Policies

Ethical Standards

Authors are expected to uphold the highest ethical standards in the conduct and reporting of their research. This includes obtaining all necessary permissions for copyrighted or third-party material, ensuring the dignity, rights, and welfare of research subjects, and adhering to ethical guidelines for studies involving human participants or animals. Our journal aligns with the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and we expect authors to do the same. Antibody Reports follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and authors must ensure compliance with these standards.

Authorship and Originality

Authors must guarantee that their submitted work is original and has not been published elsewhere. Proper acknowledgment of sources and prior works is essential. Any form of plagiarism or data fabrication is strictly prohibited. Authors are required to provide a statement of originality during the submission process.

Author Identification

In the interests of permanent identification, the journal encourages authors to indicate their ORCID identifier and systematically attach it to their contributions.

Conflict of Interest

Authors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation or evaluation of their work. This includes financial interests, affiliations, or any personal relationships that may be perceived as a conflict. Editors and reviewers are also expected to declare conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict exists.

Ethical Approval for Research Involving Human Subjects or Animals

For studies involving human subjects, human biological samples, or animals, authors must provide a clear statement confirming ethical approval by a recognized ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB). This should include the committee’s name and the approval reference number or ID.

If ethical approval was not required, the manuscript must state this explicitly, along with a justification for the exemption. For human research, authors should also confirm adherence to the Declaration of Helsinki (2013 revision). In cases where compliance may be questioned, authors must provide documentation of explicit approval by a relevant ethics committee.

Animal research must follow institutional and national guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals. Authors should confirm adherence in the Methods section and specify the approving body where applicable.

Informed Consent

For studies involving human participants, authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained for both participation and publication of any identifiable information. This includes written consent from individuals or legal guardians, and assent from minors when required. The manuscript should clearly state this, and documentation must be available upon request.

Data Availability

Authors must make relevant manuscript data publicly accessible through reputable repositories. In particular, authors should deposit their sequenced/recombinant antibodies to the ABCD (AntiBodies Chemically Defined) database.
The submitted manuscript should contain a “Data Availability Statement” indicating where the data supporting the findings can be accessed and specifying any repository name and relevant accession numbers or links.
If data sharing is restricted, authors should provide a detailed explanation in the manuscript and contact the editorial board to discuss alternative arrangements.

Correction and Retraction

The journal is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the scientific record. If errors are identified in published articles, the journal will issue corrections promptly. In cases of serious ethical concerns or data falsification, retractions will be issued following COPE guidelines.

Editorial Independence

The editorial team ensures independence and objectivity in decision-making. Editors are not influenced by the commercial interests of any external entities. The journal operates with transparency and accountability.

Feedback and Appeals

Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions. Appeals will be considered by the Editor-in-Chief and, if necessary, additional independent experts. Constructive feedback is encouraged, and authors can communicate directly with the editorial team for clarifications or further information.

These editorial policies are designed to maintain the highest standards of quality, integrity, and transparency in the publication process. Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to adhere to these policies to ensure the credibility and reliability of the scientific content published in Antibody reports.