication process must disclose any conflicts of interest. Editors and reviewers must withdraw from the evaluation process if such conflicts exist. Authors must include a conflict of interest statement in their manuscript.

Citation Ethics

Authors must ensure that all sources are appropriately cited and that references accurately reflect the content used. Excessive self-citation or citation manipulation intended to artificially influence metrics is not permitted.

Corrections and Retractions

AxP is committed to maintaining the accuracy of the scholarly record. Errors identified after publication will be corrected through formal notices. Retractions will be issued in cases of significant errors or ethical violations, following COPE guidelines.

Disclaimer

While AxP strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of published content, the responsibility for the content rests with the authors. The views expressed in published articles do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or editors.