Publication Ethics and Malpractice Policy

Effective date: 22/02/2026

AIDSAE is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics and safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record. This policy outlines ethical responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher, and explains how AIDSAE handles suspected misconduct and malpractice.

1) Core Principles

AIDSAE is guided by internationally recognized best practices for research integrity and responsible publishing. We aim to ensure:

  • honesty and accuracy in reporting research
  • fair and unbiased editorial decisions
  • confidentiality in peer review
  • transparency in funding, conflicts, and methods
  • accountability for corrections when errors occur

2) Author Responsibilities

2.1 Originality and integrity

Authors must ensure that submissions are original and that all sources are properly cited. Authors must not engage in:

  • plagiarism (including mosaic plagiarism and self-plagiarism without disclosure)
  • duplicate submission or redundant publication
  • fabricated or falsified data, results, images, or analyses
  • manipulated figures or misleading visualizations
  • invented or irrelevant citations

2.2 Authorship and contributorship

Authorship should reflect substantial contributions. Authors must:

  • list only those who meet authorship criteria
  • avoid gift/guest authorship and ghost authorship
  • ensure all authors approve the final manuscript and submission
  • acknowledge contributors who do not meet authorship criteria

AIDSAE may request an author contribution statement.

2.3 Data access, transparency, and reproducibility

Because AIDSAE publishes applied AI and data science, authors must provide sufficient detail to allow independent understanding and audit. Manuscripts must include:

  • dataset provenance and access conditions
  • preprocessing steps and model development details
  • validation design, baseline comparators, and evaluation metrics
  • leakage safeguards and error analysis
  • a Data, Code & Reproducibility Statement

Where data/code cannot be shared (e.g., sensitive health data), authors must explain restrictions and provide reproducibility in principle.

2.4 Ethical approval, consent, and privacy

Where applicable, authors must provide:

  • ethics approval committee name and reference/ID
  • consent procedures (or justified waiver)
  • privacy safeguards for sensitive data
  • permissions for third-party data, images, or copyrighted materials

2.5 Conflicts of interest and funding disclosure

Authors must disclose:

  • conflicts of interest (financial, professional, personal)
  • funding sources and the role of funders

2.6 Use of AI tools (disclosure and accountability)

Authors remain fully responsible for the manuscript’s content. AI tools may be used for language editing or minor assistance, but must not be used to fabricate results or references. Where AI tools meaningfully contributed to writing, coding, analysis, or figure generation, authors must disclose this use.

3) Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must:

  • treat manuscripts and communications as confidential
  • declare conflicts of interest and decline where conflicts exist
  • provide objective, respectful, evidence-based reviews
  • avoid using unpublished information for personal advantage
  • report concerns to editors (e.g., plagiarism, duplication, data leakage, ethical issues) via confidential comments

4) Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for:

  • making publication decisions based on merit, scope, clarity, and integrity
  • ensuring a fair double-blind peer review process
  • maintaining confidentiality and protecting reviewer anonymity
  • managing conflicts of interest (recusal where necessary)
  • acting on suspected misconduct consistently and transparently
  • ensuring corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions are issued when warranted

Editorial decisions are not influenced by authors’ nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, seniority, or ability to pay. APCs are payable only after acceptance and do not affect peer review.

5) Publisher Responsibilities

EcoScribe Publishers Company Limited supports AIDSAE by:

  • ensuring editorial independence
  • maintaining a secure and functional journal platform
  • supporting archiving, indexing, and preservation practices
  • facilitating ethical investigations and publication of corrections/retractions when needed

6) Research Misconduct and Malpractice (What AIDSAE Investigates)

AIDSAE will investigate concerns including:

  • plagiarism and excessive unattributed overlap
  • duplicate submission/redundant publication
  • data fabrication or falsification
  • image manipulation or misleading presentation
  • citation manipulation (coercive or irrelevant citations)
  • authorship disputes or undisclosed ghostwriting
  • unethical research or missing ethics approvals
  • improper use of AI tools (invented references, fabricated results, unverifiable claims)
  • peer review manipulation (fake reviewers, fabricated reviews, undisclosed reviewer identity)

7) Handling Allegations and Investigations

When concerns are raised before or after publication, AIDSAE may:

  1. conduct an initial assessment (editorial review of evidence)
  2. contact the corresponding author for an explanation and supporting documentation
  3. consult reviewers, editorial board members, or external experts where necessary
  4. request raw data, code, logs, ethics approvals, or permissions to verify claims
  5. pause peer review or production until concerns are resolved

Authors are expected to cooperate and provide clarifications within a reasonable timeframe.

8) Outcomes and Editorial Actions

Depending on the seriousness and evidence, AIDSAE may take one or more actions:

8.1 Pre-publication actions

  • request corrections and proper citations
  • require additional documentation or methodological detail
  • reject the manuscript (desk reject or post-review reject)
  • notify relevant parties where appropriate (e.g., institutions, funders)

8.2 Post-publication actions

  • Correction (for honest errors that do not invalidate the main findings)
  • Expression of Concern (when serious concerns are under investigation)
  • Retraction (when findings are unreliable due to misconduct or major error)
  • publication of editorial notes linked to the article

Retractions and notices remain permanently part of the scholarly record and are linked to the article.

9) Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal decisions by providing a clear, evidence-based rationale. Appeals are handled by senior editorial leadership and may involve additional consultation. Complaints about ethical issues or editorial process may be submitted to the editorial office and will be handled confidentially and fairly.

10) Confidentiality and Data Protection

AIDSAE treats manuscripts, reviewer reports, and editorial communications as confidential. Personal data is processed according to the AIDSAE Privacy Policy.

11) Corrections to the Scholarly Record

AIDSAE supports the integrity of the scholarly record. Authors should notify the editorial office promptly if significant errors are discovered after publication. Where appropriate, AIDSAE will issue corrections or retractions following due process.

12) Contact

To report ethical concerns or request clarification of this policy, contact:
AIDSAE Editorial Office: editorialoffice@ecoscribepublishers.com