Ethical Policy

At Eurasian Clinical and Analytical Medicine (ECAM), we recognize that all individuals involved in scientific research—authors, editors, reviewers, publishers, and readers—have a responsibility to uphold the integrity of science and contribute to its advancement. Adherence to scientific ethical principles is essential in ensuring credible, impactful research that benefits the scientific community. ECAM and Bayrakol Medical Publisher expect the highest ethical standards from all contributors in conducting, reviewing, and publishing research.

The Editorial Board of ECAM and its publisher adhere to globally recognized ethical standards set by key organizations in academic publishing, including the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), Council of Science Editors (CSE), Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), US National Library of Medicine (NLM), World Medical Association (WMA), US Office of Research Integrity (ORI), European Association of Science Editors (EASE), and the International Society of Managing and Technical Editors (ISMTE). ECAM follows COPE’s guidelines for handling ethical issues in publishing and urges all individuals involved in creating scientific research to familiarize themselves with these principles.

Ethical Responsibilities of Authors in Academic Publishing

Academic integrity and adherence to ethical standards are fundamental to the credibility of scholarly research. Authors play a crucial role in maintaining these standards by ensuring that their manuscripts meet the principles of originality, ethical compliance, and appropriate acknowledgment of contributions. The following sections outline the key responsibilities that authors must observe in the academic publishing process.

Originality and Exclusive Submission

Authors are obligated to certify that their submitted manuscripts represent their original work. They must ensure that the manuscript has not been previously published and is not under review by another journal. Submitting unique work helps maintain the integrity of the publishing process and avoids issues related to dual submissions and redundant publications, which are significant ethical concerns in academia.

Compliance with Publication Ethics

Authors are expected to adhere to best practices in publication ethics, particularly regarding authorship, dual submission, plagiarism, manipulation of figures, conflicts of interest, and research ethics policies. To avoid all forms of plagiarism—a serious violation of ethical conduct—authors must ensure proper citation of others’ work, ideas, or language. Moreover, any use of figures or materials from other sources should be fully transparent and cited in compliance with journal guidelines.

Proper Attribution and Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. Those who contribute significantly to the research should be listed as authors, while others who participate in specific aspects of the study should be acknowledged as contributors. The corresponding author has the responsibility to ensure that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript before submission. Additionally, any changes to authorship (adding, removing, or rearranging authors) after initial submission must be documented in a letter to the editor signed by all authors.

In situations where an authorship correction is required, it must be requested and approved by all authors involved. However, after publication, authorship changes are typically only allowed if an error was introduced by the editorial staff.

Transparency in Funding and Conflicts of Interest

Authors are required to disclose any financial or competing interests that might influence their research. Acknowledging funding sources and potential conflicts of interest is crucial for transparency, as it allows readers to critically evaluate the objectivity and integrity of the research findings.

Responsibility for Error Correction

Should errors be identified at any stage of the publication process, authors are responsible for informing the journal promptly. They must cooperate fully in issuing corrections or retractions when necessary. This commitment to accuracy ensures that the scientific record remains reliable and that readers receive the most accurate and updated information.

Adherence to Ethical Standards in Human and Animal Research

For studies involving human or animal subjects, authors must comply with ethical guidelines, such as the Declaration of Helsinki for human research and relevant regulations for animal care. Authors should obtain necessary approvals from institutional review boards or ethics committees, ensuring that their research respects both national and international standards in human and animal welfare.

Ensuring Proper Permissions

Authors are responsible for securing permissions for any reused data, images, or materials in their manuscripts. They must also be able to provide documentation to verify the consent for data usage, especially when it involves sensitive or third-party data. This step is essential to protect intellectual property rights and maintain trust in the academic community.

In summary, authors bear a range of ethical responsibilities that support the integrity of the academic publishing process. By adhering to these guidelines, authors contribute to a transparent, trustworthy, and respectful scientific discourse, ensuring that published research meets the highest standards of academic rigor and ethical compliance.

Editors are responsible for overseeing the integrity of the review and publication process. Their duties include:

• Ensuring Fairness and Confidentiality: Manuscripts should be evaluated objectively based on content, without bias related to the authors’ background or affiliations. Editors must keep all submitted information confidential.
• Managing Conflicts of Interest: Editors should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists.
• Ethical Compliance: Ethical approval is required for all human and animal research. Editors must ensure manuscripts meet these requirements and verify compliance with international ethical standards.
• Final Decision Authority: The editor makes the final decision on acceptance or rejection based on the manuscript’s scientific merit, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
• Addressing Ethical Violations: In case of ethical concerns, editors are required to follow the journal’s policies and COPE guidelines to address complaints.

Peer review is a fundamental aspect of maintaining the quality of scientific research. ECAM uses a double-blind review process, ensuring anonymity between authors and reviewers. Reviewers are expected to:

• Review Within Their Expertise: Accept reviews only in their field of expertise.
• Provide Timely and Objective Reviews: Evaluate manuscripts fairly without influence from external factors and return reviews promptly.
• Maintain Confidentiality: Protect the confidentiality of the manuscripts and not discuss them with others.
• Identify Ethical Concerns: Inform the editor of any suspected ethical misconduct or conflict of interest.
• Offer Constructive Feedback: Use respectful and constructive language, avoiding any hostile or discriminatory comments.

Bayrakol Medical Publisher upholds all ethical standards to support the integrity of scientific publishing. The publisher is committed to:

• Ensuring Ethical Compliance: Act in accordance with ethical standards and facilitate transparent communication between all involved parties.
• Protecting Intellectual Property: Safeguard the copyright and ownership rights of every published work.
• Addressing Unethical Practices: Address any unethical behavior or complaints transparently and support corrective actions when necessary.

ECAM considers the following as violations of ethical principles:

• Plagiarism: Using others’ ideas, methods, or work without appropriate citation.
• Forgery: Falsifying non-existent data or research findings.
• Data Fabrication: Manipulating data or findings to present false outcomes.
• Duplicate Submission: Submitting the same work to multiple journals or presenting the same research findings in separate publications.
• Unjustified Authorship: Listing individuals who did not contribute significantly as authors or omitting contributors without reason.
• Failure to Comply with Human and Animal Research Standards: Not adhering to ethical guidelines for studies involving human or animal subjects.
• Misuse of Resources: Using resources intended for scientific research for unrelated purposes.

By adhering to these ethical standards, ECAM seeks to contribute to a credible and trustworthy body of scientific knowledge. We encourage all involved in scientific research to adopt these principles, as they support the integrity and quality of scholarly publishing on a global scale.

Human Studies

In studies involving human participants, informed consent must be obtained from each participant, and authors are required to specify their adherence to international ethical guidelines. Compliance with the Regulations on Pharmaceutical Research published by the Turkish Ministry of Health, as outlined in the Official Journal dated December 23, 2008 (No. 27089), is mandatory for studies conducted in Turkey. Additionally, all procedures involving human subjects should conform to the ethical standards of the institutional or national research committee and comply with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The Editorial Board expects that all investigations involving human participants follow these ethical principles rigorously.

Animal Studies

For research involving animals, it is essential that authors demonstrate that all animals were treated ethically. Studies should adhere to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals to ensure humane treatment. Authors are also expected to comply with the Interdisciplinary Principles and Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Research, Testing, and Education established by the New York Academy of Sciences’ Ad Hoc Committee on Animal Research. For all studies involving animals, obtaining ethical approval from the appropriate ethics committee is mandatory. This requirement ensures that all reported animal research meets high standards of animal welfare and research ethics.

Authors’ Responsibility to Disclose Funding Sources

Authors are required to disclose any financial support they received to conduct their research. By declaring funding sources, authors acknowledge the contributions of funders, meet funding requirements, and enhance transparency within the research process. This declaration helps readers understand the potential influences on the research and recognizes the support provided by funding agencies.

Details Required for Funding Disclosure

Authors should include the name of the funding organizations, grant numbers, and a brief description of each funder’s involvement. This information should clearly outline the funders’ roles and contributions. If the research was conducted independently of any grant or funding source, this should be explicitly stated.

Relevant vs. Non-Relevant Funding

If the grant or funding is unrelated to the research being published, authors are not required to list every grant or funding source supporting them in other projects. Only the financial support directly linked to the research presented in the manuscript needs to be disclosed. If the funders had no involvement or influence on the research, this should also be stated for clarity.

Entering Funding Information

Funding information must be provided in the designated section within the online submission system. By entering complete and accurate funding details, authors contribute to a transparent and accountable research publication process, reinforcing the integrity of the scientific record.

The Eurasian Clinical and Analytical Medicine (ECAM) journal retains the copyright for all published manuscripts. Reuse of data, tables, figures, or videos for commercial purposes without explicit, written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited, even if the materials are sourced from the authors’ own work. This policy aligns with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits use of content for non-commercial purposes as long as proper attribution is given.

Copyright Transfer Form

To finalize publication, the corresponding author must submit a Copyright Transfer Form signed by all contributing authors during the online submission process. This form confirms the transfer of copyright to ECAM, ensuring that the journal holds the necessary rights for distribution and protection of the published work.

Responsibility and Financial Policy for Manuscripts

Authors are not compensated in any form for their published manuscripts. The content and opinions expressed in the articles are solely the responsibility of the authors. Any commercial use of materials from this open-access journal requires permission from Eurasian Clinical and Analytical Medicine. This ensures compliance with copyright regulations while respecting the open-access nature of the journal’s content.

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in academic publishing has raised important ethical concerns among international editorial organizations, including COPE, ICMJE, and WAME. In line with these standards, ECAM outlines the following principles for the responsible use of AI in manuscript preparation and submission.

Acceptable Use of AI

Authors may use AI-based tools (e.g., large language models or generative assistants) for limited purposes such as improving grammar, correcting syntax, or translating scientific text. These tools may assist in formatting or organizing content, provided that all intellectual input originates from the authors.

Prohibited Use of AI

AI must not be used to generate core scientific content, formulate research hypotheses, analyze data, create figures, or draw conclusions. These activities require critical thinking, scientific expertise, and accountability—qualities that AI systems do not possess. Moreover, AI tools must never be listed as authors, as they cannot fulfill criteria of authorship, accountability, or responsibility.