Publication Ethics and Best Practices

AHRIE (Applied Health Research, Innovation & Education), published by Empresa de Capacitación Internacional ECI S.C., is committed to integrity, transparency, scientific rigor, editorial independence, and accountability throughout every stage of the publication process.

The journal draws upon the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the practices and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the EQUATOR Network reporting guidelines, and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing. Reference to these guidelines does not imply that AHRIE is a member of these organizations.

General principles

Everyone involved in the editorial process—including authors, reviewers, editors, and support staff—must act honestly, impartially, confidentially, respectfully, and responsibly. Editorial decisions will be based on the scientific quality, originality, relevance, clarity, and contribution of the manuscript, without discrimination on the grounds of nationality, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, political opinions, institutional affiliation, disability, or any other personal characteristic.

Author responsibilities

Authors must:

• submit original and rigorous work that has not been previously published, except where expressly permitted by the journal;

• refrain from submitting the same manuscript to another journal simultaneously;

• report the study methods, results, and limitations completely and accurately;

• retain and, when appropriate, provide the data and documentation needed to verify the research;

• properly acknowledge all sources and obtain the necessary permission to reproduce protected material;

• list as authors only those who meet AHRIE’s authorship criteria and identify individual contributions using the CRediT taxonomy when applicable;

• disclose funding sources, relationships, activities, and potential conflicts of interest;

• report any use of artificial intelligence tools in accordance with the journal’s specific policy;

• promptly notify the journal of any significant error identified before or after publication and cooperate in correcting it.

Reviewer responsibilities

Reviewers must treat manuscripts and related materials as confidential information. Reviews must be objective, respectful, evidence-based, and intended to improve the quality of the work. Reviewers may not use unpublished information for their own benefit or that of another party.

Anyone invited to review a manuscript must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest and decline the assignment when unable to act independently, lacking the required expertise, or unable to meet the established deadline.

Editor responsibilities

Editors will safeguard the confidentiality, impartiality, and independence of the editorial process. They must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest and ensure that such manuscripts are managed by another independent editor.

Decisions to accept, request revisions, or reject a manuscript will be made by the editorial team and based on scientific merit, relevance to AHRIE’s scope, ethical compliance, and the outcomes of peer review. Reviewers’ recommendations will be carefully considered, but responsibility for the final decision remains with the editors.

Research involving humans and animals

Research involving human participants must comply with internationally accepted ethical principles and applicable legislation. Authors must identify the approval or exemption granted by the appropriate ethics committee and state whether informed consent was obtained when required. Participants’ privacy, dignity, and confidentiality must be protected, particularly when information, images, or characteristics could enable identification.

Animal studies must report the corresponding institutional approval and demonstrate compliance with applicable animal welfare and care standards.

Integrity of images, data, and results

Data fabrication or falsification, deceptive image manipulation, deliberate omission of relevant results, or any alteration capable of distorting the study’s conclusions is prohibited. Legitimate adjustments to images must be applied uniformly and must not conceal, remove, or introduce information.

Unacceptable editorial conduct

AHRIE considers the following practices, among others, incompatible with research and publication integrity:

• fabrication or falsification of data and results;

• plagiarism or misappropriation of ideas, text, images, or data;

• redundant or duplicate publication, or unjustified fragmentation of results;

• ghost, guest, or honorary authorship, or the omission of individuals who meet the authorship criteria;

• manipulation of citations, images, data, or the peer-review process;

• intentional concealment of conflicts of interest;

• undisclosed or irresponsible use of artificial intelligence;

• failure to comply with applicable research ethics requirements;

• interference, intimidation, or retaliation related to the editorial process.

Review of suspected breaches

Suspected misconduct will be examined impartially, confidentially, and proportionately, using procedures consistent with COPE guidance and respecting the right of the individuals involved to provide explanations and evidence.

AHRIE may request information, original data, ethics approvals, or other documentation needed to clarify the matter. When appropriate, the journal may contact institutions, funders, ethics committees, or other competent authorities. Decisions will be based on the available evidence and not solely on allegations.

Correcting the scholarly record

When errors or concerns are identified after publication, AHRIE may issue a correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other appropriate editorial notice. These measures will be clearly linked to the affected article and determined according to the nature, seriousness, and impact of the matter.

Honest errors will be distinguished from deliberate misconduct. The primary purpose of any action will be to preserve the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record.

Editorial independence

The publisher respects the independence of the editorial team. Decisions concerning manuscripts will not be determined by commercial, advertising, institutional, personal, or financial interests. Participation by members of the publisher, editorial board, or journal staff as authors will not entitle them to preferential treatment.

Policy updates

This policy may be updated in response to regulatory changes, new international recommendations, or editorial needs. The version published on the AHRIE website will be the version applicable at any given time.