Publication Ethics Statement

Ethical Principles and Integrity

JATR adheres to internationally recognized ethical standards for scholarly publishing as defined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Every manuscript is handled transparently and responsibly to ensure reliability of the academic record.

Responsibilities of Authors

• Submit only original work not under review elsewhere.
• Provide sufficient detail for reproducibility and allow data verification.
• Ensure all co-authors meet authorship criteria (ICMJE) and approve final submission.
• Disclose funding, affiliations and potential conflicts of interest.
• Comply with ethical standards for human or animal studies and obtain IRB approvals where applicable.
• Report errors or corrections immediately upon discovery post-publication.

Ghostwriting, honorary authorship or duplicate submissions constitute unethical behavior and are grounds for rejection or retraction.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for evaluating manuscripts solely on their academic merit and relevance, free from discrimination or external influence. Editorial decisions are guided by:

• Objective assessment of originality and scientific rigor.
• Maintaining confidentiality of manuscripts during review.
• Disclosing any conflicts of interest in decision-making.
• Acting promptly on ethical issues and suspected misconduct.
• Ensuring that corrections, retractions or expressions of concern are issued transparently when required.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

• Provide unbiased, constructive and timely evaluations.
• Maintain confidentiality and avoid unauthorized use of information.
• Alert editors to plagiarism, redundant publication or ethical violations.
• Refrain from reviewing manuscripts when conflicts of interest exist.
• Respect intellectual independence of authors and avoid personal criticism.

Reviewers are recognized as vital contributors to JATR’s quality assurance process.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

Heighten Science Publications Inc. ensures editorial freedom, transparency in pricing and strict adherence to ethical norms. The publisher:

• Provides technological infrastructure for plagiarism checks and metadata integrity.
• Supports editors in investigating and resolving misconduct following COPE flowcharts.
• Maintains permanent availability of the published record through preservation systems (LOCKSS/CLOCKSS).
• Ensures all ethical guidelines are publicly accessible on the journal website.

Ethics in Research and Reporting

Authors must confirm that their research complies with the Declaration of Helsinki (2013 revision) for human subjects and the ARRIVE or U.K. Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 for animal research. Studies involving human participants require informed consent and explicit ethics-committee approval numbers.

Editors may request documentation of ethical approvals or participant consent forms before acceptance.

Publication Misconduct and Investigation

When misconduct such as plagiarism, fabrication, falsification or data manipulation is alleged, the editorial office follows COPE Flowcharts for transparent investigation. Corrective actions may include:

• Formal corrections for honest errors.
• Retractions or withdrawal for confirmed misconduct.
• Notification to authors’ institutions when necessary.

All outcomes are documented and shared publicly to maintain accountability.

Conflict of Interest Policy

All participants in the publication process must disclose any conflicts that could bias judgment or interpretation. Conflicts include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, or institutional affiliations. Disclosure statements appear in published articles under “Conflict of Interest.”

Corrections and Retractions

Post-publication issues are managed according to COPE and Crossref retraction guidelines:

• Correction (Erratum): For typographical or factual errors not affecting conclusions.
• Retraction: For proven fabrication, plagiarism or unethical conduct.
• Expression of Concern: When an investigation is ongoing.

Retracted articles remain available with watermarks and explanatory notices.

Transparency and Data Sharing

Authors are encouraged to deposit datasets, protocols and analysis codes in recognized repositories (e.g., Figshare, Zenodo) and cite them using DOIs. Transparent reporting strengthens reproducibility in addiction research.

Ethical Education and Awareness

JATR promotes awareness of publication ethics by offering webinars, reviewer workshops and author resources. All editorial board members undergo annual COPE-compliance refreshers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)