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Data Access and Retention

Authors may be requested to submit their study's raw data alongside the manuscript for editorial review. They should also be prepared to make this data publicly available when feasible. In all cases, authors must ensure that the data remains accessible to qualified professionals for at least 10 years following publication, ideally through an institutional, subject-based data repository, or data center. This must be done while safeguarding participant confidentiality and respecting legal rights related to proprietary data.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must guarantee that their submissions are entirely original and properly cite the work and/or words of others if used. Influential publications that shaped the reported research should also be acknowledged. Plagiarism encompasses various forms, including misrepresenting another's work, copying or paraphrasing substantial content without attribution, and falsely claiming others' research results. Any form of plagiarism is considered unethical publishing behavior and will not be tolerated.

Multiple, duplicate, redundant or concurrent submission/publication

Duplicate publication of research in multiple journals or primary publications is unacceptable. Consequently, authors should refrain from submitting manuscripts that have already been published elsewhere. Concurrently submitting a manuscript to more than one journal is also considered unethical publishing behavior.

Exceptions may be made for certain types of articles, such as clinical guidelines or translations, which may be published in multiple journals under specific conditions. In such cases, authors and editors of the concerned journals must agree to the secondary publication, ensuring it presents the same data and interpretation as the primary document. The primary reference must be cited in the secondary publication.

Authorship of the manuscript

To be listed as an author, an individual must meet specific criteria, taking public responsibility for the manuscript's content.

These criteria include:

• significant contributions to the study's conception, design, execution, or data analysis;
• drafting or critically revising the manuscript for intellectual content; and
• approving the final version and agreeing to its publication.

Individuals who contributed substantially to the work, such as providing technical help or editing assistance, but do not meet the authorship criteria, should not be listed as authors. Instead, they should be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgments" section, provided they have given written permission to be named. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the author list, verifying that all co-authors have approved the final manuscript, and agreed to its submission for publication.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence their research results or interpretation as early as possible, typically by submitting a disclosure form at the time of submission and including a statement in the manuscript. This includes financial conflicts, such as funding, honoraria, or stock ownership, as well as non-financial conflicts, like personal relationships or affiliations. Additionally, authors must reveal all sources of financial support for their work, including grant numbers or other reference numbers, to ensure transparency and credibility.

Acknowledgment of sources

Authors must accurately acknowledge the contributions of others and cite influential publications that shaped their reported work. When using privately obtained information, such as conversations or correspondence, authors must obtain explicit, written permission from the source. Additionally, authors should refrain from using confidential information gained while providing services like manuscript refereeing or grant reviewing, unless they have received explicit written permission from the relevant authors.

Hazards and human or animal subjects

When a study involves hazardous materials, procedures, or equipment, authors must clearly highlight these risks in the manuscript. For research involving animals or human subjects, authors must ensure compliance with relevant laws, institutional guidelines, and committee approvals. The manuscript should include a statement confirming this compliance and, in the case of human subjects, a declaration that informed consent was obtained. Furthermore, authors must guarantee that the privacy rights of human participants are always respected and protected.

Peer review

Authors have a responsibility to actively participate in the peer review process. They must promptly respond to editorial requests, providing raw data, clarifications, ethics approval documentation, patient consents, and copyright permissions as needed. When revisions are requested, authors should address reviewers' comments systematically and in a timely manner, revising and resubmitting their manuscript by the specified deadline.

Fundamental errors in published works

Authors have a responsibility to notify the journal's editors or publisher immediately upon discovering significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work. They must cooperate to correct the paper through an erratum or retract it, if necessary. Similarly, if errors are brought to the attention of the editors or publisher by a third party, authors must promptly correct or retract the paper, or provide evidence supporting the paper's accuracy. Detailed guidelines for retracting or correcting articles are available here .