Introduction
The Editorial Board of the journal Advanced targets in Biomedicine takes a responsible approach to maintaining scientific integrity and adheres to the highest standards of academic publishing. In its work, the Editorial Board follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), the Association of Science Editors and Publishers (ANRI), and draws on the best practices of reputable international journals and publishing houses. The journal’s ethical standards apply to all parties involved in the publication process—authors, editors, reviewers, publishers, and the scientific community.
Privacy Statement
Personal information provided by authors and reviewers, including email addresses, will be used exclusively for the purposes of scientific communication and publication. The Editorial Board undertakes not to share this information with third parties.
Authors’ Responsibilities
Originality and Plagiarism
By submitting a manuscript to Advanced targets in Biomedicine, the author confirms that the work is original, has not been previously published, and is not under consideration elsewhere. If the manuscript is based on material previously published as a report, preprint, or working paper, this must be disclosed to the editors.
Authors must ensure that their submissions are entirely original. If the work includes the ideas, data, or wording of others, appropriate citations must be provided. By submitting a manuscript, authors affirm that their work does not contain any form of plagiarism. Proper attribution must be given to all sources, and all use of others' work must be appropriately cited.
Self-plagiarism must also be avoided. Authors are required to reference their own prior publications appropriately. Redundant publication of the same data, verbatim reuse, or paraphrasing of previously published content is considered unethical.
Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is strictly prohibited.
Reporting Research Results
Authors of manuscripts presenting original research must provide a precise and transparent account of the work performed, along with objective justification of its relevance. The data reported must be accurate and reliable, with sufficient detail and references to allow replication of the research. The deliberate presentation of false or misleading information is a serious breach of publication ethics and is not acceptable.
Authorship
The ICMJE recommends that authorship be based on the following criteria:
- Substantial contribution to the conception or planning of a scientific work or to the generation, analysis, or interpretation of data;
- Drafting or critically revising a manuscript to add valuable intellectual content;
- Final approval of the published version of the manuscript;
- Agreement to accept responsibility for all aspects of the work and to ensure that any questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work can be appropriately investigated and resolved.
When authors submit a manuscript of any type, they are required to disclose all financial and personal relationships that have influenced or could reasonably be expected to influence their work.
Each author must be familiar with and agree with the list and order of authors of the manuscript before sending it to the editor.
In cases an article has already been published and assigned a volume and issue number, any requests to change authorship approved by the editor will result in the publication of the corrections.
Contributions of Authors and Non-Authors
The Acknowledgments section may recognize individuals who have contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship, such as those who supported the research, acted as mentors, assisted in collecting data, or coordinated the research.
To correctly identify contributions, authors may use one of the sources recommended by COPE:
General Guidelines for Authorship Contributions
CRediT – Contributor Roles Taxonomy
If the article is accepted for publication, it will be made available in open access. Copyright is retained by the authors.
If it is necessary to add or exclude a co-author before or after publication, the editorial board of the journal Advanced targets in Biomedicine operates in accordance with COPE rules:
- https://publicationethics.org/files/authorship-a-addition-before-publication-cope-flowchart.pdf
- https://publicationethics.org/node/34601
Competing Interests
Authors undertake to disclose information about potential conflicts of interest that may affect the results of the study. Examples of potential conflicts of interest that must be disclosed include: employment, consulting services, honoraria, paid expertise, patenting, grants, and other funding. All sources of financial support for the project must be disclosed.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Authors should openly disclose the use of artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and other large language models in the preparation of the manuscript and provide details of the use of the AI tool in the Materials and Methods section.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the preparation of the text should be limited to technical data management and text editing and not to the discussion of results or drawing conclusions. The use of AI and its scope should be clearly stated. AI is not considered a co-author of the article.
Ethical Supervision
The journal Advanced targets in Biomedicine shares COPE's stance that publication ethics includes not only ensuring the integrity and reliability of published research, but also ethical behaviour in relation to research subjects. This includes vulnerable populations, laboratory animals, humans (in the case of relevant research), sensitive data, and business/marketing practices.
Informed Consent / Consent for Publication
Advanced targets in Biomedicine requires that informed consent/consent for publication be provided for any research in which a person or group of people can be identified. This consent form is also required when the research involves deceased individuals. Consent must be obtained when publishing a clinical case, photographs, X-rays, etc.
Ethical Conduct of Research Involving Animals
When conducting experimental research on animals, authors must provide information on compliance with institutional and national standards for the use of laboratory animals.
To provide more accurate and correct information about studies involving animals, the editors of the journal recommend using the ARRIVE guidelines. Using these standards will improve the quality and reliability of published articles and also allow other researchers to reproduce the results.
Research Involving Humans
In its work, Advanced targets in Biomedicine is based on the provisions of the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association (WMA Declaration of Helsinki – Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects) and strives to ensure that ethical standards and data collection practices are followed for research involving human subjects.
Working with Confidential Data
The privacy of individuals or organizations involved in research is of paramount importance and should not be violated without their informed consent. Authors should take all necessary precautions to protect information about research participants. Where necessary, authors should take steps to minimize any potential physical or psychological harm to research participants.
Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief
These guidelines are in line with the journal's policies and the standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE's Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors).
Decision on the Publication of an Article
The editor-in-chief/guest editor responsible for the journal, guided by the opinion of the editorial board and reviewers, makes a decision regarding the possibility of publishing an article in the journal.
This decision is always made based on an assessment of the reliability of the work and its importance for researchers and readers.
The editors of the journal do not publish the final version of an article without agreement with the authors.
The editor ensures the formation of issues based on materials accepted for publication in the general queue, taking into account priorities for the formation of thematic sections and issues. The editors have the right to adjust the order of publications in accordance with the topics of the issues being prepared.
The editors do not have the right to impose citations of previously published articles in Advanced targets in Biomedicine for the purpose of artificially improving scientometric indicators.
The editor has the right not to enter into correspondence with the authors after presenting the results of the final examination.
Anti-Plagiarism Policy
When reviewing a manuscript, the editors check the material using the ANTIPLAGIAT system (https://www.antiplagiat.ru). English-language manuscripts are additionally checked using the ITHENTICATE plagiarism checker. In the event of numerous self-citations, self-borrowings, or incorrect borrowings, the editors act in accordance with the rules of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (https://publicationethics.org).
In cases of detected plagiarism or dishonesty, the editorial board of the journal reserves the right to reject the article and also to inform the relevant institutions.
Confidentiality
- Unpublished materials contained in a submitted work may not be used in the personal work of the editor-in-chief, members of the editorial board, reviewers, or other staff involved in working on the material sent for consideration without the written consent of the author.
- Confidential information obtained during the review process is not subject to disclosure or use for personal gain.
- The editor-in-chief undertakes to refuse to consider the submitted work if there is a conflict of interest arising from competition, collaboration, or other relationships with the authors and organizations associated with this work (the functions of the editor-in-chief may be assumed by an assistant editor or another member of the editorial board).
- The editor-in-chief is obliged to require all authors to provide information about the presence of a conflict of interest and to publish corrections, if any are discovered after publication. If necessary, other appropriate actions, such as publishing a retraction or expression of concern, may be taken.
- The editor-in-chief undertakes to ensure that the procedures for reviewing articles submitted for consideration to the journal Advanced targets in Biomedicine are followed. Works are accepted for publication solely based on their academic value, not for commercial reasons.
- Book reviews and translations are not peer-reviewed; decisions on their publication may be made by the journal’s editorial board without involving external experts.
Citation of the Journal in Which the Work Is Published
The editor-in-chief or an authorized employee of the journal’s editorial board should under no circumstances force authors to cite one of the scientific journals published by the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, the editor-in-chief’s own publications, and/or members of the editorial board as a necessary condition for accepting the manuscript for publication. Any recommendations for citing works should be based on their scientific significance and aim to improve the submitted material.
Review of Ethics Complaints
An editor who receives compelling evidence that a published article contains an ethical violation, an erroneous statement, or a misleading inference must respond promptly by issuing a correction, retraction, or taking other appropriate action. Every ethical complaint must be reviewed, even if received several years after publication.
The editor’s responsibilities in handling ethical concerns typically include notifying the author, reviewing the complaint, and, if necessary, engaging in further communication with relevant institutions or research organizations. If the complaint is found to be valid, a correction, retraction, or another appropriate statement shall be published. All ethical complaints are subject to thorough review, regardless of the time elapsed since publication.
If authors disagree with decisions regarding concerns about specific articles or wish to report violations of editorial procedures, they should submit a formal letter to biomedjournal@kantiana.ru . The complaint will be reviewed through the standard procedure. The complainant will be informed of the decision, the measures to be taken, and the expected timeframe for their implementation.
In reviewing ethical complaints, the editorial board adheres to COPE guidelines in the following situations:
• Dealing with post-publication criticism
• Post-publication discussions and revisions
• Suspected manipulation of post-publication peer review
• Image manipulation in a published article
• Fabrication of data in a published article
Post-publication discussions, corrections and retraction policy
Changes to an article accepted for publication and having passed all stages of peer review and preprint preparation fall into one of the following categories:
- Addendum
- Publisher’s correction (erratum)
- Author’s correction (corrigendum)
The decision to publish corrections is made by the journal editors upon recommendation from reviewers, members of the editorial board, or based on a written request from the article’s authors. The publication of corrections involves consultation with the authors, but the final decision rests with the editors and/or editorial board.
1. Addendum
An addendum refers to the inclusion of new material that supplements the content of the original article. It requires mandatory peer review. The additional material must be submitted to the editors as a new manuscript with an explicit reference to the original publication.
Partial replacement of the content of the original article may be implemented through either a publisher’s correction (erratum) or an author’s correction (corrigendum).
2. Publisher’s Correction (Erratum)
A publisher’s correction is issued in cases where a significant error was introduced during the production process by the journal (e.g., typesetting mistakes, omissions). Such errors must be substantial enough to affect the reader’s understanding of the article. Minor and obvious typographical errors that do not affect the content’s interpretation are not subject to correction.
3. Author’s Correction (Corrigendum)
If the authors identify a need to correct the article after publication, they must submit a written request (via email) to the editorial office, providing a justification for the proposed changes. The final decision on the publication of a corrigendum is made by the editors and members of the editorial board, based on the significance of the correction and its impact on the scientific validity of the article.
In cases where serious errors or inconsistencies are discovered, the editors may initiate a formal retraction of the article.
Article Retraction Policy
In addressing cases that may require the retraction of published articles, the editors and publisher of the journal Advanced targets in Biomedicine adhere to the COPE Retraction Guidelines issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics, as well as the Rules for Retraction of Articles from Publication developed by the Ethics Council of the Association of Science Editors and Publishers (ASEP).
Grounds for retraction:
· Duplicate publication of the same article in more than one journal;
· Detection of plagiarism or improper borrowings;
· Identification of serious errors or data falsification that compromise the scientific validity of the article.
An article may be retracted either:
· At the request of the authors, who must provide a reasoned justification for their decision;
· At the initiative of the editorial board or publisher, based on expert assessment.
In the latter case, the lead author (or all authors) is notified via official correspondence detailing the reasons for the retraction.
Following retraction, the article remains accessible on the journal’s website as part of the originally published issue and retains its DOI. However, it is clearly marked as retracted:
· A note is added to the issue’s table of contents;
· The PDF version is replaced by a watermarked version indicating on each page that the article has been retracted;
· An official retraction notice stating the reason and date of retraction is published on the journal’s website.
All information about the retraction—including the watermarked PDF—is submitted to the Russian Science Citation Index (eLibrary.ru) and other relevant bibliographic databases indexing the journal. The data are also forwarded to the ASEP Ethics Council for inclusion in the Unified Database of Retracted Articles.
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Each article is reviewed by at least two experts, who are given full opportunity to provide well-reasoned and critical comments regarding the clarity and quality of the presentation, the article’s relevance to the journal’s scope, as well as the novelty and reliability of the results. Personal criticism of the author is not permitted.
Participation in the Decision to Publish
The peer review process assists the editor-in-chief in making publication decisions and may involve communication with the author. Peer review is an essential component of scholarly communication and a cornerstone of the scientific method employed by the editorial office of the journal. The editorial board and advisory board support the view of the academic community that all manuscripts submitted for publication must undergo peer review.
Confidentiality
All materials reviewed during the evaluation process must be treated as confidential and may not be shared without the express permission of the editors. Manuscripts must not be shown to or discussed with anyone other than individuals authorized by the editor.
Standards of Objectivity
Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is not acceptable. Reviewers are expected to express their opinions clearly and support their assessments with well-founded arguments.
Source Referencing
Reviewers are responsible for identifying instances where previously published works are cited without proper attribution. Any assertion that a finding, conclusion, or argument has been previously reported must be accompanied by the appropriate citation. Reviewers are also expected to alert the editor to any significant similarities between the manuscript under review and any other published material known to them.
Disclosure of Information and Competing Interests
Unpublished materials contained in the submitted manuscript may not be used in the reviewer’s own research without the author’s explicit written consent. Confidential information obtained during the review process must not be disclosed or used for personal benefit.
Reviewers must decline to review a manuscript in cases of potential conflict of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors or affiliated institutions. In such cases, the reviewer must promptly inform the editor and request to be withdrawn from the review process. For example, an academic advisor (scientific supervisor) of one of the authors applying for an academic degree may not serve as a reviewer. Additionally, reviewers are expected to withdraw from the review process and notify the editor-in-chief if they believe they lack sufficient expertise to evaluate the manuscript adequately.
The final decision to accept or reject a manuscript lies with the editor-in-chief and is based on the results of the peer review and the recommendations of the editorial board.
Responsibilities of the Publisher
The publisher does not interfere with the editorial policy of the journal. It provides organizational, financial, intellectual, and legal support to the editorial board and ensures the timely publication of journal issues.
Review and Amendment of Policy
The journal’s publication ethics policy may be revised to reflect the evolving standards of the academic community and editorial practice. All amendments will be published on the official website of the journal along with the date of their adoption.