Policies

Ethical Standards

Authors are required to uphold rigorous ethical standards throughout their research endeavors. This involves securing proper permissions for the use of copyrighted material, ensuring the well-being of research subjects, and adhering to established ethical guidelines for experiments involving animals or human participants. Our journal aligns with the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and we expect authors to do the same.

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 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

1. For articles reporting results of prospective research involving human subjects, samples, or animal research, authors must include a statement confirming ethical approval. This should specify the name of the relevant ethics committee(s) or institutional review board(s) and the corresponding approval number/ID. If ethical approval is deemed unnecessary, the manuscript must explicitly state this, along with the reason for exemption.
2. When reporting research involving human data, authors should clarify in the methods section whether the procedures were evaluated and approved by a legally qualified ethics review committee and/or adherence to the Helsinki Declaration (2013 revision) should be affirmed. In cases where doubt arises regarding adherence to the Helsinki Declaration, authors must explain their rationale and provide evidence of explicit approval from the institutional review body.
3. For experiments involving animals, authors must indicate in the methods section whether they followed institutional and national guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals. This ensures transparency in the ethical treatment of animals in research.

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.