The Annals of Dermatological Research (ADR) has established a Publication Ethics Policy to ensure the integrity, transparency, and accountability of its editorial and publishing processes. This policy is aligned with internationally recognized standards from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), ICMJE, WAME, and DOAJ.

ADR is dedicated to maintaining ethical publishing practices across all stages of submission, review, editorial decision-making, and post-publication.

Core Ethical Principles

Honesty: Authors must present accurate, original research.
Integrity: Reviewers and editors must evaluate fairly and without bias.
Transparency: Funding, conflicts of interest, and ethical approvals must be disclosed.
Accountability: All parties share responsibility for upholding ethical practices.

Authors’ Ethical Responsibilities

Ensure originality and proper citation of all content.
Avoid plagiarism, duplicate publication, and data manipulation.
Provide ethical approval details for human and animal studies.
Disclose all financial support and conflicts of interest.
Cooperate with editors in correcting errors or clarifying issues post-publication.

Editors’ Ethical Responsibilities

Maintain editorial independence in all decisions.
Ensure manuscripts are evaluated solely on scientific merit.
Protect the confidentiality of authors, reviewers, and manuscripts.
Address allegations of misconduct according to COPE guidelines.

Reviewers’ Ethical Responsibilities

Provide unbiased, constructive, and timely reviews.
Maintain confidentiality and avoid unauthorized use of manuscript content.
Declare conflicts of interest that may affect objectivity.
Report suspected plagiarism or ethical breaches to the editor.

Publisher’s Ethical Responsibilities

Support editorial independence and protect content from commercial influence.
Ensure proper archiving, indexing, and accessibility of published articles.
Address ethical issues promptly and transparently.
Publish corrections, errata, or retractions as required.

Handling Misconduct

ADR investigates all allegations of misconduct, including plagiarism, falsification, data fabrication, duplicate publication, and unethical research. Following COPE protocols, possible actions include:

Seeking clarification from authors.
Requesting revisions or corrections.
Rejecting or retracting manuscripts with serious ethical breaches.
Notifying authors’ institutions in severe cases.

Corrections, Retractions, and Updates

ADR ensures the accuracy of the scholarly record by publishing corrections, retractions, or updates when necessary. Retractions clearly state the reasons and remain permanently accessible.

Conflicts of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any conflicts of interest. ADR manages disclosures transparently to ensure unbiased editorial decisions.

Ethical Oversight for Research

Research involving humans or animals must be conducted ethically, with proper institutional approval. Case reports and patient data require informed consent. Studies without appropriate approvals may be rejected.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions. Appeals are handled by independent editorial board members to ensure fairness. Complaints about editorial conduct are addressed according to COPE standards.

FAQs

What if an author submits the same article to multiple journals?

This constitutes duplicate submission and is grounds for rejection or retraction.

How does ADR prevent unethical research?

Through initial editorial screening, similarity checks, and reviewer scrutiny.

What happens if misconduct is discovered after publication?

ADR will issue retractions, corrections, or statements of concern following COPE guidance.