Definition of Ghostwriting

Ghostwriting refers to the situation where a person or entity makes a substantial contribution to the research, analysis, writing, or preparation of a manuscript without being appropriately credited as an author or acknowledged in the publication. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Preparation of all or part of the manuscript by an uncredited professional writer, researcher, or organization.
• Contributions to study design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation by unacknowledged individuals or entities.
• Manuscript preparation by a third party hired by the authors without disclosure of their role or funding source.

Journal’s Position

AMLER regards ghostwriting as a serious breach of publishing ethics. It undermines transparency, integrity, and accountability in scholarly communication. The journal follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) guidelines to prevent and address ghostwriting.

Disclosure of Contributions

• All manuscripts must include a Contributorship Statement specifying each author’s role (e.g., conceptualization, methodology, data collection, data analysis, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing, funding acquisition).
• Individuals or organizations contributing to the manuscript without meeting authorship criteria must be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section, with details of their contribution and funding.
• Authors must disclose the involvement of medical writers, editorial assistants, statistical analysts, or research agencies—paid or unpaid—in the preparation of the manuscript.

Funding and Sponsorship Transparency

• All sources of financial or in-kind support must be disclosed.
• If a writer or agency was funded by a third party (e.g., institution, company, or funding body), this must be stated in both the Acknowledgments and Funding Statement.

Author Responsibility

By submitting a manuscript, all authors confirm that:

• They meet ICMJE authorship criteria.
• They take full responsibility for the content of the article.
• No uncredited individuals or organizations have made substantial contributions.
• All contributors are appropriately listed as authors or acknowledged.

Detection and Investigation

• The editorial office may request clarification about the manuscript’s preparation.
• Suspected cases of ghostwriting will be investigated under COPE procedures.
• If identified before publication, the manuscript will be rejected.
• If detected after publication, the journal may issue a Retraction or Expression of Concern and notify relevant institutions or funders.

Consequences of Ghostwriting

Confirmed ghostwriting may result in:

• Immediate rejection or retraction.
• Notification to authors’ affiliated institutions, funders, and relevant authorities.
• Temporary or permanent bans on future submissions.

Policy Review

This policy is reviewed periodically to ensure alignment with best practices in scholarly publishing. Updates will be announced on the journal’s website.