Publication Ethics

The Pakistan Journal of Healthcare Research (PJHR) is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in the publication of healthcare research. We adhere to the guidelines established by reputable organizations, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). This Publication Ethics policy outlines the responsibilities of authors, editors, reviewers, and the editorial team to ensure that all published content meets ethical, legal, and professional standards.

1. Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting manuscripts to PJHR are expected to comply with the following ethical guidelines:

• Originality: Authors must ensure that the content of the manuscript is original and has not been previously published or simultaneously submitted to another journal. Any previous publication must be clearly stated and referenced.
• Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their work is free from plagiarism. Proper citation must be given for all sources of information, including text, data, and images. Any use of another author’s work should be appropriately acknowledged.
• Data Integrity: Authors must ensure the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of data and results presented in their manuscript. Manipulation, fabrication, or falsification of data is strictly prohibited.
• Ethical Approval: Research involving human or animal subjects must be conducted in accordance with ethical standards, and authors must provide proof of ethical approval from an appropriate committee or institutional review board (IRB). Informed consent must be obtained from participants where required.
• Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest that may have influenced their research or manuscript. This includes financial interests, personal relationships, or affiliations that could affect the objectivity of the work.
• Authorship: All individuals who have contributed significantly to the manuscript should be included as authors. Authors should also ensure that all contributors are properly acknowledged, and no unauthorized individuals are listed as authors.
• Disclosure of Funding: Authors should disclose all sources of funding or financial support for the research. If no funding was received, this should also be clearly stated.

2. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are essential in maintaining the quality and integrity of the journal. The following ethical guidelines apply to reviewers:

• Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents. Manuscripts should not be shared or discussed with others without the explicit consent of the journal.
• Impartiality: Reviewers must provide an objective, unbiased evaluation of the manuscript based on its scientific merit, regardless of the authors’ personal or professional affiliations.
• Constructive Feedback: Reviewers should provide constructive, respectful, and thorough feedback to authors, offering suggestions for improvement. Reviewers should avoid personal criticism or inappropriate language.
• Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that may affect their impartiality in reviewing the manuscript. If a reviewer has a direct or indirect relationship with the authors, they should recuse themselves from reviewing the manuscript.
• Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their reviews within the time frame specified by the journal. If they are unable to meet the deadline, they should notify the editorial team promptly.

3. Editor Responsibilities

Editors play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the journal and ensuring the publication of high-quality research. Editors are expected to follow these ethical standards:

• Fairness and Impartiality: Editors must evaluate manuscripts based on scientific merit and relevance to the journal's scope, without regard to the authors' race, gender, nationality, or institutional affiliation.
• Confidentiality: Editors must maintain confidentiality regarding the manuscripts under review and should not disclose the identities of authors or reviewers unless agreed upon. Manuscripts should only be shared with relevant individuals involved in the peer review process.
• Transparency: Editors should make decisions based on the recommendations of the reviewers, but ultimately retain full editorial responsibility for acceptance or rejection. All decisions should be well-supported by clear reasoning.
• Handling of Conflicts of Interest: Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest related to a submitted manuscript. If there is a conflict, editors must recuse themselves from the decision-making process and assign the manuscript to another editor.
• Accuracy and Integrity: Editors must ensure that the published articles are accurate, reliable, and free from any form of unethical research conduct, including plagiarism, data manipulation, or fabricated results.
• Appeals Process: Editors should have an established process in place for handling appeals from authors who disagree with editorial decisions. All appeals should be reviewed fairly and transparently.

4. Editorial Board and Publisher Responsibilities

• Editorial Independence: The editorial board of PJHR is independent from the publisher. The publisher does not influence editorial decisions, and the editorial team makes all decisions based on the academic and scientific merit of submissions.
• Transparency: The publisher must ensure that the journal operates with transparency, providing clear and accessible policies on submission, peer review, and publication processes.
• Maintenance of Records: The publisher must maintain clear and accurate records of all submitted and published content, including the peer review history and final editorial decisions.
• Corrections and Retractions: The publisher must promptly publish corrections, retractions, and clarifications for articles when errors or ethical concerns are identified post-publication. Retractions should be clearly communicated to the academic community to preserve the integrity of the literature.

5. Handling Ethical Violations

The Pakistan Journal of Healthcare Research takes ethical violations seriously. Any suspected misconduct, including plagiarism, data manipulation, or duplicate publication, will be thoroughly investigated. If an ethical violation is identified, the following actions may be taken:

• Rejection of Manuscripts: Manuscripts that are found to violate ethical standards may be rejected at any stage of the publication process.
• Retraction of Published Articles: In cases of serious ethical violations (such as scientific misconduct or plagiarism) discovered post-publication, the article will be retracted, and a retraction notice will be issued.
• Reporting Violations: The journal will report any instances of unethical behavior to the relevant academic, institutional, or legal authorities when appropriate.

6. Open Access and Transparency

PJHR adheres to an open-access model to ensure that published research is freely accessible to all. We believe in promoting transparency and accessibility in academic publishing and are committed to the ethical principles of open science.

7. Policy Review and Updates

This publication ethics policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains aligned with current ethical standards in academic publishing. Any updates or changes to the policy will be communicated to authors, editors, reviewers, and stakeholders.

By adhering to these ethical principles, the Pakistan Journal of Healthcare Research ensures that all published research is of the highest scientific quality and that the integrity of the academic community is upheld.