Authorship

According to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations, individuals who meet the following four criteria should be recognized as authors:

1. Substantial Contributions: The individual must have made significant contributions to the conception or design of the study, or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data. This ensures that each author has played a key role in the foundational aspects of the research.
2. Manuscript Drafting: The individual must have been involved in drafting the manuscript or in revising it critically for important intellectual content. This criterion ensures that authors have actively participated in shaping the final output of the research, not just in the data collection phase.
3. Final Approval: The individual must provide final approval of the version to be published. This guarantees that all authors are in agreement with the content and conclusions of the manuscript before it is submitted for publication.
4. Accountability: The individual must agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that any questions regarding the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. This criterion emphasizes the ethical responsibility of each author to uphold the integrity of the research.

Adherence to Guidelines

Authors must strictly adhere to the manuscript preparation guidelines provided by the journal. They should also be well-informed about the peer-review process, understanding the steps involved and the criteria used for evaluating their manuscript.

Permission and Copyright

Authors are responsible for securing permissions from copyright holders when necessary. They must ensure that the use of images, data, and illustrations in their manuscripts does not violate copyright laws. If a copyright infringement is identified in a published article, the corresponding author will be notified and must resolve the issue with the copyright holder. This includes obtaining necessary permissions for reusing third-party materials.

Research and Data Integrity

Authors are accountable for ensuring that their research is conducted ethically. Data should be collected and analyzed using appropriate scientific methods, and the results should be interpreted accurately. Authors must be ready to provide raw data to reviewers upon request to verify the study’s findings and methodology.

Acknowledgments

Authors should give proper acknowledgment to colleagues, institutions, and funding sources that contributed to the research. This includes recognizing those who provided significant support or resources but do not meet the criteria for authorship.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the research or its interpretation. Full transparency regarding any financial or personal relationships that could be seen as a conflict of interest is required. Detailed information on conflicts of interest can be found here.

Withdrawal

Authors can withdraw their manuscript at any stage before the production of the first PDF. Once the first PDF is produced, manuscripts can only be withdrawn if there is substantial evidence of scientific misconduct. If authors insist on retracting the manuscript for reasons other than scientific misconduct after the PDF is produced, they will be required to pay the full publishing fee. Additionally, withdrawing a manuscript after the PDF production incurs extra costs due to necessary reconfigurations of the journal’s issues and page arrangements.