Publication Ethics and Authorship

AMCR follows internationally recognized principles of publication ethics and uses the COPE Core Practices and relevant ICMJE Recommendations as guidance. Reference to these organizations does not imply membership or endorsement.

Editorial Independence and Fairness

Editorial decisions are based on scholarly quality, ethical compliance, originality, validity, clarity, and relevance. Decisions are independent of commercial interests, APC payment, nationality, institutional affiliation, political belief, religion, gender, race, or other personal characteristics. Editors must disclose and manage conflicts and recuse themselves when impartiality cannot be assured.

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship is limited to individuals who made substantial contributions, participated in drafting or critical revision, approved the final version, and accept accountability for the work. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria must be acknowledged. The corresponding author must ensure that all listed authors approve submission and that no eligible contributor is omitted. Changes in authorship require a written explanation and agreement from all affected authors.

Originality, Duplicate Submission, and Citation

Submissions must be original, not published previously, and not under consideration elsewhere. Authors must cite and quote sources accurately, obtain permissions for protected material, and disclose related manuscripts. Fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, redundant publication, citation manipulation, image manipulation, and undisclosed ghost or guest authorship are prohibited.

Human Participants, Animals, and Clinical Ethics

Research involving humans must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable law, receive approval or documented exemption from an appropriate ethics committee, and state the committee name, approval number, and informed-consent process in the manuscript. Animal research must receive appropriate institutional approval and follow recognized welfare and reporting standards. Editors may request supporting documentation.

Case Reports, Consent, and Patient Privacy

Case reports require written informed consent for publication from the patient or an authorized legal representative, including consent for images and potentially identifiable information. Direct identifiers must be removed and unnecessary identifying details avoided. A consent-for-publication statement must appear in the manuscript. Case reports should follow the CARE guideline and include a completed CARE checklist. Consent is not waived merely because names are removed.

Conflicts of Interest and Funding

Authors must disclose financial and non-financial interests, funding sources, sponsor roles, and relationships that could influence the work. Reviewers and editors must disclose conflicts before participating. Disclosures are considered during reviewer selection and editorial decision-making and are published when relevant.

Data, Reproducibility, and Retention

Authors must present data accurately, retain supporting records, and provide data or documentation for editorial review when lawfully requested. Each research article should include a data availability statement explaining where data can be found or why access is restricted. Patient confidentiality, informed consent, legal restrictions, and legitimate ethical limits take priority over public disclosure.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Generative AI tools cannot qualify as authors. Authors must disclose material use of AI-assisted tools in writing, remain responsible for all content, verify accuracy and citations, and ensure that confidential or identifiable information is not entered into external systems. AI-generated or manipulated images are not permitted unless they are part of a clearly described research method. Reviewers and editors must not upload manuscripts to generative AI services and must make decisions using their own professional judgment.

Reviewer and Editor Responsibilities

Reviewers must maintain confidentiality, assess manuscripts objectively, support comments with reasons, identify relevant integrity concerns, and avoid use of unpublished information. Editors must protect reviewer and author confidentiality, ensure independent review, manage conflicts, communicate decisions transparently, and take reasonable action when concerns are raised.

Misconduct and Investigations

Concerns about suspected misconduct are assessed on evidence rather than allegation alone. The journal may request explanations and source files, consult institutions or ethics bodies, and follow an appropriate COPE flowchart. Confidentiality and procedural fairness are maintained. Outcomes may include rejection, correction, retraction, expression of concern, notification of relevant institutions, or no action when concerns are not substantiated.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

Material errors are corrected promptly with a dated, linked notice that identifies the change. Retractions are used when findings are unreliable, unethical, plagiarized, or substantially redundant; the article remains identifiable and linked to a retraction notice. An expression of concern may be issued while a serious matter is unresolved. Minor typographical changes that do not affect meaning may be corrected without a formal notice.

Complaints and Appeals

Complaints about process, ethics, or conduct and reasoned appeals of editorial decisions should be sent to editors.amcr@gmail.com. They are acknowledged, documented, and reviewed by a person not solely responsible for the disputed action whenever practicable. Complainants receive a reasoned outcome subject to confidentiality and legal constraints.

Revenue, Advertising, and Special Content

APCs and other revenue considerations do not influence editorial decisions. AMCR does not permit advertising or sponsorship to control peer review, conclusions, or publication decisions. Guest-edited or special content, if used, follows the same peer-review, ethics, conflict, and editorial-independence requirements as regular submissions.