Duties of Authors

Authors of the original research report must present an accurate account of the work done as well as an objective discussion of its significance. The underlying data must be accurately represented on paper. A paper must contain sufficient detail and references to allow others to replicate the work. Deceptive or intentionally inaccurate statements are unethical and unacceptable behavior. Professionally published reviews and articles must also be accurate and objective, and editorial opinion works must be clearly identified.

Data Access and Retention

Authors may be required to provide raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data, where applicable, and under no circumstances should be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others, then these have been properly cited or cited. Plagiarism takes many forms, from distributing other people's papers as the authors' own papers, copying or paraphrasing important parts of other people's papers (without attribution), to claiming the results of research done by others. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication

An author may not generally publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one major journal or publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. In general, an author may not submit for consideration in another journal a previously published paper. Publication of several types of articles (e.g. clinical guidelines, translations) in more than one journal is sometimes justified, provided certain conditions are met. Authors and editors of the journal concerned must approve the secondary publication, which must reflect the same data and interpretation of the primary document. Primary references should be cited in secondary publications.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Proper acknowledgment of the work of others should always be given. Authors should cite publications that were influential in determining the nature of the reported work. Information obtained personally, such as in conversations, correspondence, or discussions with third parties, may not be used or reported without the explicit written permission of the source. Information obtained during confidential services, such as reference manuscripts or grant applications, may not be used without the express written permission of the authors of the works involved in these services.

Authorship of the Paper

Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, conduct, or interpretation of the reported study. All persons who have made significant contributions must be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they must be recognized or listed as contributors. Correspondence authors must ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included in the paper, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have approved its submission for publication.

Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects

If the work involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment that have unusual hazards inherent in their use, the author must identify them clearly in the manuscript. If the work involves the use of animal or human subjects, the author must ensure that the manuscript contains a statement that all procedures were carried out in accordance with relevant laws and institutional guidelines and that the appropriate institutional committee has approved them. Authors must include a statement in the manuscript that consent was obtained for experiments with human subjects. The right to privacy of human subjects must always be considered.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that may be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project must be disclosed. Examples of potential conflicts of interest that should be disclosed include employment, consulting, shareholding, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed as early as possible.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

When an author discovers significant errors or inaccuracies in his published work, it is the author's obligation to immediately notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper. If the editor or publisher learns from a third party that a published work contains significant errors, it is the obligation of the author to immediately retract or correct the paper or provide evidence to the editor of the veracity of the original paper.