Submit ManuscriptAnnals of Urologic Oncology (AUO) recognizes the significant impact that allegations of ethical misconduct can have on a researcher's career. We take all allegations of unethical conduct seriously and investigate them thoroughly.
A. The Co-managing editor should always be the first point of contact and will seek clarification from all affected parties in accordance with COPE guidelines.
B. If an allegation is made against any of the co-editors, it should be sent to the publisher for further investigation.
C. If a third party brings an allegation of plagiarism to AUO, the Co-Managing Editor will seek a response from the original author or copyright owner before making a recommendation.
D. The Co-Managing Editor will abide by the COPE flow chart and will not be influenced by other parties. Decisions will be made in a fair and objective manner. At all times, the Co-Managing editors will remain neutral, act in good faith and, where possible, educate.
E. Publishers are under no obligation to discuss cases of alleged plagiarism with third parties.
F. If the complainant provides false information (e.g., a fake name or affiliation), or acts in an inappropriate or threatening manner towards journal editors and staff, the publisher reserves the right to dismiss the case.
Please refer to the guidelines below and the COPE flowchart for the process followed by journals in cases of suspected plagiarism in submitted or published articles.
AUO welcomes original submissions that have not been simultaneously considered by any other publication and that contribute to the existing body of knowledge. All authors must ensure that their content is expressed in their own words and based on their own research. Plagiarism is unethical and unacceptable.
The following types of ethical misconduct must be avoided:
Verbatim copying
Reproducing significant portions of another's work word-by-word without proper attribution, citation, or quotation marks.
Improper paraphrasing
Inadequately rewording another’s work, including rearranging sentences without proper citation. Significant paraphrasing without proper attribution is considered a form of plagiarism.
Reusing parts of a work without attribution
Using figures, tables, or paragraphs from another’s work without proper citation, quotation marks, or obtaining the necessary copyright permissions from the original owner.
Self-plagiarism
AUO requires all authors to sign a copyright form that clearly states that the work they are submitting has not been previously published. If any part of the work has been published elsewhere, the author must acknowledge the prior publication, explaining how the new work differs and builds upon prior research, and avoid word-for-word reproduction of prior work. We permit reusing research results only if they support new conclusions. Authors must cite all prior versions of their work, including conference papers, seminar presentations, and newsletters, to maintain a complete record of their research history.
Republishing original works
Exceptions to publication of original work include conference papers, archival papers republished in anniversary or commemorative journals, papers of particular value, and papers that receive only limited circulation (e.g. through corporate newsletters). Such works may be republished at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief with full attribution and permission from the copyright owner.