The Archives of Psychiatry and Mental Health (APMH) provides these Author Guidelines to ensure clarity, transparency, and adherence to ethical and professional standards in scholarly publishing. These guidelines set expectations for authors, covering authorship criteria, ethical conduct, conflict-of-interest policies, reporting standards, data-sharing expectations, and responsible use of technology—including artificial intelligence tools—throughout the research and writing process.

This page represents the general principles that apply to all authors submitting to APMH. For technical details about manuscript preparation and formatting, authors must consult the separate section titled "Submission Guidelines & Manuscript Preparation."

Scope of the Guidelines

These guidelines apply to:

All article types (original research, reviews, case reports, clinical studies, short communications, perspectives, editorials)
All authors contributing to scholarly submissions
All versions of manuscript development—from initial concept to final publication
All supplemental materials, data sets, and research artifacts

They are aligned with major ethical frameworks, including:

ICMJE Recommendations
COPE Code of Conduct
WAME Standards
CARE, PRISMA, CONSORT, STROBE reporting guidelines
DOAJ quality standards

Authorship Criteria

APMH follows the ICMJE authorship criteria, requiring that each author must meet all four of the following conditions:

Substantial contribution to conception or design, data collection, or data analysis
Drafting or critically revising important intellectual content
Final approval of the manuscript version to be published
Accountability for all aspects of the manuscript

Individuals who do not meet the criteria—such as funders, administrative staff, or technical assistants—may be acknowledged but may not be listed as authors.

Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author must:

Manage all journal communication
Verify authorship details and agreed order
Ensure ethical compliance
Coordinate approval from all authors
Oversee submission and response to reviewer comments

Changes in Authorship

Changes in authorship (additions, deletions, order adjustments) after submission require:

A formal request letter explaining the reason
Signed consent from all existing and proposed authors

The journal may refuse changes that appear unethical or inconsistent.

Originality and Duplicate Submissions

APMH only accepts manuscripts that:

Are original work
Are not published elsewhere
Are not under consideration by another journal
Do not contain plagiarized or redundant content

APMH uses advanced plagiarism detection software to identify overlap. Excessive, inappropriate, or deceptive overlap will result in rejection or further investigation.

Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

APMH recognizes that authors may use AI-assisted tools. However:

AI cannot be listed as an author
AI-generated text must be reviewed, verified, and edited by authors
Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy and originality of all content
AI tools used must be disclosed in the manuscript

AI may not be used to fabricate data, generate false references, or manipulate images. Any such violation constitutes misconduct.

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent

Research involving human subjects, patient information, or biological samples must:

Obtain ethics committee approval
Provide an approval number and committee name
Include informed consent from participants
Anonymize identifiable data

For case reports, explicit patient consent is mandatory. Authors must submit consent forms upon request.

Animal Research Standards

Animal studies must comply with:

International animal care guidelines
Institutional review boards
Humane treatment standards

Pain, distress, or euthanasia procedures must be transparently described.

Reporting Guidelines

Authors are strongly encouraged to use the appropriate reporting checklist for their study design:

CONSORT – Clinical Trials
PRISMA – Systematic Reviews
STROBE – Observational Studies
CARE – Case Reports
ARRIVE – Animal Studies
SRQR – Qualitative Research

Checklists may be required as supplementary files during submission.

Data Availability Requirements

Authors must:

State whether data are available publicly, privately upon request, or restricted
Provide repository links where applicable
Avoid sharing confidential or identifying information without consent

Acceptable repositories include Zenodo, Figshare, OSF, Dryad, and institutional archives.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

All authors must declare:

Financial relationships
Personal or professional affiliations
Institutional or organizational ties
Any interest that could be perceived as influencing the research

If no conflicts exist, authors must explicitly state: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

Funding Disclosure

Authors must disclose all funding sources, including:

Grant numbers
Sponsoring institutions
Role of the funder in study design or publication

If no funding was received, authors must state: “This research received no specific funding.”

Image and Figure Integrity

Manipulation of images is strictly prohibited unless:

Adjustments are applied uniformly
No scientific information is distorted

Unacceptable practices include:

Fabricating or altering data
Splicing images without description
Using AI-generated images without disclosure

Preprints and Public Posting

APMH permits authors to:

Share preprints before submission
Post accepted versions after peer review
Share published versions immediately upon publication

Preprints must include:

A disclaimer stating the article is not peer-reviewed
A link to the final version once available

Author Responsibilities During Peer Review

Authors must:

Respond to reviewer comments professionally
Address all critiques point-by-point
Provide revised files clearly marked
Respect confidentiality of reviewer feedback

Failure to engage with the review process may result in withdrawal or rejection.

Misconduct and Investigations

APMH investigates cases involving:

Plagiarism
Data fabrication or falsification
Improper authorship practices
Peer-review manipulation
Duplicate publication
Ethics violations

Consequences may include:

Rejection or retraction
Publication of an expression of concern
Notification to institutions
Future submission bans

Corrections, Retractions, and Updates

After publication, authors must notify the journal immediately of:

Significant errors
Missing data
Incorrect author details
Ethical oversights

APMH may issue:

Corrections
Retractions
Expressions of concern
Updated versions

Acknowledgments

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged, such as:

Technical assistants
Language editors
Data collectors
Administrative staff

Funding sources must not be acknowledged without permission.

ORCID Requirements

APMH encourages all authors—particularly corresponding and first authors—to include valid ORCID iDs for improved identification, citation accuracy, and global discoverability.

Example of Ethical Compliance

A team submitting a clinical trial manuscript uploads their CONSORT checklist, provides IRB approval numbers, confirms participant consent, and discloses partial AI-based grammar assistance. Reviewer comments prompt data transparency improvements, which the authors provide via a public repository. This represents ideal ethical compliance.

Conclusion

The Author Guidelines of APMH establish a rigorous, ethically grounded framework for scholarly contribution. By adhering to these principles—authorship transparency, research integrity, disclosure obligations, proper reporting standards, and respect for participants—authors contribute to the advancement of reliable, impactful psychiatric and mental health research.