Scope and purpose

Archives of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (AAAI) publishes peer-reviewed research and scholarly content across asthma, allergy, immunology, and related clinical and translational fields. Publication ethics is central to AAAI’s mission because published work can inform clinical decisions, patient education, and future research. This Publication Ethics Policy describes the journal’s detailed standards and procedures to prevent and address misconduct and malpractice, and to maintain a reliable scholarly record.

This policy applies to all article types published by AAAI (including original research, reviews, case reports, short communications, and editorial content). It applies from submission through post-publication stewardship and covers all participants: authors, reviewers, editors, editorial staff, and the publisher.

Ethical principles guiding AAAI

AAAI’s ethical framework is based on internationally recognized scholarly publishing principles and biomedical research expectations. The journal aims to apply these principles consistently, transparently, and proportionately:

• Integrity: truthful reporting and responsible authorship.
• Transparency: disclosure of conflicts, funding, and related works.
• Fairness: unbiased editorial decisions and respectful review conduct.
• Accountability: willingness to correct the record when needed.
• Protection: safeguarding participant privacy and ethical research conduct.

Authorship and contributorship

AAAI requires authorship to reflect genuine scholarly contribution. Authorship practices must be transparent to prevent disputes and misattribution. Each listed author should be able to take public responsibility for appropriate parts of the work and must approve the final version.

Unacceptable authorship practices

• Ghost authorship: undisclosed contributors who wrote or shaped the manuscript.
• Gift/guest authorship: adding an author who did not contribute meaningfully.
• Coercive authorship: forced inclusion of individuals without contribution.

Changes to authorship

Requests to add/remove/reorder authors after submission must include: (1) a clear justification, (2) written agreement from all authors (including any removed author), and (3) confirmation that the change does not conceal a conflict or dispute. AAAI may pause review until the issue is resolved.

Conflicts of interest and funding transparency

Conflicts of interest (COI) can be financial (e.g., consulting, employment, grants, stock ownership) or non-financial (e.g., professional rivalry, personal relationships, intellectual beliefs). COI does not automatically disqualify a manuscript, but undisclosed COI can undermine trust and may require corrective action.

Author disclosures

• Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts and funding sources at submission.
• Authors must explain the role of funders (if any) in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and writing.
• If no conflicts exist, authors should state “The authors declare no competing interests.”

Reviewer and editor disclosures

Reviewers and editors must disclose relevant conflicts and recuse themselves when impartiality may be compromised. AAAI manages conflicts through reassignment, reviewer selection, and confidentiality safeguards.

Human participants, consent, and animal ethics

AAAI expects research to be conducted in accordance with ethical oversight and applicable laws. For studies involving human participants, authors should provide ethics approval information (institutional review board/ethics committee details) where applicable and include informed consent statements. For case reports, consent should be obtained when identification is possible.

For animal research, authors should confirm ethical oversight and report welfare safeguards, species details, housing/handling where relevant, and humane endpoints.

Ethics documentation requests

AAAI may request ethics approval letters, consent templates, or data governance documentation where needed to verify compliance. Lack of adequate ethics documentation may lead to rejection or post-publication action if discovered later.

Originality, plagiarism, and redundant publication

AAAI requires original work that is properly attributed and not under simultaneous consideration elsewhere. The journal screens for plagiarism and may evaluate overlap with preprints, theses, conference abstracts, or earlier journal publications.

Related work disclosure

• Disclose preprints and provide URLs at submission.
• Disclose related manuscripts, overlapping datasets, or earlier reports from the same project.
• Cite and explain what is new (new analysis, expanded cohort, new endpoints, updated interpretation).

Data integrity, image integrity, and reproducibility

AAAI expects accurate reporting of methods, analyses, and results. Fabrication, falsification, or deceptive manipulation is serious misconduct. Image adjustments must not alter meaning; any permissible adjustments should be applied to the whole image and described when relevant.

Data stewardship expectations

• Maintain source data and analysis outputs for a reasonable period after publication.
• Be prepared to provide underlying data or clarifications if questions arise.
• Report methods and statistical approaches clearly, including inclusion/exclusion criteria and missing data handling.

Peer review ethics and confidentiality

Peer review is confidential. Reviewers must not share manuscripts or use unpublished content for personal advantage. Reviewer comments should be objective, evidence-based, and respectful. Attempts to manipulate peer review—such as fake reviewer identities or compromised reviewer suggestions—are prohibited.

AAAI may verify reviewer identities and may restrict or reject reviewer suggestions that present conflicts or appear non-independent.

Handling allegations of misconduct and malpractice

AAAI takes allegations seriously and aims to handle them fairly, confidentially, and proportionately. Allegations may arise during screening, peer review, or after publication. The journal distinguishes between honest error (which can often be corrected) and misconduct (which may require stronger action).

How to report a concern

Anyone (authors, reviewers, readers, institutions) may report concerns to the editorial office. Reports should include the manuscript ID or article URL/DOI and specific evidence (copied passages, figure comparisons, data anomalies, or documentation).

Typical investigation pathway

Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions

Maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record requires visible, traceable updates when errors or misconduct are identified. AAAI uses post-publication notices that remain linked to the original article record.

Retractions are intended to correct the literature—not to punish. Retraction notices should explain the reason in a factual manner. Where appropriate, AAAI may indicate whether authors agreed or disagreed with the retraction.

Appeals, complaints, and respectful communication

AAAI accepts good-faith appeals and complaints. Appeals must be evidence-based and focused on factual or procedural issues. Complaints about editorial process should be communicated respectfully and with sufficient detail to investigate.

Abusive communication, threats, or attempts to improperly influence editors or reviewers are not acceptable and may limit further correspondence.

Education and prevention

AAAI promotes ethics through clear guidance and preventive checks. Authors can prevent many issues by citing carefully, disclosing related work, documenting ethics approvals, and maintaining raw data. Reviewers can support integrity by flagging concerns early and keeping reviews constructive and confidential.