Publication Ethics

IJMCRH is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record through adherence to established ethical guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). These principles guide all aspects of the publishing process, from submission to post-publication, to foster trust, transparency, and accountability among authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers.

  • Authors' Responsibilities:
    • Ensure all submitted work is original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere; disclose any related preprints or prior presentations.
    • Avoid research misconduct, including fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism (manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software like Turnitin, with a similarity threshold of less than 20% excluding references).
    • Comply with ethical standards for research involving humans or animals; obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and informed consent, providing details in the manuscript.
    • Fully disclose conflicts of interest (financial, personal, or professional), funding sources (including grant numbers), and acknowledgments.
    • Include a data availability statement, encouraging deposition in public repositories (e.g., Zenodo, Figshare) to promote reproducibility; raw data should be shared upon reasonable request.
    • Report any post-publication errors promptly and cooperate with corrections or errata.
  • Editors' Responsibilities:
    • Assess manuscripts solely on academic merit, originality, and relevance, without regard to authors' demographics, affiliations, or other biases.
    • Maintain strict confidentiality of submissions and ensure a fair, double-blind peer review process.
    • Investigate allegations of misconduct or ethical breaches using COPE flowcharts, handling appeals transparently and documenting all decisions.
    • Promote diversity in the editorial team and reviewer pool to reflect global perspectives.
  • Reviewers' Responsibilities:
    • Provide constructive, objective, and timely feedback (typically within 2-4 weeks) based on expertise.
    • Declare any conflicts of interest immediately and recuse themselves if necessary.
    • Uphold confidentiality and report any suspected ethical issues (e.g., undeclared conflicts) to the editors without personal bias.
  • Publisher's Responsibilities:
    • Safeguard editorial independence from commercial influences and ensure open access without financial barriers.
    • Provide secure, permanent archiving of content and facilitate retractions or corrections with clear public notices.
    • Support training and resources for ethical publishing, including workshops for authors and reviewers.
  • Handling Misconduct and Complaints: All allegations (e.g., duplicate publication, image manipulation) are investigated confidentially and impartially. Outcomes may include rejection, retraction, or expression of concern, with notifications to relevant institutions if warranted. Retractions follow COPE guidelines, including a detailed retraction notice linked to the original article.

Violations of these ethics may result in submission bans or public disclosures, emphasizing the journal's commitment to scholarly integrity.