Authorship Policy

Archives of Ophthalmological Research (AOR) and MediHealth Academy strictly adhere to the authorship recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Authorship should be based on the following four criteria:

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work;
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content;
3. Final approval of the version to be published; and
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Each individual listed as an author must fulfill all four authorship criteria.

Individuals who do not meet all four criteria but have contributed to the work should not be listed as authors. Their contributions should be acknowledged separately on the Title Page and/or in the Acknowledgments section of the manuscript, as appropriate.

AOR requires the corresponding author to submit a signed authorship and contribution form during the initial submission process. This form is intended to document individual author contributions, protect authorship rights, and help prevent inappropriate authorship practices such as ghost, guest, gift, or honorary authorship.

The final author list and author order will be based on the information approved by all authors and provided in the authorship documentation.

If the Editorial Board suspects inappropriate authorship, including gift, guest, ghost, or honorary authorship, the authors may be asked to provide clarification or additional documentation. Confirmed cases may result in rejection of the manuscript or other appropriate editorial action in accordance with AOR's Research and Publication Ethics policies.

The corresponding author must also confirm that all listed authors meet the authorship criteria, have approved the submitted manuscript, and agree with the stated authorship order and contribution information.

Changes to Authorship

Authors must carefully determine the authorship list and author order before manuscript submission.

Once a manuscript has been submitted, authorship changes will generally be considered only when there is a valid and clearly documented reason.

The following principles apply:

• All authors must be listed in the manuscript and entered accurately into the submission system.
• Any addition, removal, or rearrangement of author names should normally occur before acceptance.
• Requests for authorship changes must be submitted by the corresponding author.
• The request must include a clear explanation for the proposed change.
• Written confirmation must be obtained from all authors, including any author being added or removed.
• All required authorship change forms and supporting documentation must be submitted to the Journal.
• Authorship changes are subject to approval by the AOR Editorial Board.
• The editorial or publication process may be suspended while an authorship change request is under review.
• Authorship changes after acceptance will be considered only in exceptional circumstances.
• If an authorship change is approved after publication, a formal correction notice may be issued.

Unauthorized or misleading changes to authorship may result in rejection of the manuscript or appropriate post-publication action if the article has already been published.

Authorship Declaration

Each author is required to provide an authorship and contribution declaration.

The declaration should include, where applicable:

• The specific contribution or role of each author, such as conceptualization, methodology, data collection, data analysis, interpretation, writing, review, or supervision;
• Any editorial, writing, technical, or administrative support received;
• Confirmation that all authors meet the applicable authorship criteria;
• Confirmation that all authors approve the final manuscript; and
• Disclosure of any potential inappropriate authorship arrangement.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that the authorship information submitted to AOR is complete and accurate.

Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author serves as the primary contact between AOR and the author group.

The corresponding author is responsible for:

• Ensuring that all listed authors meet the authorship criteria;
• Confirming that all authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript;
• Ensuring that author names, affiliations, ORCID iDs, and contact information are accurate;
• Coordinating communication between the Journal and all co-authors;
• Ensuring that all authors are informed of major editorial decisions and revisions;
• Submitting required authorship and contribution documentation; and
• Cooperating with any authorship-related inquiry or investigation.

Authorship Disputes

AOR does not independently determine legal or institutional authorship rights in unresolved disputes.

Where an authorship dispute arises, the Journal will follow relevant Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance and may request clarification or documentation from the authors or their institutions.

If the dispute cannot be resolved by the authors, AOR may suspend the editorial or publication process until the matter has been addressed by the relevant institution or other appropriate authority.

If an authorship issue is identified after publication, AOR may issue a correction, retraction, or other appropriate post-publication notice depending on the circumstances.