Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

International Journal of Medical Sciences and Academic Research (IJMSAR)

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Introduction

The International Journal of Medical Sciences and Academic Research (IJMSAR) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. The journal follows internationally accepted ethical guidelines to ensure transparency, fairness, and credibility in scholarly publishing.

IJMSAR adheres to the principles and best practices of:

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
• International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
• Declaration of Helsinki (World Medical Association – Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects)

All authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher are expected to comply with these standards.

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Editorial Responsibilities

Publication Decisions

Editors are responsible for making fair and independent decisions regarding manuscript acceptance, revision, or rejection. Decisions are based solely on:

• Scientific merit
• Originality
• Methodological soundness
• Ethical compliance
• Relevance to the journal’s scope

Editorial decisions are not influenced by commercial or personal interests.

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Fairness and Impartiality

Manuscripts are evaluated without discrimination based on:

• Race
• Gender
• Religion
• Nationality
• Institutional affiliation
• Political beliefs

All submissions are assessed purely on academic quality.

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Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts. Information must not be disclosed to anyone other than:

• Authors
• Reviewers
• Editorial advisers
• Publisher (when necessary)

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Conflict of Interest

Editors must avoid handling manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist. Unpublished information from submitted manuscripts must not be used for personal research or advantage.

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Author Responsibilities

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must submit only original work. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, or data fabrication are strictly prohibited.

Proper acknowledgment and citation of sources are mandatory.

All manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software.

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Multiple or Concurrent Submission

Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously is unethical and unacceptable.

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Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to:

• Study conception or design
• Data collection or analysis
• Manuscript drafting or revision
• Final approval of the version to be published

Guest, honorary, or ghost authorship is not permitted.

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Data Accuracy and Integrity

Authors must present accurate data and maintain proper records. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data constitutes serious misconduct.

Authors should provide raw data when requested by editors.

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Ethical Approval

Research involving human participants or animals must include:

• Institutional ethics approval
• Informed consent

Studies must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki or relevant ethical standards.

Research involving animals must comply with institutional, national, and international guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals and must include approval from the appropriate ethics committee.

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Conflict of Interest Disclosure

All financial or personal relationships that could influence the research must be disclosed.

If none, authors should state:
“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

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Corrections and Retractions

If authors discover significant errors after publication, they must promptly notify the editor to issue corrections or retractions.

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Reviewer Responsibilities

Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share or use unpublished material.

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Objectivity

Reviews should be objective, constructive, and evidence-based. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate.

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Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Reviewers should provide clear comments to help editors make decisions and authors improve their work.

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Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must decline review if any conflict of interest exists.

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Timeliness

Reviewers should complete evaluations within the assigned timeframe or inform the editor if unable to do so.

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Peer Review Process

IJMSAR follows a double-blind peer review system:

• Author identities are concealed from reviewers
• Reviewer identities are concealed from authors
• At least two independent experts review each manuscript

The final publication decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief after careful consideration of the reviewers' recommendations and the editorial assessment.

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Publisher Responsibilities

Integrity of the Scholarly Record

The publisher supports the editorial team in ensuring:

• Ethical publishing practices
• Prevention of misconduct
• Transparency in corrections and retractions

Commercial interests do not influence editorial decisions.

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Misconduct Handling

IJMSAR takes all forms of publication misconduct seriously, including:

• Plagiarism
• Data fabrication or falsification
• Duplicate publication
• Citation manipulation
• Ethical violations

When misconduct is suspected:

• Investigation will be conducted
• Authors may be asked for clarification
• Manuscripts may be rejected
• Published articles may be corrected or retracted
• Institutions may be notified if necessary

• Institutions may be notified if necessary

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Complaints and Appeals: Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a detailed explanation to the Editor-in-Chief. All appeals will be reviewed fairly and independently. Complaints related to editorial processes or publication ethics will be handled in accordance with COPE recommendations.

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Image manipulation: Images must accurately represent the original data. Inappropriate manipulation, fabrication, or enhancement of images that may mislead readers is considered scientific misconduct.

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ORCID: Authors are encouraged to provide their ORCID iD during manuscript submission.

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Corrections, Retractions & Expressions of Concern

If errors or ethical issues are identified after publication:

• Corrections will be issued for minor errors
• Retractions will be issued for major misconduct or unreliable findings

Retractions will be clearly labeled to maintain transparency.

When serious concerns arise regarding the integrity, ethics, or reliability of a published article and an investigation is ongoing, the journal may issue an Expression of Concern in accordance with COPE guidance.

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Commitment to Ethical Publishing

IJMSAR is committed to maintaining trust in scholarly communication by ensuring:

• Transparency
• Fair peer review
• Ethical conduct
• Scientific integrity

All stakeholders share responsibility for upholding these standards.

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Authors who use AI tools for language editing or manuscript preparation must disclose such use. AI tools cannot be listed as authors and human authors remain fully responsible for the content.