Ethical Standards for Authors

The Annals of Proteomics and Bioinformatics (APB) upholds the highest standards of research integrity and ethical publishing. Authors submitting to APB are expected to adhere to the following Ethical Standards to ensure transparency, accountability, and credibility in scientific communication.

These standards are based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) guidelines.

1. Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their manuscripts represent original work and have not been published elsewhere. Any overlapping or similar material must be properly cited. APB uses advanced plagiarism detection software to verify content authenticity prior to peer review.

The similarity index must be below 15% excluding quotations and references.

2. Authorship Criteria

Authorship should reflect significant intellectual contribution. All listed authors must have participated in the design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the study. Gift or honorary authorship is strictly prohibited.

  • Each author must approve the final version before submission.
  • Corresponding author ensures accuracy of author details and communication with the journal.
  • Any changes in authorship require written approval from all co-authors.

3. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Submissions

Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously constitutes unethical publishing behavior and will not be tolerated. Duplicate publication, data recycling, or self-plagiarism may lead to immediate rejection or retraction.

4. Data Integrity and Reproducibility

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of data presented. All data, code, and materials must be preserved and available for verification or reproduction when requested.

Fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting of data are serious violations of publication ethics.

5. Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Authors must declare any financial, personal, or institutional relationships that could be perceived as influencing their research. This declaration should appear in the manuscript under a “Conflict of Interest” section.

6. Human and Animal Rights

Studies involving human participants or animals must follow ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant institutional guidelines. The manuscript must include an ethics statement specifying the approval number and committee name.

  • Informed consent is mandatory for studies involving humans.
  • Animal research must comply with ARRIVE guidelines.

7. Acknowledgment of Sources

Authors must give proper credit to the sources that have influenced their research. All quotations and borrowed ideas should be appropriately cited using the Vancouver citation format.

8. Peer Review Cooperation

Authors are expected to engage respectfully with the peer-review process. Revisions must be thorough, addressing reviewer comments point-by-point. Any disagreement with reviewers should be explained politely and scientifically.

9. Corrections and Retractions

Authors have a duty to promptly notify the editor if significant errors or inaccuracies are discovered in their published work. The editorial board may issue corrections, errata, or retractions as necessary to maintain research integrity.

10. Use of AI Tools and Generative Models

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) or large language models (LLMs) in manuscript preparation must be transparently disclosed. AI tools may assist in language improvement or formatting but cannot replace intellectual contribution or authorship.

Authors are accountable for all content generated or edited with AI assistance.

11. Copyright and Licensing Compliance

Authors retain copyright to their work while granting APB a license to distribute it under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). All third-party content (e.g., images, datasets) must have proper permissions before publication.

12. Funding and Acknowledgment

All sources of financial or institutional support must be disclosed. Authors must acknowledge grants, scholarships, or sponsorships that contributed to the research.

13. Misconduct Handling

APB follows COPE flowcharts for investigating ethical misconduct, including plagiarism, duplicate submission, data manipulation, and authorship disputes. Proven violations may result in rejection, retraction, or notification to authors’ institutions.

14. Sanctions and Blacklisting

Authors found guilty of severe ethical breaches may be blacklisted from submitting future manuscripts to APB or any affiliated journals under Heighten Sciences Publication Incorporation.

15. Contact Information

© 2025 Annals of Proteomics and Bioinformatics (APB) · Heighten Sciences Publication Incorporation

Source Reference: COPE Core Practices, ICMJE Recommendations (2024), WAME Ethics Guidelines, and DOAJ Transparency Standards.