Editorial Policies

Authorship

RUP follows the recommendations from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors regarding defining authors and contributors. Specifically, all authors should fulfill the following four criteria:

• Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
• Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
• Final approval of the version to be published; AND
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

As further recommended by ICMJE, if there is a disagreement over authorship “it is the collective responsibility of the authors, not the journal to which the work is submitted, to determine that all people named as authors meet all four criteria; it is not the role of journal editors to determine who qualifies or does not qualify for authorship or to arbitrate authorship conflicts.”

Author Name Changes

We will accommodate requests for name changes at any time and for any reason, including changes to gender identity, marriage, divorce, religion, or other personal circumstances. Changes will be made to any RUP articles authored by the requesting individual and will include HTML, PDF, and associated metadata. Changes will be directly and immediately pushed to Crossref, PubMed, and PMC. Names will also be updated in RUP submission, production, and subscription systems as needed. Previous versions of the article are retained on our servers for record keeping purposes but will not be publicly accessible. Changes will not be made to citations or reference lists. 

Unless instructed otherwise, requests will be managed confidentially. We will not issue a formal correction and we will not notify co-authors of name changes except if explicitly requested. Authors are encouraged to update the name in their ORCID record to help ensure that the correct name is associated with their published research. If published articles associated with the name change do not include their ORCID iD, we will add one upon request. More information about ORCID is available at https://orcid.org.

To request the change, please complete this form and email it to [email protected].

Duplicate publication

When submitting a manuscript, the authors should affirm that no similar manuscript (including book chapters) is or will be under consideration for publication elsewhere (other than as an abstract that is less than 400 words in length and contains no figures). Any unpublished articles that are related to or could be perceived to overlap with the submitted manuscript must be included for evaluation by the editors and reviewers. Doctoral theses or dissertations are not regarded as prior publications.

Preprint policy

Posting of manuscripts to a community preprint server by the author does not preclude consideration for publication. Authors who post their work as a preprint should identify the preprint server and include the accession number or DOI during submission. Upon publication, authors should request that the community preprint server acknowledge that the work has been published and that the journal reference (including a DOI link to the published article) be included. See Reference Guidelines for formatting of citations to manuscripts posted to preprint servers. Citation of a previous preprint version of the manuscript under consideration should be included as a footnote.

Animal and human studies

All animal and human studies must be conducted in compliance with relevant local guidelines, such as the US Department of Health and Human Services Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals or MRC guidelines, and must be approved by the authors' Institutional Review Board(s). A statement to this effect with the name of the approving IRB(s) must be included in the Materials and methods section. All investigations with human subjects must be conducted according to the principles expressed in the Helsinki Declaration and must include a statement that informed consent was obtained from all subjects. We strongly encourage authors to use the appropriate Reporting Guidelines for their study type.

Data integrity and plagiarism

All accepted manuscripts will go through a plagiarism and image screening check prior to publication. We use Crossref Similarity Check to detect for textual similarity with other publications, including instances of self-plagiarism.

Images should be minimally processed and accurately reflect the original data. We understand that image processing is often necessary and appropriate, but in these instances, we encourage (and sometimes request) publication of unprocessed images (including full-length blots and gels) as supplemental materials. Our screening process examines the following: whether any specific feature within an image has been enhanced, obscured, moved, removed, or introduced; whether dividing lines are added between juxtaposed images taken from different parts of the same gel or from different gels, fields, or exposures; and whether adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance have been applied to the entire image and that adjustments do not enhance, erase, or misrepresent any information present in the original, including the background. We also look for duplicated images within the manuscript; any reuse of images, including control data, across multiple figures should be explicitly stated and justified in the legend. Nonlinear adjustments (e.g., changes to gamma settings) must be disclosed in the figure legend or Materials and methods section.

If figure resolution or quality is insufficient for proper image screening, we will request the original data. Failure to locate original data upon request during the editorial or production process will cause delays with your manuscript. In the event that inappropriate image processing is identified prior to publication, our editors will contact the authors. In many instances, we can resolve the issue and move forward with publication. In more serious cases where inappropriate image processing obscures or changes conclusions, we may be forced to revoke acceptance

We investigate all instances of alleged scientific misconduct identified in our published papers (including, but not limited to, plagiarism, inappropriate data processing, and duplicate publication). Depending on the outcome of our investigation, we may publish a correction, ask authors to retract their paper, or publish an editorial statement of concern.

In instances where we are considering revoking acceptance, retracting a published article, or issuing an editorial statement of concern, we will contact the corresponding author’s institution during the course of our investigation. As Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) members, we abide by COPE guidelines in managing investigations of possible misconduct.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots and Large Language Models (LLMs), including, but not limited to, ChatGPT by Open AI, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Bing do not meet the requirements for authorship and, therefore, may not be listed as an author.

Use of AI or LLM programs for the writing of a manuscript (including using them to polish, condense, or otherwise lightly edit the writing), generation of graphical or image elements, or in the collection or analysis of data, should be documented and explained in the “Materials and methods” section of the manuscript. Authors should clearly illustrate which tool was used and its precise usage within the manuscript.

Materials and data sharing

As a condition of publication, authors must make protocols and unique materials (including, but not limited to: cloned DNAs; antibodies; bacterial, animal, or plant cells; and viruses) described in published articles freely available, without undue delay, upon request by researchers, who may use them in their own laboratory only. Researchers are asked to contact the journal’s editorial office if they have difficulty obtaining materials from authors. In such cases, Rockefeller University Press may notify the authors' funders and/or institution and/or publish a formal expression of concern, connected to the published article, stating that researchers have been unable to obtain necessary materials.

We strongly encourage all authors to plan for the long-term storage and public sharing of all original data underlying their manuscript. Open data increases reproducibility, enables re-use, and validates findings, strengthening trust in your results. Sharing data is also necessary for compliance with many current and/or planned funder policies. All datasets included in the manuscript must be available from the date of online publication, and the source code for all custom computational methods, apart from commercial software programs, must be made available either in a publicly available database or as supplemental materials hosted on the journal website. We encourage authors to use a public repository rather than supplementary data.

Numerous resources exist for data storage and sharing. Authors should choose the most appropriate venue based on their data type and/or community standard (see Data Deposition). If no appropriate specific database exists, we encourage authors to deposit their data to an appropriate and publicly available repository such as DRYAD, FigShare, or Zenodo. If authors do not have a preferred repository, they may take advantage of RUP’s integration with Dryad to facilitate deposits upon manuscript submission, at no cost to authors.

In all cases, we encourage authors to make data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable in accordance with the FAIR Data Principles. 

When sharing data, please deposit the original source files to ensure reproducibility. To ensure that data are accessible, we recommend open licensing such as CC-BY or CC0. 

Rockefeller University Press requires authors to provide a Data availability statement. Public availability of all data underlying results is encouraged. 

Data availability statement

Rockefeller University Press journals require a Data availability statement for all research article submissions. These statements will be published in the article directly above the Acknowledgments. The statement should address all data underlying the research presented in the manuscript. Please use the following guidelines:

• Data in a public, open access repository
  Include the repository name and persistent identifier (DOI, accession number, or permanent URL). All publicly available data should also be cited in the text and included in the reference list.

• Data available upon reasonable request
  We discourage making data available upon request rather than having it publicly available, but if there is no alternative for privacy or other reasons, describe what the data are and why they are not public, whom to contact (with a public email address), and conditions for re-use. 

• Data included in the article or supplementary data
  We encourage authors to use a public repository rather than supplementary data.

Example statements

Authors may need to use more than one of the below to describe availability of all data. 

Citing data 

Any data supporting the results presented in a paper should be cited as you would articles, books, or other resources and should adhere to our Reference Guidelines. 

Include the author, year, title, source, and DOI. Also include the version, if there is one.

Fleming, J. 2021. Images for titin-N2A Ig81-Ig83 pdb 7HAS. Version 2. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4045608

Confidentiality

All manuscript details, reviewer identities, and comments to the editors are considered privileged information and will never be disclosed to third parties. Manuscripts will be transferred only with author approval (see our Transfer policy). RUP journals adhere to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Voluntary demographic disclosure

We collect voluntary self-disclosure of demographic information by authors, reviewers, and editors. The gender and race/ethnicity data are aggregated, and the information is used for demographic statistical reporting. By completing these fields, you help us to identify inequity in science and promote diversity. These questions adhere to the Joint Commitment for Action and Diversity in Publishing, a collective action among publishing organizations to set a new standard to ensure a more inclusive and diverse culture within scholarly publishing.

Conflict of interest

We take guidance from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation in determining how to define a perceived conflict of interest. Reviewers and editors are asked to disclose any potential conflicts of interest prior to evaluating a manuscript. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, individuals should recuse themselves from evaluating a manuscript if any of the following points apply:

• The author is at the same research organization or university
• The author is a recent collaborator or trainee (less than five years), family member, or a close personal friend
• The reviewer/editor, his/her immediate family, or a close professional associate has a financial or vested interest in the manuscript

Manuscripts submitted by an existing or former (within the prior three years) Editor-in-Chief or Associate Editor are excluded from being handled by the current Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editors, and instead follow a different process.

Transfer policy

RUP is committed to limiting time spent in peer review and reducing the burden placed on reviewers. For authors who wish to do so, we allow submission of previous reviewer comments when uploading a new manuscript to an RUP journal. We also facilitate the transfer of peer reviewer comments from our journals to any other journal upon request.

Transfer to JGP

Authors may transfer peer reviewer comments from any other journal for editorial consideration at JGP. The full comments of all reviewers, name of the journal, and a detailed point by point response must be provided with your submission. Although we don't require that manuscripts be revised to address the reviewers' comments prior to submission, you are welcome to do so. We accept format-neutral first submissions, so there is no need to reformat your manuscript. The manuscript and reviewer comments will be assessed by our editors; we may reach out to you or the original journal for additional information or solicit further expert advice if needed. Once we have reached a decision, we will provide a detailed letter that explains either the revisions that would be required for acceptance or our decision to decline publication. Please contact the journal office with any questions about transferring your manuscript and peer reviewer comments.

Transfer from JGP

JGP authors have the option to seamlessly transfer their manuscripts to another RUP journal: Journal of Cell Biology, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Journal of General Physiology, and our open access journal, Life Science Alliance (launched by an alliance of EMBO Press, Rockefeller University Press, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press). Both peer-reviewed and non–peer-reviewed papers can be transferred. Manuscripts must no longer be under consideration at JGP before transfer is allowed. Authors can request transfer by contacting the editorial office, or they may receive a transfer offer in their JGPdecision letter. JGP editors may consult with editors of other RUP journals about transfer of a submitted manuscript. Authors can easily opt out of having their manuscript considered for transfer consultation during submission to JGP. If authors opt in for transfer consultation, editors will consult on the suitability of a manuscript in order to provide authors with a firm commitment from the recipient journal to either peer review or publish the manuscript. The decision to transfer is entirely author driven. No files will be transferred unless the author initiates the process. For peer-reviewed papers, all reviewer reports will be automatically transferred; confidential comments to the editors will not be transferred. Reviewers may opt in to also allow their identity to be transferred.

JGP and Physiological Reports have harmonized their submission systems to allow seamless transfer between these journals. No consultations will occur between JGP and the editors of Physiological Reports. JGP editors will determine whether transfer to Physiological Reports is appropriate, referring to the stated aims and scope of the journal. If a manuscript is suitable for transfer, this will be explained in the JGP decision letter, and the author will receive a link allowing them to transfer their manuscript. Manuscript transfer does not obligate Physiological Reports to peer review or publish the transferred manuscript.

Peer review correspondence

Authors have the option to publish all formal correspondence for their accepted manuscript. This peer review correspondence will be published as a supplementary file online, including all editorial decision letters, peer reviewer comments to the authors, and author responses. Authors can modify this choice at any time prior to editorial acceptance. Authors also may request that data specifically included in the response to reviewers and intended for publication elsewhere be redacted from the document. It is the authors' responsibility to notify the editorial office should such redaction be needed. Reviewer comments originally submitted to another journal and transferred to Journal of General Physiology will not be published online.

Open Access

Prior to publication, all authors should check with their funding agency to ensure they are in full compliance with access requirements. All final published content of RUP journals will be automatically posted on PubMed Central and UK PubMed Central, where it will be available to the public no later than six months after the publication date. Please see the Sherpa Romeo website or the RUP Copyright page for details on our copyright and self-archiving policies.

JGP authors have the option to instead pay a single article charge to make their article open access immediately upon publication under CC-BY license. Wellcome or COAF funding recipients please note: this option must be chosen if you intend to have Wellcome/COAF cover your open access fees.

Authors will be invoiced for publication or open access fees after publication of their article. Open Access is verified prior to invoicing. RUP is unable to process cancellations, refunds, or returns of Open-Access fees after publication.

Media policy

All accepted papers and manuscripts under consideration are strictly embargoed until the date of publication. Authors are free to talk with journalists one week prior to online publication, provided any information exchanged is embargoed until 9:00 AM US Eastern Time on the date of publication. Any questions or issues regarding our prepublication media policy should be directed to the RUP Director of Communications and Marketing, Rory Williams ([email protected]).

Promotion and Discoverability

We support authors with comprehensive discoverability and accessibility strategies. Robust metadata tagging ensures seamless integration into major databases, boosting discoverability. Extensive social media promotion takes place across various platforms, ensuring each article receives repeated exposure. Articles are systematically deposited in ResearchGate and PubMed Central, broadening reach to a global audience. Strategic digital marketing, participation in industry events, and close collaboration with authors’ communications teams enhance article visibility and engagement. Learn more about how we maximize research impact.