The journal adheres to the Code of Conduct and the Best Practice Guidelines (COPE).

Role and Responsibility of the Editor

The editor bears the responsibility of determining the publication status of the submitted papers, taking into consideration factors such as the manuscript's quality, originality, and relevance to the scope of Acta Life. Additionally, the editor evaluates the study's validity and significance. Other than the relevant authors, reviewers, other editorial advisors, and the publisher, the editor and editorial personnel shall maintain the confidentiality of the manuscripts and shall not disclose any information regarding a submitted manuscript to any third party. Without the author’s explicit written consent, they will not utilize this material for their own research. The editor should follow – COPE “Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors”.

Role and Responsibility of Reviewers

Through the process of peer review, the editor will be able to determine whether or not to accept the submission for publication. Reviewers who are unable to evaluate the work due to technical or time constraints should promptly notify the journal manager so they can be removed from the review process and alternative reviewers can be recruited. In the reference section, reviewers ought to indicate whether the essential, pertinent literature was cited or whether significant publications were omitted. To the greatest extent feasible, the methods and logic of the experimental design are scrutinized critically. To ensure that substantial text overlaps and similarities with previously published works are eliminated, a plagiarism check is implemented. Similar to editors, reviewers are obligated to maintain the confidentiality of the information entrusted to them during the review process and to refrain from using it for personal gain. Collaborations or collaborative publications that occurred within the last decade that give rise to conflicts of interest are required to notify the editor of such matters and subsequently omitted from the review process. The reviewers must follow Ethical Guidelines for Peer-Reviewers.

Role and Responsibility of Authors

Authors ought to incorporate a comprehensive description of the processes utilized in their original works, enabling others to duplicate the endeavor. Knowingly committing fraud or misrepresentation in any capacity is unethical and abhorrent. Upon request, authors must be willing to provide their original data for editorial review. The publication's scope may dictate whether the data are to be published as supplementary material or whether the authors are obligated to deposit their information in a repository. Regardless, the data must be preserved for a minimum of ten years. Additionally, authors are expected to furnish, upon request, one of their most pertinent articles within the domain of the present submission. Manuscripts should exclusively comprise novel research findings and should not be submitted concurrently elsewhere. Authorship should be restricted to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the publication's conception and substance. The corresponding author shall ensure that all co-authors have provided their consent for the publication of the final manuscript and approved its submission. Every author is encouraged to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. It is required to specify the financial support sources utilized in this study. If an author discovers a significant error in their work after publication, it is imperative that they promptly notify the editor-in-chief so that they may consult with the editor regarding the most suitable course of action, whether it be to rectify the error or retract the paper entirely.

Corrigendum and Retractions

When mistakes or publishing ethical problems are found in published papers, the journal may contact the editor(s), author(s), and authors' institution. Authors may fix mistakes with a corrigendum and publishers with an erratum. If mistakes substantially alter findings or wrongdoing is found, retraction or concern may be required. Acta Life adopts COPE retraction rules for such circumstances.

Redundant or Duplicate submission and/or Publication

Author(s) should not publish the same idea or data in many journals. Sharing work with several journals is unethical and inappropriate. Author(s) must read ICJME guidelines on “Overlapping Publications”.

Acknowledgement and Funding

Authors should credit others. Authors should reference sources that influenced the work. The journal requires authors to disclose all funding sources for their study. Granting agencies, grant numbers, and a brief description of each sponsor should be included.  Only funding relevant to the submitted work should be stated; authors are not obligated to declare all grants they receive.

Ethical Guidelines for Acta Life

The publisher is obligated to safeguard the copyright and intellectual property of the authors' submitted materials. Privacy and personal data are highly valued, with particular emphasis on authors and peer reviewers. To ensure transparency and integrity throughout the peer-review process and to uphold editorial independence, we collaborate closely with the editors and peer reviewers. 

Article withdrawal

The authors retain the right to withdraw their articles at any point during the peer-review and publication process, provided that the complete volume, issue, and page information is not yet available prior to publication.

Misconduct

The journal addresses instances of misconduct in accordance with COPE flowcharts (https://publicationethics.org/guidance/flowcharts).

Complaints

Complaints and appeals regarding the journal may be submitted by authors and readers to the editor or publisher via email at support@actalife.org.