Physical Activity Journal (PAJU) is committed to the integrity of scientific publications. Scientific publications are responsible for the work they publish. PAJU adheres to the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.

1. Author Requirements
An individual may be listed as an author only if they meet the following criteria:
a. Made substantial contributions to the concept or design of the research, or to the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data.
b. Drafted or revised the manuscript critically for important substance.
c. Approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
d. Willing to be accountable for all aspects of the work, including ensuring its accuracy and integrity.

2. Contributions That Do Not Meet the Requirements for Authorship
Criteria that do not meet the requirements for authorship and are simply listed in the Acknowledgments section, with the author's approval:
a. Technical, administrative, or routine analytical assistance in the laboratory.
b. Provision of funds, facilities, or research materials.
c. Structural positions without real contributions.

3. Unacceptable Practices
Physical Activity Journal (PAJU) does not tolerate:
a. Ghost authorship (authorship that is eligible but not listed).
b. Gift/Guest authorship (name listed without contribution), or the sale or exchange of authorship positions.

4. Corresponding Author
The corresponding author is marked with an asterisk (*) in the manuscript and must include an active email address. They are responsible for:
a. Uploading the manuscript via OJS in accordance with the author guidelines.
b. Communicating with the journal administrator during the submission and review process, and after publication.
c. Ensuring that all authors meet the criteria, agree on the author order, and have approved the final version of the manuscript.

5. Author Contribution Statement
PAJU does not require authors to include an Author Contribution Statement. If an Author Contribution Statement is included, it can be written using the following abbreviation:
A – Research concept and design
B – Collection and/or assembly of data
C – Data analysis and interpretation
D – Writing the article
E – Critical revision of the article
F – Software
G – Final approval of article

6. Changes to the List or Order of Authors
Requests to add, remove, or change the order of authors after the manuscript has been submitted must:
a. Be submitted in writing by the corresponding author to the Chair of the Editorial Board, with a clear rationale.
b. Be approved in writing by all authors, including the removed author.
c. Be accompanied by an updated statement of author contributions.

PAJU reserves the right to delay the publication process until the approval documents are complete.

7. Authorship Disputes
If a dispute arises after the manuscript is published, the PAJU journal editors may request clarification from the author or the author's institution and handle the case according to COPE guidelines.

8. Use of AI-Based Tools
AI cannot be listed as an author because it cannot be held responsible for the published work. The use of AI tools in writing must be transparently disclosed, and the