Publication Ethics and Malpractice Policy

1. Ethical Publishing Principles

Aquatic Ecosystems and Environmental Frontiers is committed to responsible scholarly publishing, research integrity, transparency, and fairness. Authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher share responsibility for maintaining the reliability of the published scientific record. The journal expects all participants to follow accepted standards of academic conduct and to disclose relevant ethical concerns, conflicts of interest, and research limitations.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts present original work, report research findings accurately, and acknowledge all sources used. Manuscripts must not contain fabricated, falsified, misleading, or plagiarized material. Authors must confirm that the work is not under simultaneous consideration elsewhere; all listed authors qualify for authorship and approve the submission; sources and third-party materials are properly cited or permissioned; applicable ethics approvals and permits have been obtained; funding and conflicts are disclosed; and material errors identified after publication are reported promptly.

3. Authorship and Contributions

Authorship must reflect substantial scholarly contributions to the research, such as conception or design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or significant intellectual development of the manuscript. All authors must participate appropriately in the work, approve the final manuscript, and accept accountability for their contributions. Gift, guest, honorary, and ghost authorship are not permitted. Changes to authorship after submission require a valid explanation, written agreement from all affected authors, and editorial approval.

4. Plagiarism and Duplicate Publication

Submitted manuscripts may be screened using appropriate similarity-detection methods and editorial assessment. Similarity scores must be considered in context; no single numerical threshold automatically establishes or excludes misconduct. Plagiarism, unattributed reuse, duplicate or redundant publication, and simultaneous submission to multiple journals are not permitted. Suspected cases will be investigated fairly, and authors may be asked to provide explanations or supporting documentation.

5. Data Fabrication and Falsification

Fabrication of data, manipulation or falsification of results, misleading image alteration, and selective reporting that materially distorts findings are prohibited. Where concerns arise, the journal may request relevant data, research records, methodological details, or explanations. Editorial action will depend on the evidence and seriousness of the concern.

6. Research Ethics and Environmental Responsibility

Research involving humans, animals, protected species, sensitive habitats, or regulated field activities must comply with applicable laws, institutional requirements, and recognized ethical standards. Authors must disclose relevant ethics committee approvals, consent procedures, collection permits, and other permissions where applicable. Research involving aquatic environments should be conducted and reported responsibly, including consideration of environmental impacts and protected ecosystems.

7. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other relationships that could reasonably influence their judgment. Editors and reviewers must not handle manuscripts where a conflict compromises, or could reasonably be perceived to compromise, impartiality. Appropriate reassignment or independent assessment will be arranged where necessary.

8. Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for assessing submissions fairly, maintaining confidentiality, selecting appropriate reviewers, managing conflicts of interest, and ensuring that decisions are based on scholarly merit and ethical compliance. Editors must not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for personal research or advantage without appropriate authorization. Editorial decisions must remain independent of commercial or promotional interests.

9. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must provide objective, constructive, and timely assessments; respect manuscript confidentiality; identify relevant uncited work where appropriate; and report suspected ethical concerns to the editor. Reviewers must not exploit privileged access to unpublished research or allow personal, professional, or competitive interests to influence their assessments.

10. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

Concerns regarding plagiarism, data integrity, authorship, duplicate publication, unethical research, or other publication misconduct may be raised by authors, reviewers, readers, institutions, or other interested parties. The journal will assess the concern, seek relevant documentation, and provide the individuals concerned with a fair opportunity to respond where appropriate. Institutions, funders, or other relevant bodies may be contacted when necessary. Possible actions include requesting clarification or corrections, rejecting a manuscript, issuing a correction or expression of concern, retracting a published article, or restricting future submissions in serious cases. Decisions will be proportionate to the evidence and nature of the issue.

11. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

The journal is committed to maintaining an accurate scholarly record. Published articles may be corrected when errors materially affect the accuracy or interpretation of the work. Retraction may be considered where there is reliable evidence of serious misconduct, unreliable findings, substantial plagiarism, or other circumstances that undermine publication integrity. An expression of concern may be issued when significant questions remain unresolved during an investigation. Such notices will be clearly identified, linked to the affected article, and accompanied by an appropriate explanation.

12. Complaints and Appeals

Authors may submit a reasoned appeal against an editorial decision by providing specific grounds and supporting evidence. Appeals will be reviewed by an appropriate editor or independent editorial representative who was not responsible for the original decision, wherever practicable. Complaints concerning editorial conduct, peer review, publication ethics, or journal procedures should be submitted through the journal’s official contact channel. The journal will assess complaints impartially and maintain appropriate records of the outcome.

13. Use of Artificial Intelligence

Authors must disclose the use of generative artificial intelligence tools where such use materially contributes to manuscript preparation, analysis, or presentation of research, in accordance with the journal’s applicable author instructions. AI tools cannot be listed as authors and must not replace human responsibility for accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical reporting. Authors remain accountable for verifying generated content, citations, data interpretations, and conclusions. Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential manuscripts or reviewer materials to external AI systems where doing so could breach confidentiality, data protection, or journal policy.

14. Ethical Oversight and Policy Review

The journal may request additional information or supporting documentation when ethical questions arise. Policies will be reviewed periodically to maintain consistency with recognized publication ethics practices and applicable requirements. The journal’s objective is to address concerns fairly, protect participants in the publication process, and preserve the integrity of the scientific record.