Code of Ethics

Authors should, at all times, adhere strictly to the following code of ethics when preparing and submitting papers for publication:

JoA Code of Ethics for Authors

  1. The manuscript must be the original work of the author(s). Author(s) must not submit a manuscript which is under review with another journal for possible publication in JoA nor must they submit a manuscript already submitted to JoA to another journal.
  2. The manuscript must not have been published or accepted for publication in another journal.
  3. Authors must not submit a manuscript to JoA which was previously submitted to JoA, sent out for review and rejected, unless the author(s) have done major revision of or extension to the paper.
  4. The manuscript must be free of plagiarism, falsification or fabrication. Plagiarism of the authors’ own work is also not acceptable unless there is some strong justification. Work of other authors must be cited appropriately.
  5. Authors should declare all conflicts of interest relevant to the work under consideration (e.g. financial and personal relationships that might interfere with the interpretation of the work) to avoid any potential for bias.
  6. The JoA implements a double-blind review process where authors do not know the reviewers and vice versa. Authors should not do anything to compromise the confidentiality of the review process by, for example, revealing their names and/or affiliations in the documents meant for review.
  7. All co-authors listed should have contributed significantly to the work, have their consent to the manuscript publication and must share accountability for the results.
  8. The corresponding author should keep all co-authors informed of the submission and progress of the review process and its results.
  9. Authors should be prompt with their manuscript revisions.
  10. When an author discovers a major error or inaccuracy in his/her published work, it is the author’s obligation to notify the journal editor to retract or correct the paper.
  11. If live animals are used in experiments, authors must include a statement that the animals were handled or treated in compliance with relevant laws and guidelines, and must mention the institutional committee that has approved the experiments.