Publication Ethics Policy

Authors’ Responsibilities

• Submit only original work that has not been published or submitted elsewhere.
• Acknowledge all sources accurately and avoid plagiarism, duplication, or falsification of data.
• Ensure all co-authors meet authorship criteria and approve the final manuscript.
• Provide disclosures of funding sources, conflicts of interest, and ethical approvals.
• Promptly correct errors or inaccuracies identified post-publication.

Editors’ Responsibilities

• Make decisions impartially and based on scholarly merit.
• Ensure confidentiality during the review process.
• Identify and manage conflicts of interest fairly.
• Act swiftly to publish corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary.

Reviewers’ Responsibilities

• Provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback.
• Maintain confidentiality of manuscripts under review.
• Highlight uncited relevant work and potential ethical issues.
• Declare conflicts of interest that might compromise impartiality.

Publisher’s Role

The publisher, Heighten Science Publications, supports APCR in maintaining ethical practices. The publisher provides infrastructure for secure submissions, similarity checks, and permanent archiving to ensure accountability and long-term preservation.

Addressing Misconduct

APCR investigates allegations of misconduct such as plagiarism, falsification, fabrication, and authorship disputes. Procedures involve:

1. Preliminary editorial assessment of allegations.
2. Contacting the authors for clarification and evidence.
3. Consultation with independent experts when needed.
4. Implementation of appropriate measures such as corrections, retractions, or institutional notifications.

Corrections and Retractions

Errors that do not affect the validity of the work will be corrected via corrigenda or errata. Serious ethical or scientific breaches may result in retractions. All notices remain permanently linked to the original article for transparency.