Policies

AUIQ Press, powered by Al-Ayen Iraqi University (AUIQ) and hosted by Digital Commons Elsevier, is a scholarly publishing house that hosts multiple academic journals. The following policies outline the ethical, legal, and editorial standards upheld across all AUIQ Press journals. AUIQ Press adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, endorses the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations for the conduct and reporting of scholarly work (especially in medical journals), and follows Good Publication Practice (GPP3) principles on authorship. Submission of a manuscript to an AUIQ Press journal implies that all authors have read and agreed to these policies and that the manuscript conforms to the stated guidelines.

Affiliations

You and your co-authors must list all relevant affiliations to indicate where the research or scholarly work was approved, supported, and/or conducted. Affiliations should accurately reflect where the study was carried out or, for non-research articles, where the author(s) were based at the time of submission. Misrepresentation of affiliation is considered misconduct. AUIQ Press will address such cases by contacting all relevant institutions to assist with the investigation.

Appeals and Complaints

AUIQ Press follows COPE guidelines on appeals to editorial decisions and complaints about a journal’s management of the peer review process. Genuine appeals to an editor’s decision are welcome, but you must provide strong evidence or new information addressing the editor’s and reviewers’ comments. This is especially important given that most AUIQ Press articles are reviews or original research that rely on accurate data.

For opinion-based articles (e.g. viewpoints, perspectives), an appeal is unlikely to overturn an editorial decision, since readability and relevance (along with evidence and references) are primary considerations. In all cases, opinion pieces should remain evidence-based and fully referenced, explaining how the evidence supports the author’s viewpoint.

Editors do not expect frequent appeals and rarely reverse their original decisions. If your manuscript is rejected, it is usually advisable to submit to another journal. Often a rejection involves the editor’s judgment of the work’s priority or importance—factors that cannot typically be addressed via appeal. However, if you believe a genuine appeal is warranted, please follow the prescribed appeal procedure in the decision letter.

Acknowledgements

Individuals who contributed to the development of a manuscript but do not qualify as authors should be acknowledged. This includes people who provided general supervision, funding acquisition, study design, data collection, data analysis, technical assistance, writing or formatting help, or scholarly discussions that influenced the work. Such contributors should be named (with affiliations) in an Acknowledgements section. It is the responsibility of the authors to obtain permission from anyone they wish to list in this section. Those being acknowledged should be shown the manuscript to verify the context of their contribution.

Groups of persons who contributed materially to the article, but whose contributions do not justify authorship, may be collectively acknowledged (e.g. as “clinical investigators” or “participating investigators”), with a description of their roles (for example, “served as scientific advisors,” “critically reviewed the study proposal,” “collected data,” or “provided and cared for study patients”). Because readers might infer such individuals’ endorsement of the data and conclusions, these contributors must give written permission to be acknowledged.

Use of AI Tools: If any AI or technical tool (e.g. a large language model) was used to generate content or assist in writing, this must be clearly acknowledged in the manuscript. Authors are responsible for the validity, originality, and integrity of their content, even when using these tools, and must use them in accordance with our authorship and publishing ethics policies.

Authorship

Listing authors’ names on an article gives credit to those who made significant contributions to the work and indicates who is responsible for the integrity of the content. Every author listed on an article must meet all of the following criteria:

Substantial Contributions: Each author should have made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work.
Manuscript Drafting/Revising: Each author should have been involved in drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content.
Final Approval: Each author must approve the final version of the manuscript to be published.
Accountability: Each author must agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Participation solely in the acquisition of funding or the collection of data does not justify authorship, nor does general supervision of a research group. Each author should participate sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for at least a portion of its content. The order of authors should be based on each person’s relative contribution to the research and writing. Once the manuscript is submitted, the order of authorship should not be changed without written consent from all co-authors.

Authorship changes: Changes in authorship (such as adding or removing authors or changing the order of authors) after submission are not permitted in the majority of cases, especially after acceptance. In rare cases where a change is warranted, the corresponding author must provide the Editor-in-Chief with: (a) an explanation for the change, and (b) written confirmation from all authors (including any being added or removed) that they agree to the change. The decision to accept an authorship change is at the Editor-in-Chief’s discretion.

If an author’s affiliation changes during or after the research, the current affiliation should be listed in the manuscript (and, if appropriate, the previous affiliation can be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements at copy-editing stage).

AUIQ Press generally does not impose a strict maximum number of authors for articles. The number of authors should reflect those who have made significant contributions to the work. If an unusually large number of authors is listed, the contributions of each should be clearly explained (see Contribution Details below).

Contribution Details

Authors must provide a brief description of each author’s specific contributions to the research and manuscript. This can be done using a contributor roles statement, divided into categories such as:

Conceptualization (ideas; formulation or evolution of overarching research goals and aims)
Methodology (development or design of methodology; creation of models)
Software (programming, software development; designing computer programs; implementation of the computer code and supporting algorithms)
Validation (verification, whether as a part of the activity or separate, of the overall replication/reproducibility of results/experiments)
Formal Analysis (application of statistical, mathematical, computational, or other formal techniques to analyse study data)
Investigation (conducting the research and investigation process, specifically performing experiments or data collection)
Resources (provision of study materials, reagents, materials, patients, laboratory samples, instrumentation, computing resources, or other analysis tools)
Data Curation (management activities to annotate (produce metadata), scrub data, and maintain research data for initial use and later re-use)
Writing – Original Draft (preparing the initial draft of the manuscript, including substantive translation)
Writing – Review & Editing (preparing the revised version of the paper by incorporating critical review, commentary, or revision at any stage)
Visualization (preparation, creation and/or presentation of the published work, specifically visualization/data presentation)
Supervision (oversight and leadership responsibility for the research activity planning and execution, including mentorship external to the core team)
Project Administration (management and coordination responsibility for the research activity planning and execution)
Funding Acquisition (acquisition of financial support for the project leading to this publication)

These contributions will be published with the article. One or more authors should be identified as guarantor(s) of the work, meaning they take responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole, from inception to published article.

Citations

All articles (whether original research or other scholarly work) must cite relevant, up-to-date, and verified literature (peer-reviewed, where appropriate) to support any claims or statements. Avoid excessive or inappropriate self-citation and avoid any agreements with other authors to cite each other’s work with the primary aim of boosting citation counts—this is considered citation manipulation, a form of misconduct. (See COPE guidance on citation manipulation for more information.)

For non-research articles (e.g. Review articles or Opinion pieces), ensure that the references provide a fair and balanced overview of the current state of knowledge on the topic. Do not unfairly bias citations toward any particular author, group, institution, or journal. If you are unsure about whether a source is appropriate to cite, contact the journal’s editorial office for advice.

Conflicts of Interest

You and all co-authors must declare any competing interests that are relevant to the submitted article (or that could be perceived as relevant).

A competing interest is any financial, commercial, legal, personal, or professional relationship with other organizations or people that could influence (or appear to influence) the research or interpretations of the work. This includes situations involving your employer, sponsor, or close family members.
Competing interests can be financial or non-financial. For transparency, also declare any non-financial associations that others might perceive as a conflict (for example, unpaid advisory roles, membership in advocacy groups, personal relationships with individuals involved, etc.).
All competing interests should be disclosed in the manuscript (often in a dedicated Conflicts of Interest section). If there are none, the authors should explicitly state that there are no conflicts to declare.

Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

After an article is published, it may occasionally be necessary to correct the record. AUIQ Press handles post-publication changes in accordance with COPE guidelines to ensure transparency and integrity of the scholarly record. Depending on the situation, the following mechanisms may be used, with a notice linked to the original article:

Correction: For minor or major errors that do not invalidate the findings but need amendment (e.g. author name misspellings, factual errors, formatting issues).
Expression of Concern: Used in rare cases when there are serious unresolved concerns or investigations regarding the article’s integrity, but the information available is insufficient for a retraction.
Retraction: Issued if the article is seriously flawed or fraudulent (e.g. data fabrication, plagiarism, ethical violations) such that its findings or integrity are invalidated.
Removal: Used only in extremely rare circumstances (e.g. legal issues, such as libel or court order) where an article must be completely removed from the journal.

All such notices are permanently linked to the original article (which remains on the site in the case of corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions, with a watermark or header indicating its status). The purpose of these mechanisms is to maintain the integrity of the academic record.

Consent for Publication of Identifiable Data

For any manuscript that includes details, images, or videos relating to an identifiable individual (for example, a case study of a patient, or a recognizable image of a person), written informed consent for publication must be obtained from that person or their legal guardian. If the individual is a minor (under 18) or unable to consent, consent should be obtained from a parent or legal guardian. If the individual is deceased, consent must be obtained from the next of kin or estate.

The consent should explicitly permit publication under an Open Access license (such as CC BY 4.0), which means the details/images will be freely available online and could be seen by the general public. Authors should state in the manuscript that “written informed consent for publication was obtained from the person (or guardian)”, or explain if an ethics committee waived the requirement for written consent (for example, some survey-based studies may allow verbal consent, with appropriate ethics approval).

Authors may use a standard consent form (for example, the form provided by their institution or publisher) to document consent for publication. A copy of the signed consent form should be retained and must be provided to the Editor or editorial office if requested (it will be kept confidential). Manuscripts will not be accepted if they contain identifiable personal data without proper consent.

Confidentiality

A submitted manuscript is handled as a confidential document. AUIQ Press will not disclose submitted manuscripts to anyone except those directly involved in the editorial process. This includes editorial staff, editors, and invited peer reviewers (who are likewise expected to maintain confidentiality). Reviewers must not share the manuscript with others without permission from the editor.

Unpublished materials from a manuscript under review must not be used or disclosed by editors or reviewers for any personal or research advantage. In cases of suspected misconduct, AUIQ Press may share the manuscript (and related information) with appropriate authorities or committees (for example, institutional ethics committees or other journals’ editors) as part of an investigation, following applicable COPE flowcharts and guidelines.

Copyright Policy

AUIQ Press journals are Open Access and operate under clear copyright and licensing terms.

Who Can Submit?

Any author may submit an original manuscript for consideration, provided that they either own the copyright to the work or are authorized by the copyright owner(s) to submit it. In most cases, the authors of a research work are the initial copyright holders. (An exception may occur if authors have, as a condition of employment or contract, already transferred copyright to their employer or another entity—such situations must be handled according to the employer’s policies, and proper authorization to submit must be obtained.)

User Rights

All AUIQ Press journals provide immediate open access to their content. Users (readers) have the right to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles under the terms of the applicable Creative Commons license. Unless otherwise specified, articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence, which allows readers to use the material for non-commercial purposes as long as the original author and source are credited, and no modifications or derivatives are made. A copyright notice with the licensing terms is embedded in each published article.

Open Access Policy

AUIQ Press is committed to open access publishing. Articles are published under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence (as noted above), which permits non-commercial reuse (for example, downloading, sharing and printing copies for research or educational purposes), provided proper attribution is given to the original author(s) and source, and the content is not altered. By providing immediate open access to content, AUIQ Press supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Author Rights

AUIQ Press uses a non-exclusive licensing agreement with authors. This means that while authors assign copyright to Al-Ayen Iraqi University (the parent institution of AUIQ Press) for the purpose of publication and distribution, authors retain significant rights to their work. For instance, authors typically have the right to reuse their content in future works, share the work in institutional repositories or personal websites, and so on, as long as proper attribution to the original publication in the AUIQ Press journal is given. (Specific terms will be outlined in the author agreement or license upon acceptance.) In essence, authors grant AUIQ Press the rights to publish and disseminate the work, alongside the right for Al-Ayen Iraqi University to manage distribution, while still being credited as the creators and able to use their work in permissible ways.

Copyright Infringement

AUIQ Press does not tolerate copyright infringement. Authors must ensure that any third-party material (e.g., figures, tables, or extended text excerpts) included in their manuscript is either in the public domain, available under a suitable open license, or used with explicit permission from the copyright holder. Any manuscript found to contain copyrighted material used without permission or beyond fair use will be considered in violation of these policies. Such infringement can lead to rejection of the submission, and if discovered after publication, may result in retraction of the article and further action as appropriate.

Data Falsification and Fabrication

Deliberate manipulation or fabrication of data is a serious form of misconduct. Data falsification (e.g., adjusting data or results improperly) and data fabrication (making up data or experiments) are unethical and harm the integrity of the scholarly record. Authors must ensure that all data in their manuscript are accurate and honestly reported.

When submitting a manuscript to an AUIQ Press journal, authors are expected to retain the raw data and records associated with their study. During peer review or even after publication, authors may be asked to provide raw data or documentation to verify the results. If authors cannot produce the original data upon request, the manuscript may be rejected or, if already published, the paper may be retracted.

Desk Rejection Policy

Before peer review, submissions are evaluated by the editorial team. A manuscript may be desk-rejected (rejected without external peer review) for reasons including, but not limited to:

Out of Scope: The topic or scope of the study is not relevant to the journal’s field or aims.
Ethics/Guidelines Violations: There are clear publication ethics issues (e.g., plagiarism above 20% similarity, evident non-compliance with standard ethical guidelines, etc.).
Lack of Novelty/Impact: The topic lacks sufficient impact or does not contribute new knowledge to the field.
Flawed Study Design: There are evident, fundamental flaws in the study design or methodology.
Poor Organization or Missing Components: The study is poorly organized or certain key components of the manuscript are missing.
Language and Grammar Issues: The manuscript is written poorly or has serious grammatical and stylistic problems that hinder understanding.
Guideline Non-compliance: The manuscript does not adhere to the journal’s submission guidelines (e.g., missing required sections, improper format, excessive length, etc.).

If your manuscript is desk-rejected, the decision letter may briefly indicate the reason (or multiple reasons). Ensuring that your submission fits the journal’s scope and meets basic quality and ethical standards will improve the chances of it being sent for peer review.

Duplicate Submission / Publication

Authors must certify upon submission that their manuscript is not under consideration by another journal and that it has not been previously published. Submitting the same (or essentially the same) work to more than one journal at the same time is unethical and is considered a deliberate act of misconduct.

This policy also applies to articles previously published in another language. If an author wishes to publish a translated version of an article that has already appeared elsewhere, this constitutes a secondary publication and is only acceptable under specific conditions: (a) the author has obtained permission from the original publisher/copyright holder, (b) the journal editor is informed about the prior publication and its details, (c) the original publication is properly cited in the secondary publication, and (d) readers are clearly informed that the new article is a translated (or otherwise derived) version of previously published work. These conditions are in line with ICMJE guidelines on acceptable secondary publication.

In summary, duplicate submission/publication (in the absence of transparency and permission as described) is not allowed. If a duplicate submission or undisclosed prior publication is discovered, the manuscript will be rejected (or retracted if already published), and the authors’ institutions may be notified.

Funding Disclosure

Authors are required to disclose all sources of funding for the work in their manuscript. This includes any financial support, grants, or sponsorship received from institutions, agencies, or companies. The role of the funder should also be disclosed: for example, whether the funder had any influence on the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation of data, or the decision to publish. If the funding source had no such involvement, the authors should explicitly state that (e.g., “The sponsor had no role in the design, execution, interpretation, or writing of the study.”).

Providing clear funding information ensures transparency and allows readers to be aware of potential influences or conflicts of interest related to funding.

Images and Figures

Authors should use images and figures only when they are relevant and add value to the article. All images and figures must be used ethically:

Anonymity and Privacy: Images (including photographs, radiographs, etc.) that could reveal a patient’s or participant’s identity should only be used if absolutely essential for scientific purposes and if the patient/participant (or their next of kin/guardian, as appropriate) has given explicit consent for publication. If there is any identifying detail, authors must obtain written Consent to Publish from the individual. As a general precaution, authors should remove or obscure any identifying information (names, faces, personal details) in images, unless it is scientifically necessary to show and consent has been obtained.
Cultural Sensitivity: Be mindful of cultural or ethical sensitivities when including certain images. For example, images of human remains or deceased individuals may be inappropriate or offensive in some cultures. Authors should ensure that any such images are crucial to the research and that necessary approvals or considerations have been addressed (including consultation with relevant community or ethical bodies).
Image Integrity: Experimental images (such as microscopy photos, gels/blots, etc.) should reflect the original data. If images have been modified or enhanced (for instance, adjusted for brightness or contrast, cropped, or annotated), this must be explicitly stated in both the manuscript text and the figure legend. The nature of the modification should be described (e.g., “image brightness increased to improve visibility”). No modification is allowed if it misleads the reader or alters the scientific interpretation. Authors should retain the original, unedited images and be prepared to supply them if requested by editors for verification.
Permissible Enhancements: Only minor adjustments uniformly applied to the entire image (such as uniformly adjusting brightness or contrast) are allowed. Selective enhancement or alteration of specific image features is not permitted. If any doubt exists, err on the side of disclosure—explain how the image was processed.
Image Availability: Authors should be ready to provide original, uncropped and unprocessed image files to the editorial office on request. Failure to provide original data when asked can result in rejection or retraction if the integrity of the image data is in question.
Use of Third-Party Images: If you include an image, figure, table, or any material that has been previously published or created by someone else, you must have the appropriate permission in writing from the copyright owner (unless the material is public domain or available under a license that permits reuse, such as certain Creative Commons licenses). You must also cite the original source in the figure legend or appropriate caption, even if permission is obtained or the material is license-free. The figure legend should clearly indicate, for example, “Reproduced with permission from [source citation].”

By adhering to these guidelines, authors ensure that images and figures in AUIQ Press publications are both legally compliant and scientifically trustworthy.

Misconduct

AUIQ Press takes all forms of research and publication misconduct very seriously. Any activities that compromise the integrity of the research process or the scholarly record are considered misconduct. We will act in accordance with COPE guidelines to investigate and address any allegations of misconduct. This could involve contacting authors’ institutions, funding agencies, or other journals, as necessary.

Examples of misconduct include (but are not limited to):

Affiliation misrepresentation: Incorrectly or misleadingly claiming an affiliation that is not true or not appropriate.
Copyright breaches: Using third-party material (text, images, data) without proper permission or in violation of copyright.
Citation manipulation: Adding references for the primary purpose of boosting citations for a particular author or journal (rather than to credit relevant work).
Duplicate submission/publication: Submitting or publishing the same work (or very similar work) in more than one place without transparency (see Duplicate Submission section above).
“Ethics dumping”: Exploiting less strict ethical standards or regulations in a different country or setting for the sake of research, in a way that wouldn’t be permitted in the researcher’s own country or by international standards.
Image or data fabrication/manipulation: Altering images (e.g., micrographs, gels) or data in a deceptive manner; fabricating data points; manipulating figures to misrepresent results.
Peer review manipulation: Examples include authors arranging fraudulent peer review (such as suggesting fake reviewer identities that they control), or reviewers using information obtained through peer review for personal gain or sabotaging competitors.
Plagiarism: Using others’ words, ideas, or results without appropriate credit. This includes verbatim copying as well as close paraphrasing of text, and it extends to self-plagiarism (publishing one’s own previously published text as if it were new).
Text-recycling (self-plagiarism): Reusing substantial parts of one’s own published work (text or results) in a new publication without proper citation or acknowledgment of the original source.
Undisclosed competing interests: Failing to reveal conflicts of interest that could bias the work.
Unethical research: Conducting research in ways that violate accepted ethical standards (e.g., inhumane treatment of research subjects, lack of informed consent, violating biosafety or biosecurity protocols).
Ghost, guest, or gift authorship: See below; all forms of improper authorship attribution are unethical.

If misconduct is confirmed (or strongly suspected with evidence), AUIQ Press will take appropriate action. This may include rejection of the manuscript, retraction of a published paper, and notification of relevant parties (such as the authors’ institutions or funding bodies). We follow COPE flowcharts to ensure due process and fairness in investigations.

Duplicate Submission (Misconduct Consequences)

If a manuscript is found to have been published elsewhere or to be under active consideration by another journal at the same time, this is treated as a case of duplicate submission. Such behavior may result in immediate rejection of the manuscript. If the duplicate submission is discovered after publication, the article will be retracted. In addition, AUIQ Press may impose sanctions on the authors (for example, a ban on new submissions for a certain period) and will inform the authors’ institution(s) about the misconduct.

If authors have legitimately reused portions of their prior work (for example, an extended conference abstract developed into a full paper), they must clearly cite the previous work and explain how the new submission offers novel content beyond the earlier publication. Failing to do so can also be regarded as self-plagiarism or redundant publication.

Citation Manipulation

If a submitted manuscript is found to include citations primarily added to increase the number of references to a particular author’s work or to articles in a specific journal (without clear relevance to the content), this will be viewed as citation manipulation. Such manuscripts will be scrutinized and may be rejected. Authors and reviewers should not attempt to influence citation metrics inappropriately. Any coercion to add superfluous citations (whether by editors, reviewers, or co-authors) should be reported to AUIQ Press management.

Data Fabrication and Falsification

If a manuscript is discovered to contain fabricated data (invented data or experiments that never happened) or falsified data (data that has been altered, omitted, or manipulated to mislead), the submission will be rejected outright. If the paper has already been published, it will be retracted. AUIQ Press may also notify the authors’ home institutions and funding agencies of the findings. We expect authors to be prepared to produce raw data during peer review or post-publication if questions arise about the veracity of the results.

Improper Author Contribution or Attribution

All listed authors must have made a significant scientific or scholarly contribution to the work and must approve of the manuscript and its findings. “Gift” authorship (listing an author who did not contribute significantly) and “ghost” authorship (omitting someone who did contribute significantly, or using someone to write the paper without acknowledging their role) are unacceptable (see below). Authors should include everyone who made an important contribution (including students, lab technicians, etc.), either as authors or in the Acknowledgements. Conversely, nobody should be listed as an author if they did not contribute to the work or draft of the paper.

If any concerns arise about authorship (e.g., an author was included who did not contribute, or a key contributor was left off), AUIQ Press will investigate and may require explanation and/or corrections (such as an authorship correction or notice of concern). Severe cases may lead to rejection or retraction.

Redundant Publication

Redundant publication (also known as salami slicing) refers to the practice of unjustifiably splitting one study into multiple papers. For example, publishing the same data or results in multiple papers with only slight differences or minor additions. This is a form of misconduct if done to artificially increase one’s publication count. If redundant publications are identified, we may reject the submission or retract the published articles. Authors should strive to combine results into one significant paper rather than many small, repetitive ones, unless there is a clear, legitimate reason for separate publications (which should be explained and cross-referenced).

Image Manipulation

As noted in the Images and Figures section, manipulation of images to mislead (beyond appropriate adjustments for clarity) is misconduct. For instance, splicing together different parts of a gel or micrograph to present as a single image, altering an image to obscure or highlight certain data, or duplicating images across figures without disclosure are all serious ethical violations. Any detected inappropriate image manipulation will be treated as falsification of data. The manuscript will be rejected or paper retracted, and authors may be sanctioned. AUIQ Press uses image screening tools and careful editorial review to detect such issues, and we expect authors to be honest about any adjustments made to images.

Ghost, Guest, or Gift Authorship

Ghost authorship refers to not crediting someone who did make a substantial contribution (often someone who wrote or helped write the paper, such as a professional medical writer, when this is not acknowledged). Guest authorship (or honorary authorship) means listing someone as an author who did not contribute significantly, often to leverage their reputation. Gift authorship is similar, typically done as a favor or in exchange for something, rather than because of contribution.

All these practices are unethical. Authorship must reflect actual work done. AUIQ Press expects transparency in authorship. If we suspect ghost, guest, or gift authorship, we will follow COPE guidelines in investigating. This may include requesting a detailed description of each author’s contributions, contacting authors’ institutions, or requiring written statements from authors. Proven cases may result in rejection or retraction, and notification to institutions.

Publication Ethics and Responsibilities

Duties of Editors

Publication Decisions: The editorial board of each AUIQ Press journal is responsible for deciding which submitted articles will be published. Editors base their decisions on the manuscript’s quality, originality, relevance to the journal’s scope, and the reviewers’ recommendations. They also take into account legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. An editor’s decision to accept or reject a paper is not influenced by the authors’ nationality, ethnicity, political beliefs, race, religion, or gender.

Confidentiality: Editors (and editorial staff) must treat all submissions as confidential. They must not disclose information about a manuscript to anyone outside of the review process. The only people who may be told are those involved in the evaluation (e.g., reviewers, other editorial board members) and, if necessary, the publisher. Unpublished material from a submission must not be used in an editor’s or reviewer’s own research without express written consent from the author.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Editors should recuse themselves (i.e., delegate handling of a manuscript to a qualified colleague) if they have any conflicts of interest with a submission (for example, if they have a close collaboration or financial ties with one of the authors, or if they work at the same institution). Editors will ask peer reviewers to disclose potential conflicts of interest as well. Additionally, editors ensure that, if the research was funded, the funding source and its role are disclosed in the publication.

Fair and Unbiased Process: Editors must ensure that the peer review process is fair, unbiased, and timely. AUIQ Press has policies for handling submissions from an editor or editorial board member to ensure they do not influence the process for their own paper (typically by having another editor handle that manuscript independently). Editorial decisions should be based on the importance, originality, and clarity of the manuscript, and its relevance to the journal, not on personal or commercial factors.

Reviewer Selection and Relations: Editors choose appropriate experts as reviewers who can provide an objective and knowledgeable assessment of the work. They should avoid selecting reviewers with obvious potential biases (e.g., close collaborators or competitors of the authors, if known). Editors encourage reviewers to comment on ethical aspects of the work (such as whether there might be unethical practices or plagiarism). Editors are expected to remove or refrain from using reviewers who consistently deliver discourteous, poor quality, or late reviews. The contributions of diligent reviewers are acknowledged (e.g., through acknowledgments in the journal or reviewer appreciation initiatives).

Quality Assurance: Editors should take all reasonable steps to assure the quality of the publications. If errors or misleading statements are found, editors should facilitate publication of corrections or retractions as needed (see the section on Corrections and Retractions). They should only accept papers when reasonably certain of their validity. If questions of misconduct arise, editors will investigate (often in collaboration with the publisher and the authors’ institutions) according to COPE guidelines.

Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to Decisions: Peer reviewers assist editors in making publication decisions and, through their feedback, may help authors improve their manuscripts. Reviews should be conducted objectively and the feedback given constructively and politely. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate; critiques should focus on the work itself.

Promptness: If a reviewer feels unqualified to assess the research in a manuscript, or knows that they cannot complete the review promptly, they should inform the editor and decline the review invitation. Timeliness is important in peer review; if a reviewer agrees to review, they should strive to do so within the requested time frame or communicate with the journal if an extension is needed.

Confidentiality: Any manuscript received for review must be treated as a confidential document. Reviewers must not share the manuscript or discuss its content with others, except if necessary and with permission (for instance, if a reviewer needs to consult a colleague for specific expertise, they should ask the editor first). The manuscript should not be retained or copied; and reviewers must not use any unpublished data or interpretations from the manuscript for their own advantage.

Objectivity and Ethical Issues: Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts objectively and give clear arguments for their recommendations. They are encouraged to comment on ethical aspects—such as whether the research involved ethical treatment of subjects, or if they suspect plagiarism, duplicate publication, or data fabrication. If a reviewer identifies a significant similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and another published work (or another submission they are aware of), they should alert the editor with details.

Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should check that authors have cited relevant previously published work. If important papers are missing from the references, reviewers should inform the authors (via the review comments) which references are needed. However, reviewers should not ask authors to add citations to the reviewer’s (or their friends’) work unless genuinely necessary for scholarly completeness—excessive self-citation demands are considered unethical.

Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must recuse themselves if they have any conflicts of interest with the manuscript or authors. This includes financial ties, personal relationships, academic competition, or collaboration with any author. If in doubt, the reviewer should inform the editor about the potential conflict so the editor can decide whether it’s appropriate for the review to proceed.

Duties of Authors

Reporting Standards: Authors of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed and the results, followed by an objective discussion of the significance. The manuscript should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work (when applicable). Knowingly inaccurate or falsified statements are unethical. Underlying data should be represented truthfully. Authors may be asked to provide their raw data for editorial review and should be prepared to retain that data for a reasonable time after publication.

Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure their work is entirely original. If they have used the work or words of others, these must be properly cited or quoted. Plagiarism in any form (from copying text to appropriating results or ideas) is unacceptable. This also applies to self-plagiarism: authors should not recycle large parts of their own published work without attribution (for example, publishing the same analysis in two journals). If some overlap with prior work is unavoidable, it should be minimal and clearly referenced.

Concurrent Submission: Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time. Submitting a manuscript to multiple journals concurrently is unethical publishing behavior. Likewise, authors should not submit work that has been previously published (except as described under permissible secondary publication with disclosure).

Authorship of the Paper: All individuals who made a significant contribution to the work should be listed as co-authors. Conversely, no one who did not contribute significantly should be listed as an author. The corresponding author should ensure that: (a) all appropriate contributors are named as authors, (b) all listed authors have approved the final version of the paper, and (c) all authors agree to the manuscript’s submission. It is also the corresponding author’s responsibility to keep co-authors informed of the paper’s status and to involve them in responding to reviewers’ comments. Any individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged (with their permission) as described in the Acknowledgements section of these policies.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors should disclose any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might have influenced their results or interpretations. Examples include funding, stocks or shares in companies that might be affected by the research, consultancies, or personal relationships. All sources of financial support for the work should be disclosed in the manuscript (typically in a “Funding” or “Acknowledgments” section). If there are no conflicts, many journals require a statement to that effect (e.g., “The authors declare no competing interests.”).

Fundamental Errors: If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published article, it is their obligation to promptly notify the journal’s editor or publisher and cooperate to correct the paper. This may involve issuing an erratum (correction) or, in severe cases, a retraction. If a third party points out a possible error, the authors must respond promptly and provide retractions or corrections as needed.

Ethical Compliance: Authors must ensure that research involving human subjects, animals, or hazardous materials complies with all relevant laws and institutional guidelines. Approvals from ethics committees or institutional review boards (IRBs) should be obtained before the research is conducted, and a statement to this effect must be included in the manuscript (see below sections on research ethics). Authors should also obtain written informed consent for publication from human subjects if there is any identifiable information (see Protection of Privacy and Informed Consent below).

Peer Review Process: All manuscripts submitted to AUIQ Press journals undergo peer review, typically double-blind peer review (neither authors nor reviewers know each other’s identity) unless stated otherwise by the journal. The aim of peer review is to ensure the quality, validity, and relevance of the scholarly work.

Process: After an initial editorial assessment (and possible desk rejection if not suitable as per our Desk Rejection Policy), manuscripts that pass the initial screening are sent to at least two independent expert reviewers. The reviewers evaluate the manuscript and provide recommendations (e.g., accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject) along with comments for the authors and editors.

Editorial Decision: The editorial board (or handling editor) considers the reviewers’ feedback and makes a decision. The possible decisions include acceptance, revision (with authors required to address the reviewers’ comments), or rejection. The handling editor may integrate the advice of multiple reviewers and their own reading of the manuscript in making a decision. In cases where reviewers’ opinions diverge significantly, a third reviewer may be consulted, or an editorial board discussion may be held.

Revision and Re-review: If a manuscript is invited for revision, the authors should address all points raised by reviewers (and editors) in a response letter and make appropriate changes to the manuscript. The revised manuscript may be sent back to some or all of the original reviewers for a second evaluation, or the editors may make a decision based on the responses and changes.

Confidentiality and Anonymity: Identities of reviewers are kept confidential. Similarly, authors’ identities are typically kept from reviewers in a double-blind process. Reviewers should not attempt to identify or contact authors, and authors should avoid revealing their identity in the manuscript (through obvious references to previous work, acknowledgments, etc., that could compromise anonymity).

Special Cases: For submissions with potential serious ethical, security, or societal implications (for example, dual-use research of concern, sensitive public health information, etc.), AUIQ Press’s Research Integrity team or the editors may seek additional special reviews or advice outside the standard peer review. This could involve consulting experts in ethics or security, or editorial board members with specific expertise, to ensure that appropriate decisions are made (including possibly declining to publish certain content if risks outweigh benefits).

AUIQ Press is committed to a fair and thorough peer review process. We also expect authors to cooperate fully during peer review, respond to comments professionally, and adhere to deadlines as much as possible.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. This includes:

Direct plagiarism: Copying text from another source without quotation and appropriate citation.
Mosaic plagiarism: Piecing together ideas, phrases, or text from various sources and presenting them as one’s own, even if parts are paraphrased.
Self-plagiarism (text recycling): Reusing significant portions of one’s own published work (including text, data, or figures) without proper reference.

Plagiarism applies to all types of sources: published literature (journal articles, books), online content (websites, blogs), unpublished works (manuscripts, thesis, lectures), and even the author’s own prior publications. It also extends to ideas and data; even if the wording is changed, if the idea or data is not original to the authors, the source should be credited.

AUIQ Press journals use plagiarism-detection software (such as iThenticate) to screen submissions. Manuscripts with a high similarity index or signs of uncited copying will be carefully reviewed and may be rejected. As a guideline, a similarity index above approximately 20% (excluding references, common phrases, and methodology descriptions) can prompt investigation, but the nature of the overlaps is crucial (for instance, a high overlap with one single source is more problematic than scattered small overlaps).

If plagiarism is discovered before publication, the manuscript will be rejected. If it is found after publication, the article will be retracted, with a notice explaining the reason (plagiarism), and the authors’ institutions may be informed. All authors are responsible for the content of the manuscript, so if plagiarism is found, all co-authors might face consequences, even if it was the action of one individual author.

To avoid plagiarism, always cite sources for any ideas, data, or text that are not your own and not common knowledge. When in doubt, add a citation or rephrase thoroughly in your own words. Quotation marks should be used for any verbatim text from other works, accompanied by a citation.

Preprint Policy

AUIQ Press journals allow authors to share their research prior to peer-reviewed publication via preprint servers (such as arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, etc.). Posting a manuscript on a preprint server does not count as prior publication and is not disqualifying for submission to our journals, as long as the author retains copyright and the preprint record can be updated with a link to the eventual published article.

Guidelines for Preprints:

Authors can post their manuscript to a preprint server at any time (before or during the submission and review process). We encourage transparency and early sharing of research.
When submitting to an AUIQ Press journal, authors should disclose any preprint of the manuscript (for example, in the cover letter or in a footnote on the title page of the manuscript, provide the DOI or URL of the preprint).
If the manuscript is accepted and published, we recommend updating the preprint with a reference to the published version (including DOI), to direct readers to the final peer-reviewed article. Some journals might do this automatically via CrossMark or author notification, but authors can also do it manually on the preprint platform.
Authors should not post revisions of the manuscript to the preprint server during the peer review process if those revisions reflect changes made in response to journal peer review. (Once the paper is published, however, updating the preprint or adding a link is fine.) This is to preserve the integrity of double-blind review and to avoid confusion about which version is under consideration.

By allowing preprints, AUIQ Press supports the dissemination of knowledge as quickly as possible, but authors must ensure that the preprint record and the published record are appropriately linked and that readers are directed to the final version of record for citation and use.

Protection of Patients’ Privacy and Informed Consent

Research involving human subjects and any publication of personal data must respect individuals’ rights to privacy and comply with all applicable laws (such as HIPAA in the US, GDPR in Europe) and ethical standards (such as the Declaration of Helsinki).

Patient Privacy: Identifying information (names, initials, hospital numbers, photographs of faces, etc.) should not be included in any manuscript unless it is scientifically or medically essential and the patient (or guardian) has given explicit written informed consent for that inclusion. Simply anonymizing data (e.g., using age, gender, case numbers) is strongly preferred whenever possible. For instance, if describing a clinical case, do not use the patient’s name or exact birthdate; use age or an age range, and general descriptors.

If there are images (radiographs, full-face photographs, etc.) or detailed case descriptions that could reveal a patient’s identity, authors must:

Obtain the patient’s written consent to publish these materials. AUIQ Press can provide a Consent to Publish form if needed, or authors can use their institution’s form, as long as it meets the requirements (it should mention that the content will be freely available online and may be seen by the general public). For minors or those who lack capacity, consent must be obtained from a parent, guardian, or legal representative..
State in the manuscript (often in a section like “Ethics Approval and Consent” or in the case description) that informed consent was obtained. For example: “Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case and accompanying images.”
Be prepared to provide the signed consent form to the journal if requested (for verification). These forms will be kept confidential and are not published.

ICMJE Guidelines on Patient Consent: AUIQ Press abides by ICMJE recommendations, which include the following points:

Authors (not the journal or publisher) are responsible for obtaining consent from patients. The consent form should be archived securely (e.g. at the authors’ institution). It should not be submitted with the manuscript, to protect privacy, but authors should have it available.
If the manuscript contains any patient information that could allow someone to identify the patient (even if only the patient themselves or their family), a statement of consent must be included. If identifying details are altered to protect anonymity (e.g., eye masking in photos, or slight changes in case details), authors must ensure that these alterations do not distort scientific meaning and editors should be made aware of them.

Informed Consent in Research: In the context of research studies involving human participants (clinical trials, surveys, observational studies, etc.), authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants. This is typically stated in the Methods section or in an ethics statement. For example: “All participants provided written informed consent before entering the study.” If the study was approved with a waiver of consent (e.g., some retrospective chart reviews), that should be stated along with the approving body’s details.

In summary, always respect and protect participant privacy. Do not divulge personal information beyond what is necessary for scientific purposes, and always secure consent for publication of any identifiable material.

Research Ethics and Consent in Studies Involving Humans or Animals

All research involving human subjects, animals, or sensitive biological materials must have been conducted in accordance with the highest ethical standards. Authors should include an explicit statement in their manuscript about ethical approval and consent:

Ethics Approval for Human/Animal Studies

Humans: For research involving human subjects (including identifiable human data or material), authors must have obtained approval from an appropriate ethics committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to conducting the research. The manuscript should state the name of the committee/institution that approved the study and provide any reference number or ID for the approval. For example: “Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the XYZ University IRB (Approval No. 1234-56).” If an ethics committee determined that the study did not require approval (perhaps for some types of surveys or anonymized data studies), this should be stated with the justification.

The research must also adhere to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects). Authors should indicate that the study was conducted in accordance with these principles or other relevant national/international guidelines.

Informed Consent (Human Research): Confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants. If the participants are minors or unable to consent, consent must be obtained from legal guardians (with assent from the participants where applicable). If consent was verbal rather than written (which might be allowed in certain minimal-risk studies), authors need to explain that the IRB/ethics committee approved the use of verbal consent.

Clinical Trials: Any clinical trial (generally, an intervention study in humans) should be registered in a public trials registry (such as ClinicalTrials.gov or the WHO’s ICTRP). The manuscript should include the trial registration number and name of the registry (for example, “This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCTXXXXXXXX)”). Trial registration should ideally be done before enrollment of participants (prospectively). AUIQ Press follows ICMJE recommendations in requiring trial registration for clinical trial papers.

Animals: For research involving animals, authors must follow internationally accepted guidelines for animal care and use. Common frameworks include the ARRIVE guidelines for reporting animal research, and compliance with laws such as the U.K. Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the EU Directive 2010/63/EU, or the U.S. National Research Council’s Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The manuscript should state that the study was approved by an institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) or equivalent ethics committee, including the name of the committee and approval/license number if applicable.

When describing animal experiments, authors should provide details such as:

The species/strain, sex, age, and number of animals used.
Details of housing and husbandry (especially if they differ from standard conditions or are relevant to the experimental outcomes).
Measures taken to minimize pain and distress (analgesia, anesthesia methods, humane endpoints).
The method of euthanasia or disposition of animals at the end of the study, if applicable, and that it complied with humane standards.

If a study involves vertebrates or regulated invertebrates (like cephalopods), these ethical considerations and approvals are mandatory. For field studies on animals, appropriate permits for wildlife research and adherence to conservation guidelines should be mentioned.

Plants, Protected Sites, etc.: If research involves rare or protected plant species, natural reserves, or sensitive ecological areas, authors should mention permits or approvals obtained to collect samples or data, and any relevant guidelines followed.

Rejection on Ethical Grounds: AUIQ Press journals reserve the right to reject manuscripts if there is a concern that ethical standards were not met. For example, if human subjects research was conducted without appropriate consent or oversight, or if animal research was conducted inhumanely or without proper approval, the paper will be declined irrespective of scientific merit.

Summary Checklist for Authors (Ethics):

Confirm approval by relevant ethics committee(s) for human and animal studies.
Include statements of informed consent for human participants.
Include trial registration details for clinical trials.
Adhere to discipline-specific ethical codes (e.g. Declaration of Helsinki for human research, ARRIVE for animal research).
Be prepared to provide documentation (ethics approval letters, consent forms, etc.) on request during review.

By clearly addressing these ethical requirements in the manuscript, authors demonstrate transparency and responsibility, which is crucial for maintaining trust in published research.

Standards of Reporting

Good reporting is essential for the reproducibility and credibility of research. Authors should follow established reporting guidelines relevant to their study design to ensure comprehensive and transparent reporting. Some examples of reporting guidelines include CONSORT (for randomized trials), STROBE (for observational studies), PRISMA (for systematic reviews), STARD (for diagnostic studies), CARE (for case reports), and others. Following these guidelines helps ensure that all necessary information is included.

In general, research should be described in sufficient detail such that other researchers can understand what was done, how it was done, and why, and could replicate the study if needed:

Clearly articulate the research question or objective and its rationale.
Describe the study design and methodology in detail (including sample selection, randomization, blinding, controls, interventions, measurements, and statistical methods).
Provide detailed results, including both positive findings and relevant negative or null results.
Discuss the results in context, including potential limitations of the study (e.g., sources of bias, uncertainties, generalizability issues).
Make available any supplementary materials (such as appendices, detailed protocols, code, or datasets) if they are needed to fully evaluate or reproduce the work.

By adhering to high reporting standards, authors contribute to the reproducibility of science and allow readers and reviewers to thoroughly assess the work.

Data Sharing and Reproducibility

AUIQ Press encourages authors to share data and other materials that underlie the findings of their research, to promote transparency, reproducibility, and further discovery. Many research communities now consider data sharing a best practice, and some funding agencies and institutions require it.

Research Data Policy

Authors should include a Data Availability Statement in their article that describes how and where the data supporting the findings can be accessed. Several scenarios for data availability include:

Data available in a public repository: If you have deposited your data in a repository (e.g., Dryad, Figshare, GenBank, GEO, OSF, an institutional repository, etc.), provide the name of the repository and a persistent identifier (like a DOI or accession number). For example: “The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the [Name of Repository] repository, [DOI or URL].”
Data available on request from authors: If you cannot publicly share the data (due to privacy, ethical, or legal restrictions), state that data are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. For example: “The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. The data are not publicly available due to [insert reason, e.g., privacy restrictions].”
No new data created: If the study did not generate any new data (for instance, it’s entirely theoretical or a literature review), you can state: “No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.”

Data Formats: If you do share data, ensure that it’s in a usable format and accompanied by documentation (metadata) explaining what the data represent, definitions of variables, units, coding, etc.

Materials and Code: Where applicable, authors are also encouraged to share research materials (reagents, software code, algorithms, models, etc.) on repositories like GitHub, or via specialized repositories (for example, structural data in the Protein Data Bank, DNA sequences in GenBank, code in a GitHub or GitLab repository). If code was used for analysis, providing the code can greatly enhance reproducibility.

Reproducibility: AUIQ Press supports initiatives that improve reproducibility, such as Registered Reports, pre-registration of studies, and the use of reporting guidelines (as noted in Standards of Reporting). We encourage authors to be transparent about all steps of their research process, including pre-analytical decisions and any exploratory analyses.

By sharing data and materials, authors enable others to verify results, conduct secondary analyses, and build upon the work, thereby advancing the field more efficiently. We acknowledge that there are cases where sharing is not feasible (for example, identifiable human data that cannot be anonymized, or proprietary data), but we ask authors to be as open as possible and to discuss limitations on data sharing in their Data Availability Statement.

Use of Third-Party Material (Permissions and Copyright)

When authors incorporate material that is not original to their work (such as figures, tables, photographs, text excerpts, or datasets), they must do so in compliance with copyright law and ethical norms:

Permission for Copyrighted Material: If the material is under copyright (most published figures, images, or substantial text excerpts are), authors need to obtain written permission from the copyright holder (often the publisher or author of the original work) before including it in their manuscript. Many publishers have online systems for requesting permissions, or you may need to contact the author. Keep records of all permissions received. In the manuscript, give credit in the figure/table caption or text (e.g., “Reproduced with permission from [Citation]. Copyright [Year] [Publisher].”).
Public Domain or Open License: If the material is in the public domain or available under an open license (such as Creative Commons), ensure you comply with the terms of that license. For example, a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license allows reuse with attribution; CC BY-NC-ND allows reuse with attribution, for non-commercial purposes, and no derivatives, etc. Even if an image is freely available, you should still cite the source.
Adapted Material: If you adapt a figure or table from someone else’s work (meaning you redesign it or redraw it based on data from another source), you should still acknowledge the original source (e.g., “Data from [Source]; figure adapted by the authors.”). Depending on how substantial the adaptation is, permission may or may not be required; when in doubt, seek permission.
Limited Text Excerpts: Quotations of text should be limited and clearly indicated with quotation marks, with a citation to the source. For longer text excerpts (beyond a few sentences), permission might be required unless it falls under fair use/fair dealing. When in doubt, paraphrase in your own words and cite the source, rather than copying text.
Disclaimer on Trademarks/Names: The mention of specific products, trade names, or trademarks in your article (for example, a brand name of a drug or software) does not imply endorsement by AUIQ Press. Authors should use generic names where possible (especially for drugs). If trade names are used, capitalize them and perhaps include the manufacturer name or a trademark symbol on first use (as required by context).

Legal Responsibility: Authors are responsible for ensuring they have the right to use all content in their articles. Neither AUIQ Press nor the journal’s editors can bear responsibility for unauthorized use of copyrighted material. If in the review process we identify material that seems likely to need permission, we may ask the author for confirmation that permission was obtained.

No publication (print or online) can fully protect against all legal issues, but by following these guidelines, authors can avoid most common problems related to third-party content.

Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Writing

Scope of Policy: This policy pertains to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the writing process of manuscripts. It does not refer to using AI tools as part of the research itself (for example, using machine learning to analyze a dataset, which would be considered part of the methodology and should be reported as such). It specifically concerns AI tools that generate text, translate text, or assist in writing (for example, large language models like ChatGPT, GPT-4, DeepL for translation, Grammarly for style suggestions, etc.).

Appropriate Use: Authors may use AI-based tools to improve the readability and language of their writing (for example, for grammar checking, language translation, or to suggest phrasing). However, AI should not be used to replace key author responsibilities such as generating insights, interpreting data, or drawing conclusions. Under all circumstances, human authors are accountable for the content of the paper.

AI tools have known limitations: they may produce incorrect information, introduce biases, or plagiarize existing text. Therefore, any text or content generated by AI must be carefully reviewed and edited by the authors to ensure accuracy, originality, and adherence to scholarly standards.

Transparency: If AI-assisted tools were used in the writing or preparation of the manuscript, this use should be disclosed in a section (for example, in the Acknowledgements or a dedicated methods section for writing). A possible statement could be: “During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [Tool Name, Version] to [purpose, e.g., check grammar, improve clarity, translate from another language]. After using this tool, the authors reviewed and edited the content as necessary and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.” This transparency fosters trust and ensures readers and editors are aware of the involvement of such tools.

Authorship: AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authorship carries accountability for the work, the ability to agree to publication, and the responsibility to respond to critiques—attributes that only humans can fulfill. Any contribution from an AI tool does not constitute authorship. Instead, if significant, it should be mentioned in the acknowledgements or methodology as described above.

Intellectual Property and Originality: Authors must ensure that using AI tools does not lead to copyright issues. For instance, if an AI tool provided a large block of text, the authors need to ensure that this text isn’t inadvertently plagiarized from existing works. Typically, it’s safer to use AI for suggestions and then write in your own words. The final responsibility for originality lies with the authors, just as if they had used a thesaurus or writing assistant.

Conclusion: Ultimately, the content of a paper is the authors’ responsibility. Whether you use an AI tool or not, you are accountable for any errors, omissions, or misrepresentations in the work. Use AI tools judiciously, and be transparent about their use, to uphold the integrity of your research and writing.

Journal Partnership Requirements

Any journal wishing to join AUIQ Press must either fully adopt AUIQ Press’s umbrella policies or demonstrate equivalent standards in the following areas. Partner journals should submit their own policy documents addressing each of these points; any gaps will need to be filled by adopting the corresponding AUIQ Press policy text.

Aims & Scope: A clear statement of the journal’s focus, article types and intended audience.
Editorial Governance & Peer Review: Description of editorial board composition, peer-review model (double-blind, single-blind, open, etc.), reviewer selection, review timelines and conflict-of-interest procedures.
Authorship & Contributions: Criteria for authorship, contributor acknowledgements, and procedures for author-list changes.
Ethics & Consent: Evidence of compliance with COPE, ICMJE and relevant national/international guidelines for human and animal research, plus informed-consent practices for identifiable data.
Plagiarism & Misconduct: Methods for screening submissions, handling allegations of plagiarism, fabrication, duplication, citation manipulation, improper authorship, etc.
Conflicts of Interest & Funding Disclosure: Requirements for declaration of financial and non-financial interests and funding sources.
Open Access & Copyright: Licensing terms (e.g. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 or equivalent), author rights, and third-party permissions procedures.
Corrections & Retractions: Policies for issuing errata, expressions of concern and retractions, including linked notices.
Data Sharing & Reproducibility: Mandate for a Data Availability Statement and, where applicable, deposition of data, code or materials in public repositories.
Use of AI-Assisted Tools: Expectations around disclosure of AI-generated or AI-assisted content in submissions.

Once approved, a partner journal’s website (and its “Instructions for Authors” page) should link both to its own tailored policies and to AUIQ Press’s umbrella policy document for full transparency.