Author Guidelines
The Annals of Student Biomedical Research maintains comprehensive guidelines and policies designed to uphold scientific rigor, ethical integrity, and educational value while remaining accessible to student authors at all academic levels. These policies reflect the journal’s dual mission: to publish high-quality biomedical research and to serve as a formative learning experience for emerging scientists. All contributors, mentors, reviewers, and editors are expected to adhere to these standards to ensure fairness, transparency, and scholarly excellence.
Manuscript Submission and Authorship. The journal accepts original, unpublished work in the biomedical sciences that has not been submitted elsewhere. Submissions may include experimental, clinical, computational, or translational research appropriate to the author’s level of training. Authorship must accurately reflect individual contributions, and all listed authors must approve the final manuscript. For middle and high school authors, a faculty advisor or research mentor must be identified to verify oversight, ethical compliance, and the integrity of the research process.
Ethical Standards and Research Compliance. All research must comply with applicable ethical guidelines and institutional regulations. Studies involving human subjects, animals, or sensitive data require appropriate institutional approval (e.g., IRB or IACUC) or a documented exemption when applicable. Authors must clearly state ethical approvals and informed consent procedures within their manuscripts. The journal enforces a strict policy against plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, and unethical research practices.
Peer Review and Editorial Process. The Annals of Student Biomedical Research uses a structured peer-review process designed to be both rigorous and educational. Submissions are evaluated by reviewers with relevant subject expertise, who provide constructive feedback aimed at improving scientific clarity, methodology, and interpretation. Editorial decisions are based on originality, methodological soundness, clarity of presentation, and relevance to biomedical research. Revisions are often encouraged, and mentorship through the review process is considered a core value of the journal.
Formatting, Writing, and Data Transparency. Authors are required to follow the journal’s formatting and citation guidelines to ensure consistency and readability. Manuscripts should be written in clear, precise scientific language appropriate to the intended audience. Figures, tables, and datasets must be accurately labeled and described, and authors are encouraged to provide sufficient methodological detail to support reproducibility. When possible, data availability statements should be included to promote transparency.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use and Transparency. All submissions must reflect the original intellectual work of the student author(s). Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may not be used to write manuscripts, generate original arguments, or produce research results. All ideas, analyses, and conclusions must originate from the author(s). Limited AI use is permitted for workflow support, including citation and reference formatting, grammar and language editing, generating tables, charts, or illustrative images, and organizing or summarizing materials already reviewed by the author. Any AI use must be clearly disclosed within the manuscript. Authors remain fully responsible for verifying the accuracy of all AI-assisted outputs, particularly citations, references, and figures. Submissions containing fabricated, falsified, or inaccurate AI-generated content will be rejected. AI tools must not be used to fabricate, manipulate, or misrepresent data, and authors must uphold standards of privacy, confidentiality, and intellectual property. The Editorial Board reserves the right to request clarification regarding AI use in any submission.
Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Policies. All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation or evaluation of research. Financial, personal, academic, or institutional relationships must be declared at the time of submission or review. Transparency in disclosures helps maintain trust in the peer-review process and the credibility of published work.
Publication Frequency, Access, and Corrections. The journal publishes three issues per year and is committed to timely and responsible dissemination of student research. Once published, articles become part of the permanent scholarly record. If errors, omissions, or ethical concerns are identified after publication, the journal reserves the right to issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions in accordance with best publishing practices. Through these guidelines and policies, the Annals of Student Biomedical Research aims to uphold integrity while fostering growth, learning, and excellence in student-led biomedical research.