Upholding publishing excellence through ethical practices
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Publication Ethics
Ethical standards in academic publishing serves the purpose of guaranteeing the excellence of scientific publications, instilling confidence in research findings among the public, and ensuring that proper recognition is accorded to authors for their invaluable contributions..
ATA Press proudly aligns itself with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), demonstrating our unwavering dedication to the highest ethical standards. We are committed to upholding COPE’s guidelines and core practices, which are essential to fostering transparency, fairness, and ethical conduct throughout the publishing process.
Initial Manuscript Assessment
The quality of every submission is of paramount importance to us. To maintain rigorous academic standards, each submission undergoes a peer review process.
At ATA Press, a double-blind peer review process is adopted. Under this model, the identities of reviewers remain confidential to authors, and vice versa. This rigorous evaluation process fosters impartial assessments and ensures that published articles meet the highest academic excellence standards.
In addition to standard peer review, ATA Press maintains a dedicated Research Integrity team. This team is responsible for overseeing submissions with significant ethical, security, biosecurity, or societal implications. In such cases, we may seek external expertise to ensure a comprehensive evaluation.
Plagiarism and Data Manipulation
At ATA Press, we uphold uncompromising standards of research integrity to maintain the credibility and authenticity of scholarly publications:
- Proper Attribution and Citation: Authors are expected to adhere to strict ethical guidelines when using the work of others. This includes not using the words, figures, or ideas of others without proper attribution. Proper citation of all sources at the point of use is mandatory. Any reused wording must be limited and appropriately attributed or quoted in the text.
- Plagiarism Detection: ATA Press uses Crossref Similarity Check (iThenticate) software to identify submissions that may overlap with published or submitted manuscripts. Manuscripts found to have been plagiarized from the work of other authors, whether previously published or unpublished, will face rejection, and the authors may be subject to sanctions. In the case of published articles, corrections or retractions may be necessary.
- Image Integrity: Image files must not undergo any manipulation or adjustments that could potentially lead to misinterpretation of the original information. Irregular image manipulation includes introducing, enhancing, removing, or relocating features from the original image. Grouping images that should be presented separately or altering contrast, brightness, or color balance to obscure, eliminate, or enhance information is prohibited. Detected irregular image manipulation may result in manuscript rejection during peer review or post-publication corrections or retractions.
- Original Data Presentation: Data presented must be original and not subjected to inappropriate selection, manipulation, enhancement, or fabrication. This encompasses the exclusion of data points to artificially enhance conclusions, data fabrication, selective presentation favoring specific conclusions over contradictory data, and deliberate selection of analysis tools or methods to support a particular outcome, including p-hacking. Upholding the integrity of presented data is essential to maintain the credibility of published research.
ATA Press remains steadfast in its commitment to the highest ethical standards in research and scholarly publishing, ensuring that the scientific community can trust and rely on the integrity of the work we disseminate.
Manipulation of Citation
ATA Press is dedicated to fostering ethical citation practices, ensuring that scholarly research is assessed and recognized on its merits, rather than through artificial manipulation of citation counts.
- Author-Centric Citations: Authors submitting manuscripts to any of our journals must refrain from employing unethical citation practices. Usage of citations solely to artificially boost the citation count of their own work or articles published in a specific journal is highly discouraged. Such sharp practices may result in sanctions.
- Editorial and Reviewer Responsibility: Our editors and reviewers are also bound by ethical standards. They must not request authors to include references with the sole aim of inflating citations to their own work, the work of associates, the journal itself, or any other journal they are affiliated with. We emphasize the importance of citation integrity in all aspects of the publication process.
Duplicate and Redundant Publication
At ATA Press, we hold a steadfast commitment to upholding the originality and integrity of scholarly content. Our policies pertaining to duplicate submissions and redundant publication are outlined below:
- Acceptable Content: ATA Press strictly considers original articles for publication. This encompasses articles that have not been previously published. However, we do consider articles based on content that was previously made publicly available, such as on preprint servers, institutional repositories, or within theses. In such cases, it is imperative to appropriately cite and discuss the preprint or thesis within the article.
- Exclusive Submission: Manuscripts submitted to ATA Press must not be concurrently under consideration by other publishers or journals. Authors are responsible for ensuring the withdrawal of their submissions from other venues before proceeding with the submission process to ATA Press. Failure to comply with this guideline may result in sanctions.
- Transparent Attribution of Prior Work: Should authors employ their previously published work or work that is currently under review as the foundation for a submitted manuscript, they are obligated to cite the prior articles and elucidate how the submitted manuscript distinguishes itself from their previous work. Any reuse of the authors’ own text outside the Methods section must be properly attributed or quoted within the text. For the reuse of figures or substantial text, obtaining permission from the copyright holder may be necessary, and authors are responsible for securing such permissions.
- Extended Conference Articles: ATA Press welcomes extended versions of articles that have previously been presented at conferences. To facilitate this, authors are required to declare this in the cover letter, cite and discuss the prior version, introduce substantial new content, and obtain any requisite permissions.
- Redundant Publication: We strongly discourage redundant publication. This involves the inappropriate division of study outcomes into multiple articles, often referred to as “salami slicing.” Violations of this policy may result in manuscript rejection, requests to consolidate submitted manuscripts, and corrections to published articles. Duplicate publication of the same or highly similar content may lead to the retraction of the later article, and authors may face sanctions.
These guidelines are implemented to maintain the credibility of the content we publish, promoting ethical practices in scholarly communication.
Authorship
We place the utmost importance on authorship and contribution integrity, adhering to globally recognized guidelines such as those established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). These guidelines prescribe specific criteria for individuals to qualify as authors of a manuscript:
Substantial Contribution: Authors must have made significant contributions to the conception, design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of the research work. This criterion underscores the active involvement of authors in shaping the scholarly content.
Critical Review: Authors are expected to actively engage in drafting the manuscript or critically reviewing it to enhance its intellectual content. This step ensures that the work meets the highest standards of quality and rigour.
Final Approval: All authors must grant their final approval for the version of the manuscript intended for publication. This collective endorsement underscores the shared responsibility and commitment of authors to the research.
Accountability: Authors must agree to be accountable for all facets of the work, including addressing any questions or concerns related to its accuracy or integrity. This accountability demonstrates a dedication to upholding the highest ethical standards in research.
Additionally, individuals who have contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship will be duly acknowledged. This acknowledgement recognizes their valuable contributions to the work.
It’s important to note that different academic disciplines may adopt their own specific authorship criteria. For instance, while the ICMJE guidelines are prominent in biomedical fields, disciplines like psychology follow the guidelines set by the American Psychological Association (APA), and chemistry adheres to the EuChemS (European Chemical Society) guidelines. In arts, humanities, and social sciences, single-author publications are more common, but the fundamental requirement for authorship remains a substantial contribution to the research and accountability for the work undertaken (COPE Discussion document: authorship).
Any changes to the author list, whether during the editorial process or after publication, necessitate the approval of all authors, including those who may be added or removed. ATA Press reserves the right to request evidence of authorship, and any alterations to authorship post-acceptance will be made at the discretion of ATA Press.
Conflicts of Interest (COIs)
ATA Press maintain rigorous standards to address conflicts of interest (COIs), also referred to as ‘competing interests.’ COIs arise when external factors could reasonably be perceived to influence the impartiality or objectivity of a research work or its evaluation. These conflicts can emerge at any stage of the research process, including during experimentation, manuscript preparation, or the transition to a published article.
To ensure transparency and integrity, We align our practices with the guidelines set forth by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) to ensure the credibility and objectivity of the work we publish.
Why Declaration Matters
To uphold the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics, ATA Press requires transparent declaration of potential conflicts of interest. Authors, reviewers, and editors play pivotal roles in this process, ensuring that the publication maintains its credibility and neutrality.
Author Responsibilities
Authors submitting their work to any of our publications must diligently adhere to the following guidelines:
Declaration of Potential Interests: Authors are expected to declare any potential interests that could reasonably be perceived as affecting the neutrality or objectivity of their research.
Financial Transparency: Authors should explicitly state any financial interests, such as funding, payments, goods, or services related to the subject of their work, received from an organization with a vested interest in the research outcome. This information should be included in the ‘Funding Statement.’ section.
Affiliations and Personal Connections: Authors must disclose affiliations with organizations that have an interest in the research outcome and any personal relationships or connections that might impact their objectivity.
Intellectual Property: Authors should reveal any patents or trademarks owned by them or their organization that are pertinent to the research.
Academic Considerations: Authors should declare any academic conflicts, such as competition with or critique of the work of others in the field.
Involvement of Others:
The engagement of individuals outside the authorship team who have an interest in the research outcome, affiliation with relevant organizations, or employment or funding by a sponsor must be declared.
Declared conflicts of interest are considered by the editor and reviewers and will be transparently included in the published article.
It is essential that authors provide a clear and comprehensive declaration of all potential conflicts of interest. Even if these interests did not ultimately influence the research or its outcomes, their declaration allows for informed decision-making during the review process.
Editorial and Reviewer Responsibilities
Editors and reviewers at ATA Press have critical roles in maintaining the integrity of the publication process.
- They must maintain neutrality throughout the evaluation process.
They should be vigilant in recognizing conflicts of interest in their own roles, and should not participate in the evaluation process if they have:
- A recent publication or ongoing submission with any of the authors.
- Shared, or recently shared, an affiliation with any of the authors.
- Engaged in collaboration or recent collaboration with any of the authors.
- Close personal relationships with any of the authors.
- A financial interest in the submission.
- Inability to remain objective.
- Reviewers are also expected to declare any remaining interests in the ‘Confidential’ section of the review form, which will be considered by the editor.
Implications
Failure to declare conflicts of interest can have significant consequences:
- An embargo on making submissions to any of our journals for a defined period.
- Submissions with undisclosed conflicts that are later revealed may be rejected.
- Published articles may require reassessment, corrigenda, or, in severe cases, retraction.
- Prohibition from acting as an editor or reviewer for any of ATA Press journals.
Examples of Conflict of Interest Disclosures:
- Conflicts of Interest: Author A has received research grants from Company A. Author B has received a speaker honorarium from Company X and owns stocks in Company Y. Author C has been involved as a consultant and expert witness in Company Z. Author D is the inventor of patent X.
If no potential conflicts of interest are perceived, authors should make the following declaration:
- Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
By adhering to these comprehensive conflict of interest guidelines, we ensure the credibility, impartiality, and trustworthiness of our scholarly publications, advancing knowledge and fostering a culture of integrity in research.
Research Integrity and Corrections
Investigations
If you suspect a breach of our publication ethics policies, whether before or after publication, or if you have concerns related to research ethics, please report these to our dedicated Research Integrity team. We take such matters seriously and are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in scholarly publishing. Rest assured that your identity will be kept confidential if you request anonymity while reporting suspected breaches or concerns.
Steps in an Investigation
In response to reported concerns, ATA Press may take various actions to uphold ethical standards:
Data and Image Verification: Authors may be asked to provide the underlying data and images to facilitate the investigation process.
Consulting Editors: We may consult with the relevant editors to assess the situation thoroughly.
Contacting Institutions or Employers: In some cases, we may reach out to the institutions or employers of the involved parties to further investigate and address the issues.
Corrections and Retractions
Ensuring the accuracy and integrity of published articles is paramount to us at ATA Press. We address concerns regarding corrections and retractions as follows:
Author Errors: In cases where errors are identified as originating from the authors, corrections may be made through a corrigendum.
Publisher Errors: Errors attributable to the publisher will be addressed with an erratum.
Significant Errors or Misconduct: If errors significantly affect the conclusions of a published work or if there is evidence of research misconduct, a retraction or an expression of concern may be required, following the retraction guidelines outlined by COPE.
Author Name Change
Requests for author name changes after publication can be accommodated without the need for extensive documentation, corrigendum notices, or informing other authors. ATA Press will make the necessary adjustments to the article and any citing articles published by us upon receiving a request from the author, journal, or the Research Integrity team.
By adhering to these publication ethics and guidelines, we ensure the credibility, neutrality, and trustworthiness of our academic publications, advancing knowledge and fostering a culture of integrity in scholarly research.
