Journal of Medical Sciences: Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Medical Sciences, published by Sebha University, is dedicated to upholding the highest ethical standards in publishing. We are guided by the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and are committed to ensuring the integrity of scientific literature, fostering public trust in research, and guaranteeing proper credit for all intellectual contributions.

This policy outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process: authors, reviewers, and editors.

1. Duties of Editors

• Publication Decisions: The editors are responsible for deciding which of the submitted articles should be published. Decisions are based on the paper's academic merit, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal's scope.
• Fair Play: Editors evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without discrimination based on the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
• Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher.
• Conflicts of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from considering manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest, such as those submitted by their own students, colleagues, or family members.
• Vigilance Against Plagiarism: Editors are committed to screening for and addressing all forms of plagiarism and research misconduct.

2. Duties of Reviewers

• Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and may also assist the author in improving the manuscript.
• Promptness and Objectivity: Reviewers should accept only those manuscripts for which they have the expertise to review and can provide a timely report. They must conduct their reviews objectively and express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
• Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They should not be shown to or discussed with others without authorization.
• Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must decline involvement with a submission if they have a potential conflict of interest, including recent publications or current submissions with any of the authors, shared institutional affiliation, or any prior discussion of the manuscript.
• Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors.

3. Duties of Authors

• Reporting Standards: Authors of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed, including an objective discussion of its significance. The paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work.
• Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. When using the work of others, it must be properly cited. The journal uses plagiarism detection software and will not tolerate any form of plagiarism. Any manuscript found to contain plagiarized content will be immediately rejected.
• Duplicate Submission and Redundant Publication: The journal considers only original manuscripts that have not been previously published in any format. Manuscripts submitted to this journal must not be under consideration elsewhere.
• Citation Manipulation: Authors are forbidden from manipulating citations to artificially inflate the citation count of their own work or articles in a particular journal.
• Fabrication and Falsification: Fabrication and falsification of research results, including improper image manipulation, are serious ethical violations. Submissions or published articles found to contain fabricated or falsified data will lead to sanctions for the authors.
• Authorship and Acknowledgments: All listed authors must have made a significant intellectual and scientific contribution to the research. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring all co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission. All individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship must be acknowledged.
• Conflicts of Interest: Authors must declare all potential conflicts of interest in a dedicated section. If none exist, the authors must state: "The author(s) declare(s) that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper." Authors must also disclose all sources of funding or financial support for the research.

4. Ethical Research Practices

• Experimental Research Involving Human and/or Animal Subjects: Experimental research must have received approval from the author's institutional review board or ethics committee. The manuscript must state the name of the ethics board that granted approval.
• Human Subjects: Research must adhere to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent must be obtained from human subjects, and their privacy and identity must be protected.
• Animal Subjects: Research must adhere to the Interdisciplinary Principles and Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Research, Testing, and Education.

5. Handling of Ethical Misconduct

The Journal of Medical Sciences takes seriously its responsibility to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record. In cases of suspected misconduct, the journal will follow the COPE flowcharts and guidelines. Any allegations of ethical violations, including plagiarism, data fabrication, or redundant publication, will be investigated. Our actions may include the publication of a correction or a formal retraction of a published article, depending on the severity of the violation.