Publication Ethics

For Authors

Reporting Standards:

The author of the original devotional report should present an accurate account of the work done as well as an objective discussion of its significance. The underlying data should be presented accurately. The paper should contain sufficient detail and references to allow others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or deliberately inaccurate statements constitute unethical and unacceptable behavior.

Data Access and Retention:

Authors are required to provide raw data in connection with the paper for editorial review, and must be prepared to provide public access to such data (consistent with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases), where possible, and in any event must be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publications:

An author should not generally publish a manuscript that describes essentially the same devotion in more than one journal or major publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously is unethical and unacceptable publishing behavior.

Source Acknowledgement:

Proper acknowledgment of the work of others should always be included. The author should cite publications that are influential in determining the nature of the work being reported.

Paper Writing:

Authorship should be limited to those who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, implementation, or interpretation of the reported study. All persons who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the service project, they should be recognized or listed as contributors. Correspondence authors should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included in the paper, and that all co-authors have viewed and approved the final version of the paper and have approved its submission for publication.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest:

All authors must disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that may be interpreted to affect the outcome or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project must be disclosed.

Fundamental errors in published works:

When an author discovers significant errors or inaccuracies in his or her published work, it is the author's obligation to immediately notify the journal editor or publisher and work with the editor to retract or correct the paper.

Subject of Human or Animal Danger:

If the work involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment that have unusual hazards inherent in their use, the author must clearly identify them within the manuscript.

 

For Editors

Fair Game:

Editors at all times evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content regardless of the author's race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, nationality, or political philosophy.

Confidentiality:

Editors and editorial staff should not disclose any information about the submitted manuscript to anyone other than the appropriate authors, reviewers, prospective reviewers, other editorial advisors, and publishers, as appropriate.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest:

Unpublished material disclosed in submitted manuscripts may not be used in the editor's own research without the written consent of the author.

Publication Decision:

The journal's editorial board is responsible for deciding which articles to submit to journals that should be published. Validation of the work and its importance to the team of service members and readers should always drive the decision. Editors may be guided by the journal's editorial board policies and are limited by applicable legal requirements regarding defamation, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. Editors may consult with other editors or reviewers in making these decisions.

Manuscript Review:

Editors should ensure that each manuscript is initially evaluated by the editor for authenticity. Editors should organize and use peer review fairly and judiciously. Editors should explain their peer review process in information for authors and also indicate which parts of the journal are peer-reviewed. Editors should use appropriate peer reviewers for papers being considered for publication by selecting sufficient people, either in terms of competence or other capacities.