Editorial Policies

Publication Ethics

The International Journal of Aging (IJAging) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal follows the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and adheres to the ethical guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff are expected to comply with accepted ethical standards in both research and publishing.

Peer Review Policy

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial assessment to determine their suitability for publication. Manuscripts that meet the journal’s requirements are sent for peer review by independent experts in the relevant field.

Reviewers evaluate submissions based on scientific quality, originality, significance, methodological rigor, and ethical considerations. The Editor-in-Chief holds final authority regarding the acceptance, revision, or rejection of any manuscript.

Authorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception and design of the study, the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data, or the drafting and critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content.

All authors must:

• Approve the final version of the manuscript prior to submission.
• Provide consent for the submission of the manuscript.
• Accept responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the work.

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

Changes to Authorship

Any changes in authorship—including the addition, removal, or rearrangement of author names—must be requested by the corresponding author during the peer-review process.

All requests for changes in authorship must include:

• A clear explanation for the requested change.
• Written consent from all authors involved.

Changes in authorship will not be permitted after manuscript acceptance and publication.

Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose any financial, personal, institutional, academic, or professional relationships that may influence the submitted work.

If no conflicts of interest exist, authors should include the following statement:

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

Plagiarism and Research Integrity

The journal maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, falsification, and other forms of scientific misconduct.

All submitted manuscripts are screened using Crossref Similarity Check (iThenticate). Similarity reports are evaluated based on the nature and context of the overlapping content rather than a fixed similarity percentage.

Any suspected misconduct will be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Duplicate Submission

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal, in either the same or a different language.

Submitted manuscripts must not have been previously published, nor currently be under consideration by another journal.

Human and Animal Rights

Research involving human participants must comply with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and, where applicable, receive approval from an appropriate institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee.

Studies involving animals must comply with institutional and international ethical standards for animal research.

Informed Consent

For studies involving human participants, informed consent must be obtained from participants or their legal representatives, where applicable.

Authors must ensure that participant privacy and confidentiality are strictly protected.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Artificial intelligence tools, including large language models (LLMs) and other AI-assisted technologies, may not be listed as authors.

Authors using AI-assisted tools during manuscript preparation must disclose such use where appropriate and remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the submitted content.

Reviewers must maintain confidentiality and refrain from using AI tools in any way that may compromise the privacy or security of the manuscript.

Corrections and Retractions

The journal follows standard publication ethics practices in addressing post-publication issues. Corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern may be issued when necessary to preserve the integrity of the scientific record.

Open Access, Copyright, and Publication Fees

The International Journal of Aging (IJAging) is an open-access journal. All published articles are freely and permanently available online immediately upon publication, without subscription or registration requirements.

Articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0).