Duties of Editors
Fair Play and Editorial Independence
Editors evaluate submitted manuscripts solely on their academic merit, including importance, originality, study validity, and clarity, as well as their relevance to the journal's scope. These decisions are made without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, citizenship, religious beliefs, political views, or institutional affiliation. Editorial decisions are not influenced by external factors such as government policies or other external agencies. The Editor-in-Chief holds full authority over the editorial content of the journal and the timing of publication.
Confidentiality
Editors and editorial staff will not disclose any information regarding a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as applicable.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Editors and editorial board members will not use unpublished information disclosed in a manuscript for their own research purposes without the authors' explicit written consent. Any privileged information or ideas obtained during the manuscript handling process will be kept confidential and will not be used for personal advantage. Editors will recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, institutions, or companies involved. In such cases, another editorial board member will be tasked with reviewing the manuscript.
Publication Decisions
Editors ensure that all submitted manuscripts are peer-reviewed by at least two experts in the field. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for deciding which manuscripts will be published, based on validation, importance to researchers and readers, reviewers' feedback, and relevant legal requirements, including concerns related to libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The Editor-in-Chief may consult other editors or reviewers when making this decision.
Involvement and Cooperation in Investigations
Editors will take appropriate actions in response to ethical concerns raised about a manuscript or published article. Allegations of unethical publishing behavior will be investigated, regardless of when they are discovered. The AP-SMART editors follow COPE Flowcharts for handling suspected misconduct. If a concern is validated, corrective actions such as issuing a correction, retraction, or expression of concern will be published in the journal.
Duties of Reviewers
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review assists editors in making decisions regarding manuscript publication and helps authors improve their manuscripts through feedback. Peer review is central to scholarly communication and scientific progress. We share the belief that all scholars contributing to scientific development should engage in fair and impartial reviewing.
Promptness
Reviewers who feel unqualified to review a manuscript or are unable to complete the review promptly should notify the editors immediately and decline the invitation, allowing the editors to seek an alternative reviewer.
Confidentiality
Manuscripts received for review are confidential documents and should not be shared or discussed with anyone other than the Editor-in-Chief, unless permission is given under exceptional circumstances. This applies to reviewers who decline the invitation to review as well.
Standards of Objectivity
Reviews should be conducted impartially, with clear and constructive feedback. Personal criticism of the authors is inappropriate and should be avoided.
Acknowledgement of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published works not cited by the authors. Any ideas or arguments derived from previous publications should be appropriately referenced. Reviewers should also inform the editors if the manuscript has significant overlap with other manuscripts, published or unpublished, that they are aware of.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Reviewers who have conflicts of interest with the authors, institutions, or companies involved in a manuscript must disclose these conflicts and decline the review invitation. Unpublished material disclosed in a manuscript must not be used in the reviewer's research without the authors' express written consent.
Duties of Authors
Reporting Standards
Authors must present an accurate account of their research, including a clear discussion of the study's significance. The manuscript should provide enough detail for others to replicate the work. Review articles should be comprehensive and objective. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are unethical and unacceptable.
Data Access and Retention
Authors may be asked to provide raw data for editorial review and should be prepared to make it publicly available if feasible. Data must be accessible for at least ten years after publication, ensuring participants' confidentiality is protected.
Originality and Plagiarism
Authors should submit only original works. If they use others' work, they must provide appropriate citations. Plagiarism, in any form, is unethical and will result in rejection.
Multiple, Duplicate, Redundant, or Concurrent Submission/Publication
Manuscripts should not be submitted to multiple journals simultaneously. If a manuscript has been published elsewhere, it should not be submitted again. Secondary publication may be justified in certain cases, but the primary journal must be acknowledged.
Authorship of the Manuscript
Only individuals who significantly contributed to the conception, design, data analysis, or manuscript writing should be listed as authors. Other contributors who do not meet these criteria should be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgments" section.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Authors should disclose any conflicts of interest, financial or non-financial, that could influence the manuscript's results or interpretation. All sources of financial support must be disclosed, including grant numbers.
Acknowledgement of Sources
Authors must ensure proper acknowledgment of others' work and cite publications that influenced their research. Private information obtained from personal communications must not be used without explicit written permission.
Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects
If the research involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment with inherent risks, authors should clearly state these in the manuscript. When involving animals or human participants, all relevant laws and ethical guidelines must be followed.
Peer Review
Authors must cooperate with the peer review process and respond promptly to requests for data, clarifications, or ethics approvals. If revisions are necessary, authors should address the reviewers' comments comprehensively.
Fundamental Errors in Published Works
If authors discover significant errors in their published work, they must notify the journal and cooperate to correct or retract the article as needed.
Duties of the Publisher
Handling of Unethical Publishing Behavior
In cases of alleged or proven misconduct, including scientific fraud or plagiarism, the publisher, in collaboration with the editors, will take all necessary steps to clarify the situation and correct the article. This may include issuing an erratum, clarification, or retraction. The publisher will also work with the editors to prevent the publication of works where misconduct has occurred and will not knowingly allow such practices to continue.