Major updates to the ACS Ethical Guidelines to Publication of Chemical Research provide guidance on expectations across the publication process. They can help you protect your reputation and the integrity and reliability of the scientific record.
A strong and credible scientific record is essential to the advancement of research. It ensures that research results can be understood, validated, and built upon by others, and that they can be confidently used by researchers, policymakers, and the broader public. Maintaining this standard requires a shared commitment from publishers, authors, reviewers, and editors at every stage of the publication process, and this commitment is core to ACS Publications.
As the research landscape continues to evolve, new tools, technologies, and workflows are transforming how scientific work is created, analyzed, and communicated. These innovations bring significant opportunities to accelerate discovery and improve efficiency. At the same time, they introduce new considerations around transparency, data handling, authorship, citations, and the responsible use of emerging technologies.
To reflect the evolving research and publishing landscape, ACS Publications has undertaken a comprehensive overhaul of the ACS Ethical Guidelines to Publication of Chemical Research. The revised guidelines clearly outline expectations for ethical conduct, covering key areas such as data integrity, image and figure preparation, authorship criteria, peer review responsibilities, citation practices, and the disclosure and use of AI and other advanced tools. Together, these updates promote consistency, clarity, and accountability throughout the publication process.
While developed for submissions to ACS journals, the guidelines are broadly applicable across scholarly publishing. They can serve as a practical resource for researchers preparing manuscripts, reviewers evaluating submissions, and editors making informed decisions. They may also be useful in related research activities, including grant writing and collaborative projects.
By providing clear and up-to-date guidance, the ACS Ethical Guidelines to Publication of Chemical Research support responsible research practices and help navigate the increasing complexity of modern publishing.
It’s often said that “Trust takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair.” By taking a few minutes to read the ACS Ethical Guidelines for the Publication of Chemical Research, and then implementing them in your work, you can support the integrity and reliability of the scientific record and adhere to responsible research practices.
We encourage all members of the research community to review the guidelines and incorporate them into their work.