ACE Journal of Neurosciences (ACEJN) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, and editorial transparency. The journal follows the recommendations and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and other internationally recognized ethical guidelines. All authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers are expected to adhere to these principles throughout the publication process.
Authorship
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the research. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission and agree to be accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the published work.
Originality
Submitted manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration by another journal. Any form of plagiarism, duplicate publication, redundant publication, or self-plagiarism is considered unethical and may result in rejection or retraction.
Data Access and Availability
Authors should retain the original research data and make it available to the Editorial Office when requested. Where appropriate, authors are encouraged to deposit research data in recognized repositories to promote transparency and reproducibility.
Data Citation
Datasets that support published findings should be cited in the reference list whenever possible using persistent identifiers such as DOIs or repository links. Proper data citation enhances reproducibility and research transparency.
Source Acknowledgment
Authors must properly acknowledge the work of others by providing accurate citations and references. Any use of previously published text, figures, tables, or other copyrighted material requires appropriate permission and acknowledgment.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, institutional, personal, or professional relationships that could influence the research or editorial process. If no conflicts exist, a statement declaring the absence of conflicts should be included.
Reporting Standards
Research should be reported honestly, accurately, and transparently. Authors must present sufficient methodological details to allow replication of the study where appropriate. Fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, or manipulation of research findings is strictly prohibited.
Human Rights
Research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with internationally accepted ethical principles, including the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable institutional or national regulations. Participant dignity, privacy, confidentiality, and welfare must always be protected.
Animal Welfare
Research involving animals must comply with internationally accepted standards for the ethical care and use of laboratory animals. Authors should clearly describe ethical approval and efforts made to minimize animal suffering.
Research Ethics
Authors are responsible for ensuring that all research has been conducted ethically and in compliance with applicable institutional, national, and international regulations.
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval
Studies involving human participants must include a statement confirming approval by an Institutional Review Board (IRB), Ethics Committee, or equivalent review authority, including the approval number where applicable.
Informed Consent
Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants involved in the research. For studies including identifiable patient information or images, explicit written consent for publication must also be obtained.
Clinical Trial Registration
Clinical trials should be prospectively registered in a publicly accessible clinical trial registry before participant enrollment. The trial registration number and registry name should be included in the manuscript.
Author Accountability
Authors accept full responsibility for the accuracy, authenticity, and integrity of their submitted work. Any errors identified after publication should be reported promptly so that appropriate corrections or retractions can be issued when necessary.
Research Misconduct
ACEJN does not tolerate any form of research misconduct, including:
- Plagiarism
- Data fabrication or falsification
- Duplicate or redundant publication
- Image manipulation
- Citation manipulation
- Authorship disputes
- Undisclosed conflicts of interest
- Ethical violations involving human or animal research
Allegations of misconduct are investigated in accordance with COPE guidance and may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or notification of the relevant institutions.
Corrections and Retractions
When significant errors or ethical concerns are identified after publication, ACEJN will issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions as appropriate to preserve the integrity of the scientific record.
Advertising Policy
Advertising and commercial sponsorship shall remain completely independent of editorial decision-making. Editorial decisions are based solely on scientific merit and are never influenced by advertising, financial considerations, or commercial interests.
Commitment to Ethical Publishing
The principles of Authorship, Originality, Data Access, Data Citation, Source Acknowledgment, Conflict of Interest Disclosure, Reporting Standards, Human Rights, Animal Welfare, Research Ethics, IRB Approval, Informed Consent, Clinical Trial Registration, Author Accountability, Research Misconduct, Corrections, Retractions, and Advertising Policy collectively form the foundation of the ACE Journal of Neurosciences Publication Ethics Policy. These principles guide all editorial, peer-review, and publishing activities to ensure integrity, transparency, accountability, and excellence in scholarly communication.
