Editorial Policies

Editorial Policies

  1. Editorial Board Composition and Roles

Diverse and Expert Panel

Our editorial board comprises specialists from various subfields within medical and health science, including clinical research, public health, medical ethics, and healthcare management. We prioritize diversity in geographic location, gender, and research expertise to provide a broad range of perspectives on submitted manuscripts.

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Editor-in-Chief: Manages the overall editorial process, makes final publication decisions, and ensures adherence to the journal's standards and policies.
  • Associate Editors: Manage the peer review process for assigned manuscripts and make recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief.
  • Section Editors: Provide specialized expertise in specific areas of medical and health science, ensuring thorough and knowledgeable review of relevant manuscripts.
  • Editorial Board Members: Offer guidance on journal policies, participate in the peer review process, and promote the journal within the academic community.
  1. Peer Review Process

Double-Blind Review System

  • Anonymity: Both authors' and reviewers' identities are kept confidential to prevent bias, ensuring that manuscripts are evaluated solely on their merits.

Reviewer Selection

  • Expert Matching: Reviewers are chosen based on their expertise related to the manuscript's topic. Editors ensure there are no conflicts of interest, such as recent collaborations with the authors.

Review Criteria

  • Evaluation Points: Reviewers assess manuscripts based on originality (new contributions to the field), significance (impact on medical and health science), methodological rigor (sound research methods and analysis), ethical considerations (adherence to ethical standards), clarity (well-written and logically structured), and relevance (alignment with the journal's focus).

Timeline

  • Efficiency: Manuscripts are initially screened within one week to ensure they fit the journal's scope and comply with submission guidelines.
  • Review Process: Reviewers have two weeks to accept the review invitation and four weeks to complete their reviews. Authors receive decisions within six weeks of submission, ensuring a timely review process.
  1. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship Criteria

  • Significant Contributions: Authors must have significantly contributed to the research design, data collection, analysis, or manuscript drafting.
  • Final Approval and Accountability: All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for its content.

Acknowledgment

  • Non-Author Contributions: Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria (e.g., technical support, funding acquisition) should be acknowledged, provided they consent to be mentioned.
  1. Publication Ethics

Adherence to COPE Guidelines

  • Misconduct Handling: COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines are followed to address allegations of misconduct such as plagiarism, data fabrication, and ethical breaches. Investigations are thorough and impartial.
  • Correction and Retraction Policies: Corrections or retractions are issued promptly if errors are discovered post-publication. Statements of concern are published if investigations are ongoing.

Duplicate Submission

  • Originality Assurance: Manuscripts must not be under consideration elsewhere or previously published, ensuring the originality of content published in the journal.

Data Sharing

  • Open Data Practices: Authors are encouraged to share their data in public repositories to promote transparency and reproducibility of research findings.
  1. Manuscript Handling

Initial Screening

  • Scope and Compliance Check: The editorial office screens submissions to ensure they fit the journal's scope and comply with submission guidelines. Non-compliant manuscripts are returned to authors for revision.

Plagiarism Check

  • Originality Verification: Plagiarism detection software is used to ensure submitted manuscripts are original and do not contain plagiarized material.

Decision Making

  • Editorial Discretion: Final decisions on manuscripts are made by the Editor-in-Chief based on recommendations from reviewers and Associate Editors, ensuring well-considered and expert-based decisions.
  1. Conflicts of Interest

Disclosure

  • Transparency: Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest (financial, personal, or professional) that could influence their work, promoting transparency and trust in the publication process.

Management

  • Conflict Management: When conflicts of interest are identified, manuscripts may be reassigned to other editors or reviewers to ensure an unbiased review process.
  1. Appeals and Complaints

Appeals Process

  • Fair Review: Authors can appeal editorial decisions by providing a detailed justification for reconsideration. Appeals are reviewed by an independent editorial board member who was not involved in the initial decision to ensure fairness.

Handling Complaints

  • Ethical Resolution: Complaints about the editorial process or ethical concerns are addressed following COPE’s guidelines. Transparent procedures are in place for investigating and resolving issues to maintain high ethical standards.
  1. Open Access Policy

CC BY 4.0 License

  • Creative Commons License: All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, allowing free access and use with appropriate credit to the authors, promoting the dissemination and utilization of research findings.

Article Processing Charges (APC)

  • Transparency and Accessibility: Information about APCs is clearly provided on the journal’s website. Waivers and discounts are available for authors from low-income countries to ensure equitable access to publication opportunities.
  1. Editorial Independence

Publisher Relationship

  • Independence Assurance: Editorial decisions are made independently of the publisher (Ninety Nine Publication) to avoid any influence on content, ensuring the integrity and academic freedom of the journal.

Advertising and Sponsorship

  • Clear Separation: A clear distinction is maintained between editorial content and advertisements or sponsored content. Sponsors have no influence over editorial decisions, preserving the integrity of published research.
  1. Archiving and Preservation

Digital Preservation

  • Long-Term Access: The journal uses digital archiving services such as CLOCKSS or Portico to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of its content, guaranteeing that research articles remain available even if the journal ceases publication.
  1. Transparency and Best Practices

Journal Metrics

  • Performance Indicators: Regularly updated metrics, including submission-to-decision times, acceptance rates, and citation statistics, are published on the journal’s website to provide transparency about the journal’s performance.

Ethical Standards

  • Adherence to Standards: The journal follows the standards set by COPE to maintain high-quality scholarly publishing practices, adhering to ethical guidelines, promoting transparency, and ensuring the reliability of published research.