Editorial Policies
Advanced Natural Sciences: Life and Health Sciences rely on the integrity and honesty of their Editors to publish the best manuscript that conforms to the ethical standards and meets all the requirements as per the mission of the journal for publication. All manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review by at least two independent reviewers. The identities of authors and reviewers remain concealed from each other at all stages. Advanced Natural Sciences: Life and Health Sciences encourages its editors to follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) "Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors".
Advanced Natural Sciences: Life and Health Sciences adheres to the professional and industry guidelines and best practices in scientific publications, including the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (ICMJE) and Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (joint statement by COPE, DOAJ, WAME, and OASPA)
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Open Access Policy: This is an open access journal, meaning that all articles are freely available to readers without any subscription or pay-per-view fees. Readers can access, read, and download all published content at no cost, ensuring wide dissemination of research and knowledge sharing. This policy reflects our commitment to removing barriers to knowledge and supporting the global academic community. (Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0))
Peer Review: Advanced Natural Sciences: Life and Health Sciences rely on the double-blind peer review process to assess the quality of the manuscript to be published. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines on the peer review process can be found here and Guidelines for the reviewers can be found here.
Plagiarism: Advanced Natural Sciences: Life and Health Sciences also considers "self-plagiarism" as a form of plagiarism. An example of self-plagiarism would be when an author borrows from his or her own previously published work without the proper citation within the newly submitted manuscript. We encourage our editors and reviewers to use the plagiarism check. The manuscripts found to have plagiarism is rejected.
Accuracy and fact-checking: The journal ensures the accuracy of published content through peer review and editorial oversight and promptly publishes corrections when necessary.
Editorial independence: The journal maintains editorial independence and do not allow advertisers, sponsors, or any external parties to influence our content in any way.
Transparency: The journal discloses any conflicts of interest and relationships with external parties that may influence our content, and we provide clear attribution for sources and contributors.
Respect for diversity and inclusivity: The journal respects and celebrates diversity in all its forms, and we strive to represent diverse perspectives and voices in our content.
Protection of personal information: The journal respect individuals’ right to privacy and we protect personal information in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
Copyright and intellectual property: The journal respect the intellectual property rights of others and do not infringe on any copyrights or trademarks in our content.
Non-discrimination: The journal does not publish content that discriminates against any individual or group based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or any other protected characteristic.
Responsibility for content: The journal provides editorial oversight of published content and investigates complaints or concerns in accordance with established ethical guidelines.
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All manuscripts are submitted through the journal’s online submission system.
- Upon submission, manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening to assess:
- Alignment with the journal’s aims and scope
- Compliance with author guidelines
- Ethical approvals, declarations, and consent statements
- Plagiarism and similarity checks using iThenticate software.
- Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s basic requirements or ethical standards are rejected without external peer review.
- Manuscripts that pass initial screening are assigned to an appropriate Section Editor.
- The journal follows a double-blind peer review process, in which:
- The identities of authors and reviewers are concealed
- At least two independent reviewers with subject expertise are invited
- Reviewers evaluate the manuscript for originality, scientific quality, methodology, ethical compliance, clarity, and relevance
- Reviewers submit written reports and recommend one of the following decisions:
- Accept
- Minor revision
- Major revision
- Reject
- Based on the reviewer reports, the Section Editor makes a recommendation to the Editor-in-Chief.
- The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on the manuscript, taking into account reviewer feedback and editorial standards. .
- Authors of manuscripts requiring revision must submit:
- A revised version of the manuscript
- A point-by-point response to reviewer comments
- Revised manuscripts may be sent for additional peer review, where necessary.
- Once all scientific, ethical, and editorial requirements are satisfied, the manuscript is formally accepted for publication.
- Accepted manuscripts undergo copyediting and proofreading to ensure accuracy, consistency, and clarity.
- Authors review and approve the final proofs prior to publication.
- Articles are published online with immediate open access, without embargo.
- All published content is digitally preserved through the multi-disciplinary open research repository hosted by CERN and commissioned by the European Commission through the OpenAIRE project to ensure long-term availability and accessibility.
The journal strives to complete the peer review process within two-three weeks of the decision to review, although occasional delays may occur. Authors are advised to allow up to four weeks from the date of submission before contacting the editorial office. The Editor-in-Chief retains full authority over the final decision on acceptance or rejection.
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Research Misconduct: Editors must take reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of papers involving research misconduct. Under no circumstances should a journal or its editors promote or knowingly allow such misconduct. If the editors become aware of any allegations of research misconduct, they must address these concerns appropriately. The editorial board is responsible for taking necessary actions to retract or correct articles when required. Publishers and editors should be committed to publishing corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies when necessary. If misconduct is discovered in a published article, the Editor will follow COPE’s guidelines to handle the allegations appropriately.
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Policy for handling errata, retractions, withdrawals, and expressions of concern :Errata, Retractions, Withdrawals, and Expressions of Concern
Errata: An erratum is a correction of a factual error that does not alter the overall conclusions of a published work. When an error is identified, we will promptly correct the error and publish an erratum that clearly identifies the correction and its implications, such changes are intimated to respective indexing agencies.
Retractions: A retraction is a notice that a published work is no longer valid or reliable. Retractions may be necessary when a work contains serious errors, plagiarism, or other forms of misconduct. The publisher and the editorial team of the journal will investigate any concerns raised about published content and, if necessary, issue a retraction that clearly explains the reasons for the retraction, such changes are intimated to respective indexing agencies.
Process for issuing a retraction statement
Where the decision is taken to retract and the article to be retracted is the Version of Record (i.e. it has been published as Online First or within an issue of a journal), we recommends issuing a retraction statement which should be published separately and should be linked to the article being retracted. A "retracted" watermark should also be added to the article; however, the article as first published should be retained online to maintain the scientific record. Issuing a retraction statement will mean the following:
- The retraction will appear on a numbered page in a prominent section of the journal.
- The retraction will be listed in the contents page and the title of the original article will be included in its heading.
- The text of the retraction should explain why the article is being retracted; and
- The statement of retraction and the original article must be clearly linked in the electronic database so that the retraction will always be apparent to anyone who comes across the original article.
Withdrawals: A withdrawal is a notice that a published work is being removed from circulation because of ethical concerns or legal issues. Withdrawals may be necessary when a work contains fraudulent or unethical research or when legal issues arise. We will investigate any concerns raised about published content and, if necessary, issue a withdrawal that clearly explains the reasons for the withdrawal.
Expressions of Concern: Expressions of concern may be necessary when there are concerns about the validity or reliability of a published work. The publisher and the editorial team will investigate any concerns raised about published content and, if necessary, issue an expression of concern that clearly explains the reasons for the concern and the steps being taken to address the issue.
Complaints procedure
To challenge to a retraction or a related issue, Advanced Natural Sciences: Life and Health Sciences procedure is as follows:
- The complaint may be submitted via the journal editor or directly to at ans.submit@gmail.com
- The investigation involves reviewing all correspondence relating to the case in question and, if necessary, obtaining further written responses to queries from the parties involved.
- The purpose of the investigation is to establish that correct procedures have been followed, that decisions have been reached based on academic criteria, that personal prejudice or bias of some kind has not influenced the outcome, and that appropriate sanctions have been applied where relevant.
- Complainants may choose to take their complaint to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Authorship and Contributor Guidelines: All authors named on the manuscript are expected to agree upon the authorship arrangement and to satisfy the accepted criteria for scholarly contribution within their discipline. Individuals who meet these criteria must be included, and no eligible contributor should be excluded from authorship.
All authors listed on a manuscript share collective responsibility for the accuracy, credibility, and overall integrity of the work. Any dispute or request to alter authorship-whether related to inclusion, removal, sequence, or contribution-at any point during submission, review, or publication will be handled in accordance with established COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) recommendations and documented procedures. These guidelines provide structured approaches, including decision flowcharts and case-based precedents, to ensure a fair and transparent resolution. When an authorship change raises questions about the integrity of the research or the reliability of the data, the journal may initiate a more detailed inquiry to safeguard the scientific record.
Prospective authors are advised to consult the journal’s publication ethics policies for any additional criteria. In the absence of specific requirements, authorship should be determined according to the following principles:
• Substantial contributions to the conception, design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of the study;
• Drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content;
• Final approval of the version to be published;
• Accountability for all aspects of the work, ensuring its accuracy and integrity.
[*As outlined by COPE guidelines for authorship:
Corresponding Author Responsibilities: The corresponding author is responsible for:
- Managing manuscript corrections, proofreading, and resubmissions until acceptance;
- Signing the Author Publishing Agreement on behalf of co-authors and obtaining necessary third-party copyright permissions;
- Handling article processing charges (APCs) or requesting waivers where applicable;
- Responding to post-publication queries, including those related to ethics, reuse, and data availability.
Requests to change the corresponding author after submission will be subject to the same scrutiny as other authorship changes.
Authorship Disputes: We support editors in resolving authorship disputes, which may include consulting COPE, referring cases to institutions, or seeking expert advice. COPE provides extensive resources on authorship disputes, and we encourage editors and authors to familiarize themselves with these materials.
Author Name Changes: We are committed to inclusive and equitable publishing practices. Authors may request name changes in published articles, with or without a formal notice, according to their preference. All changes will include a ‘last updated’ footnote. This applies only to metadata and does not extend to citations, in-content references, or third-party content. To request a name change, contact ans.submit@gmail.com.
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Research Reporting Guidelines
Authors are encouraged to use the relevant research reporting guidelines for the study type provided by the EQUATOR Network. This will ensure that you provide enough information for editors, peer reviewers and readers to understand how the research was performed and to judge whether the findings are likely to be reliable.
The following are the essential reporting guidelines:
* Randomized controlled trials (RCTs): CONSORT guidelines
* Systematic reviews and meta-analyses: PRISMA guidelines, MOOSE guidelines
* Observational studies in epidemiology: STROBE guidelines, MOOSE guidelines
* Diagnostic accuracy studies: STARD guidelines
* Quality improvement studies: SQUIRE guidelines
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Human and Animal Rights
All investigations must be carried out in accordance with internationally accepted ethical principles, particularly those set forth in the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki and the ethical publication standards of the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).
For research that involves human participants or the use of human-derived samples, authors are required to confirm in their submission letter that the study received approval from the appropriate institutional or regional ethics authority. Proof of ethical clearance and informed consent must be provided. If no formal review board is available, researchers must conduct their work in line with the Helsinki principles and explicitly declare this compliance in their cover letter. Information that could reveal the identity of patients-including names, initials, and hospital identification numbers-must not appear anywhere in the manuscript, figures, tables, or data sets unless written authorization has been obtained from the individuals concerned.
Any photographic or video material involving patients may only be produced and published after the patient or a legally authorized representative has been fully informed and has granted consent.
Research involving animals must conform to all relevant legal, ethical, and regulatory frameworks at the local and national levels. Authors must clearly state within the article that the required permissions or approvals were secured from the appropriate animal ethics committees or licensing bodies prior to conducting the study.
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Conflicts of Interest : Advanced Natural Sciences: Life and Health Sciences requires authors to submit a conflict-of-interest disclosure form at the time of manuscript submission. Authors must declare any financial or personal interests that could influence the conduct or interpretation of their study. If the manuscript is accepted, the disclosed information will be included in the published article. Guidance on managing conflicts of interest is aligned with COPE recommendations. COPE guidelines on conflict of interest can be found here.
Permissions To Reproduce Previously Published Material: Permission is required to reproduce material (such as illustrations) from the copyright holder. Articles cannot be published without these permissions.
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Registration of Clinical Trial Research: It is recommended that any research that deals with a clinical trial be registered with a primary national clinical trial registration site or other sites accredited by the World Health Organization as listed at http://www.who.int/ictrp/en/ or ClinicalTrial.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov), a service of the US National Institutes of Health.
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Ethics committee approval: All studies that involve humans need to have approval for the study from the respective institutional review board (IRB) for the human studies. These guidelines may vary from country to country, and country-specific guidelines need to be followed. Any study involving the animals for research should have approval of the protocol from the institutional committee on the animal resources.AI Contributions to Research Content : AI usage in research must be transparently declared and clearly explained in publications. AI and large language models (LLMs) do not meet authorship requirements due to the necessity of human accountability. Therefore, AI cannot be listed as an author on any scholarly work.
Authors are responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of their work, including any AI-generated content. AI use must not violate plagiarism policies, and all scholarly works must properly cite and reference any external sources.
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Data Availability Policy: Journal strongly encourages authors to share the underlying data, code, or materials supporting their research. While data sharing is entirely voluntary and not a condition for publication, depositing datasets in a trusted public repository (e.g., Zenodo, Figshare, Dryad) is highly recommended. Authors who choose to share their data should include a brief Data Availability Statement immediately before the reference section.
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- Authors retain copyright and acknowledge that the Natural Science Association is the publisher, licensed under a https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ License.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges and earlier and greater citation of published work.
