Policies

Open Access Policy and Copyright

The Asian Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology (AJPT) is a fully Open Access peer-reviewed journal committed to the unrestricted dissemination of scientific knowledge in the fields of medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, healthcare, and biomedical research. All articles published in AJPT are freely accessible immediately upon publication without subscription or access barriers.

All accepted articles are published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) unless otherwise stated. Under this license, readers are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, share, adapt, and reproduce the published material in any medium or format, provided appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and source of publication.

The author(s) retain full copyright ownership of their published work. By submitting and publishing with AJPT, authors grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish, archive, preserve, distribute, and promote the article in electronic and print formats for scientific and academic purposes.

The journal supports the global exchange of scientific information and encourages the ethical reuse of published content with proper citation and acknowledgment of the original source.

Peer Review Policy

Peer review is an essential component of scholarly publishing and scientific quality assurance. Asian Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology follows a rigorous double-blind peer-review process in which both reviewer and author identities remain confidential throughout the review procedure.

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening to evaluate the suitability, originality, scientific relevance, ethical compliance, and technical quality of the work. Manuscripts that successfully pass the preliminary assessment are forwarded to independent expert reviewers in the relevant subject area.

The peer-review process aims to ensure:

• Scientific accuracy and originality
• Methodological validity
• Ethical compliance
• Relevance to the journal scope
• Clarity and quality of presentation
• Contribution to scientific advancement

Based on reviewer recommendations, manuscripts may be accepted, revised, or rejected. The editorial board reserves the right to make the final publication decision.

Editorials, announcements, and invited communications may undergo editorial review at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.

Publication Ethics and Editorial Standards

Asian Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and scientific integrity. The journal follows internationally accepted ethical guidelines and best editorial practices to ensure transparency, credibility, and academic excellence in scientific publishing.

AJPT adheres to the principles and recommendations established by:

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
• International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
• World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)
• Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA)

The journal expects all participants involved in the publication process-including authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff-to maintain ethical conduct and professional responsibility throughout manuscript submission, review, and publication procedures.

The journal strictly opposes:

• Plagiarism
• Data fabrication or falsification
• Duplicate publication
• Redundant publication
• Citation manipulation
• Unethical experimentation
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest
• Authorship misconduct

Appropriate editorial actions, including rejection, correction, retraction, or reporting to institutions and funding agencies, may be taken in cases of ethical violations.

Originality, Duplicate Submission, and Redundant Publication

AJPT considers manuscripts for publication only when the submitted work is original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.

Authors must confirm during submission that:

• The manuscript is original work
• The manuscript has not been previously published
• The manuscript is not simultaneously submitted to another journal
• All authors have approved the submission

The journal does not permit duplicate submissions or redundant publications, including the inappropriate division of a single study into multiple manuscripts (“salami publication”).

If duplicate or redundant publication is identified before or after publication, the manuscript may be rejected, corrected, or retracted according to COPE recommendations. Additional actions may include notification to affiliated institutions, funding agencies, or relevant academic authorities.

Preprints and Secondary Publication

Asian Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology recognizes the value of scientific preprints in accelerating research communication. Authors may submit manuscripts that have previously appeared on recognized non-commercial preprint servers, provided this is clearly disclosed during submission.

Posting a manuscript as a preprint does not guarantee acceptance for publication in the journal. Submitted manuscripts will continue to undergo the standard peer-review and editorial evaluation process.

Secondary publication intended for broader dissemination of significant scientific findings may be considered if appropriate permissions, acknowledgments, and ethical requirements are fulfilled in accordance with ICMJE recommendations.

Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment regarding research, peer review, editorial decisions, or publication may be influenced by personal, financial, academic, institutional, or commercial relationships.

All authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may influence the manuscript evaluation or publication process.

Examples may include:

• Financial support or funding
• Employment or consultancy relationships
• Patent ownership
• Personal or professional relationships
• Institutional affiliations
• Academic competition

Failure to disclose conflicts of interest may result in manuscript rejection, publication correction, or retraction.

Editors and reviewers who identify potential conflicts must decline involvement in the editorial or peer-review process for the respective manuscript.

Plagiarism Screening Policy

All submitted manuscripts are subjected to plagiarism screening using standard plagiarism detection tools and editorial assessment procedures before peer review.

The journal maintains strict policies against:

• Direct plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Data plagiarism
• Image manipulation
• Unattributed content reproduction

Manuscripts identified with significant plagiarism or unethical overlap may be rejected immediately. Serious ethical concerns identified after publication may result in correction, retraction, or formal notification to concerned institutions.

Human and Animal Ethics

Research involving human participants, human tissues, clinical data, or experimental animals must comply with recognized ethical standards and institutional guidelines.

Authors must clearly mention:

• Institutional Ethics Committee or IRB approval
• Informed consent from participants
• Compliance with international ethical standards
• Animal welfare and experimental guidelines where applicable

The journal reserves the right to request ethical approval documents and may reject manuscripts that fail to meet ethical research standards.

Authorship and Contribution Policy

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to the study, including research design, data analysis, manuscript preparation, or scientific interpretation.

All listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission and publication.

Any changes in authorship after submission—including addition, removal, or rearrangement of authors—must be justified in writing and approved by all authors and the editorial office.

Gift authorship, ghost authorship, or unauthorized inclusion of authors is strictly prohibited.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

The journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. When necessary, AJPT may publish:

• Corrections
• Retractions
• Editorial notes
• Expressions of concern

These actions may be initiated in cases involving major scientific errors, ethical misconduct, unreliable findings, duplicate publication, or violations of publication ethics.

All post-publication decisions are handled according to COPE guidelines and editorial evaluation procedures.

Archiving and Digital Preservation

Asian Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology is committed to the long-term preservation and accessibility of published scholarly content. Published articles are archived electronically to ensure permanent accessibility and academic record preservation.

Editorial Independence

The editorial decisions of AJPT are independent and based solely on scientific quality, originality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal scope. Commercial interests, sponsorships, or institutional affiliations do not influence editorial evaluations or publication decisions.

Disclaimer

The opinions and statements expressed in published articles are solely those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or publisher. The journal and publisher are not responsible for any errors, consequences, or claims arising from the use of published information.