Information For Authors

The Pakistan Journal of Healthcare Research (PJHR) aims to maintain a high standard of academic and scientific publishing. The following policies provide guidelines and expectations for authors who wish to submit their manuscripts to the journal. By submitting a manuscript, authors agree to adhere to these policies.

1. Manuscript Submission

• Submission Process: Authors must submit their manuscripts through the journal's online submission system or via email as per the guidelines provided on the journal’s website. Manuscripts should be submitted in the prescribed format, including all required sections (abstract, introduction, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, references, etc.).
• Originality: Manuscripts submitted to PJHR must be original and not previously published or under consideration elsewhere. Authors should ensure that their work is free from plagiarism. The journal may use plagiarism detection software to verify the originality of submissions.
• Simultaneous Submission: PJHR does not accept manuscripts that are simultaneously under review or have been submitted to other journals.

2. Authorship

• Criteria for Authorship: Only individuals who have made significant contributions to the research and writing of the manuscript should be listed as authors. Authors must meet the following criteria:
  • Contribution to the conception, design, or analysis of the study.
  • Involvement in drafting or revising the manuscript.
  • Final approval of the manuscript to be published.
• Order of Authors: The corresponding author is responsible for submitting the manuscript and communicating with the journal on behalf of all co-authors. The order of authorship should be agreed upon by all authors prior to submission.
• Acknowledgments: Authors must acknowledge any individuals or organizations who contributed to the research but did not qualify for authorship. This includes funders, advisors, or other contributors who helped with the study.

3. Ethical Considerations

• Ethical Approval: Authors must ensure that their research complies with ethical standards. For studies involving human or animal subjects, authors must obtain ethical approval from an institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee. Written informed consent must be obtained from participants, where applicable.
• Data Integrity: Authors are expected to report data honestly and accurately. Falsification, manipulation, or omission of data is considered unethical and will result in rejection or retraction of the manuscript.
• Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional conflicts of interest that could influence the objectivity or integrity of their research.
• Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that they properly cite all sources of information, ideas, or data that are not their own. The use of others’ work without proper citation is considered plagiarism and will not be tolerated.

4. Peer Review Process

• Double-Blind Review: PJHR uses a double-blind peer review process, meaning that both the identities of the authors and the reviewers are kept confidential. Authors are expected to cooperate with the peer review process and may be required to make revisions based on reviewer feedback.
• Revisions: Authors may be asked to revise their manuscripts in response to reviewer comments. Manuscripts must be revised and resubmitted within the time frame specified by the editorial team.
• Final Decision: The editorial team will make the final decision on the manuscript after peer review. The possible outcomes include acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection. Authors will be notified of the decision along with any reviewer comments or feedback.

5. Copyright and Licensing

• Copyright Transfer: By submitting a manuscript to PJHR, authors agree to transfer the copyright of the published article to the journal upon acceptance. This allows the journal to distribute and make the article publicly available.
• Creative Commons License: PJHR typically publishes articles under a Creative Commons (CC) license, allowing for sharing and reuse under specific conditions. The exact license (e.g., CC BY, CC BY-NC) will be specified upon publication.
• Permission for Third-Party Content: Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to use any third-party content (e.g., images, tables, or data) and for ensuring proper attribution. This includes copyrighted material used within the manuscript or figures.

6. Publication Fees

• Fees: Authors may be required to pay publication fees if their manuscript is accepted for publication. These fees help cover the costs associated with editing, formatting, and disseminating the article.
• Waivers: In certain cases, the journal may offer fee waivers or discounts for authors from low-income countries or for specific types of research. Authors should contact the editorial team for information regarding potential fee waivers.

7. Corrections and Retractions

• Errata: If an author identifies an error in their article after publication, they should contact the editorial team immediately. Corrections will be published as errata, and the corrected version will be made available.
• Retraction: If an article is found to contain significant errors, ethical violations (e.g., plagiarism or data manipulation), or conflicts of interest after publication, it may be retracted. Retractions will be made public, and a retraction notice will be issued alongside the original article.

8. Post-Publication Interactions

• Reader Comments: Authors are encouraged to engage with readers and respond to any questions or comments on their published work. PJHR may also publish letters to the editor or responses to published articles.
• Post-Publication Revisions: Authors may request corrections or clarifications after publication. These requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis, and the decision to update or amend the article will be made by the editorial team.

9. Privacy and Confidentiality

• Author Data: The journal collects and stores personal information from authors (e.g., name, affiliation, email) for the purpose of processing the manuscript and managing communication. This information will not be shared with third parties without the author’s consent, except as required by law.
• Peer Review Confidentiality: The identities of reviewers are kept confidential, and authors should not contact reviewers directly. Any breach of confidentiality regarding the peer review process may result in the rejection of the manuscript.

10. Policy Review

This author policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains aligned with the best practices in academic publishing. Any significant changes will be communicated to authors.

By submitting to the Pakistan Journal of Healthcare Research, authors agree to adhere to these policies and uphold the integrity of the journal and the academic publishing process.