Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

The following ethical guidelines outline the expected responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process for the Dr. M.G.R Journal of Health Sciences (DMJHS), including editors, authors, and reviewers. These principles are aligned with COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors (https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines) and Elsevier’s publication policies (https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies).

Responsibilities of Editors

Publication Decisions:
The Editor-in-Chief of DMJHS is responsible for determining which submitted manuscripts meet the journal’s quality and ethical standards for publication. This decision is based on recommendations from associate editors and reviewers, as well as considerations of ethical compliance, copyright regulations, and potential plagiarism. Consultation with the editorial board may be undertaken when necessary.

Fair Evaluation:
Manuscripts are assessed solely based on their intellectual content, without discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, nationality, or political philosophy of the authors.

Confidentiality:
Editors and editorial staff must ensure confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts, sharing information only with the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisors, and the publisher when required.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure:
Editors must not use unpublished materials from submitted manuscripts in their research without the explicit written consent of the authors. They should also recuse themselves from reviewing any manuscript where conflicts of interest exist.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions:
Peer reviewers play a crucial role in assisting the editorial team in making publication decisions and in guiding authors to improve their manuscripts through constructive feedback.

Timeliness:
Reviewers should promptly notify the editor if they feel unqualified to review a manuscript or are unable to complete the review in the allocated time.

Confidentiality:
All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and should not be shared or discussed with unauthorized individuals.

Objectivity and Professionalism:
Reviews should be conducted objectively, providing clear, evidence-based feedback without personal criticism of the author.

Conflict of Interest:
Reviewers should decline to review manuscripts where they have competing interests, such as personal, financial, institutional, or collaborative relationships with any of the authors.

Responsibilities of Authors

Research Integrity and Reporting Standards:
Authors should present an accurate, objective account of their research with sufficient detail and references to allow reproducibility. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are grounds for manuscript rejection.

Originality and Plagiarism:
Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original and properly cite or quote the work of others. Any form of plagiarism—including verbatim copying, paraphrasing without attribution, or self-plagiarism—constitutes unethical publishing behavior.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication:
Submitting the same research to multiple journals is unethical and will result in manuscript rejection. Duplicate publication of substantially similar content is not permitted.

Acknowledgment of Sources:
Authors must appropriately acknowledge the work of others and obtain written permission for any confidential information obtained from third parties.

Authorship Criteria:
Authorship should be limited to those who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All co-authors should approve the final version of the manuscript before submission.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure:
Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence their work. Any funding sources should be explicitly stated in the manuscript.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works:
If an author identifies a major error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must promptly notify the journal’s editorial office and cooperate in retracting or correcting the article.