Journal Ethics Policy - International Multispeciality Journal of Health (IJOER)

Q: What ethical standards does IJOER follow?

IJOER follows the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) Code of Conduct and Best Practice Principles for Journal Editors, ensuring international standards of research integrity.

Q: What are the author's ethical responsibilities?

Authors must ensure original work, proper attribution, disclose conflicts of interest, obtain necessary approvals for human/animal research, and maintain data integrity.

Q: How does IJOER handle research misconduct?

We investigate allegations thoroughly, follow COPE flowcharts, maintain confidentiality, provide authors opportunity to respond, and impose appropriate sanctions including manuscript rejection or retraction.

Q: What ethical guidelines apply to reviewers?

Reviewers must maintain confidentiality, provide objective assessment, declare conflicts of interest, complete reviews promptly, and offer constructive feedback.

Q: How can I report an ethical concern?

Email info@globalacademician.com with specific details and evidence. We treat all reports confidentially and investigate thoroughly following COPE guidelines.

Our Moral Obligation

IJOER is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of publication and research integrity. Our ethical framework is built on honesty, transparency, responsibility, and justice in all aspects of research publication.

IJOER Journal Ethics Policy - Research Integrity in Literature and Cultural Studies

COPE Code Compliance

IJOER is committed to the COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Principles for Journal Editors. All editors undergo ethical training and participate in COPE forums to stay current with evolving publication ethics standards.

Corrections & Retractions
Specific Research Types
Reporting Concerns
Education & Training

1. Author Ethics and Responsibilities

Authors are expected to observe the highest standards of research integrity throughout the publication process.

Research Integrity & Originality

Original Work: Submit only original work not published elsewhere
Proper Attribution: Acknowledge and cite sources appropriately
No Duplication: Avoid duplicate publication and redundant submission
Full Disclosure: Disclose any previous publications of similar work
Data Authenticity: Assure authenticity and accuracy of all data
Methodological Rigor: Ensure appropriateness of statistical analysis
Data Retention: Retain research data for verification purposes

Research Conduct Standards

Follow ethical research practices with human subjects
Obtain all necessary institutional approvals
Maintain data integrity and refrain from fabrication
Ensure appropriate methodological approaches
Protect participant confidentiality and privacy
Adhere to ethical guidelines for specific research types
Document research process thoroughly

Authorship and Contribution Standards

Authorship Criteria

Substantial Contribution: Conception, execution, analysis or interpretation
Corresponding Author: Responsible for communication and co-author agreement
Co-authorship Approval: All authors must approve final manuscript
Acknowledgements: Recognize contributors not meeting authorship criteria
Ghost Authorship: Prohibited exclusion of qualifying contributors
Gift Authorship: Avoid listing non-contributing individuals

Disclosure and Transparency

Conflict of Interest:

Disclose financial relationships with organizations
Disclose personal relationships affecting research
Declare academic competition or collaborations
Identify institutional affiliations clearly

Funding and Support:

Acknowledge all funding sources in manuscript
Disclose grant numbers and funding agencies
Disclose in-kind contributions and support
Identify sponsor involvement in research design

2. Reviewer Ethical Responsibilities

Reviewers play a crucial role in maintaining research integrity.

Confidentiality & Objectivity

Maintain manuscript confidentiality during and after review
Do not discuss unpublished manuscripts with others
Provide objective, unbiased assessment of research quality
Evaluate manuscripts based on intellectual content only
Avoid personal criticism of authors
Support claims with evidence and references
Alert editors to ethical concerns or similarities

Timeliness & Constructiveness

Respond promptly to review invitations
Complete reviews within agreed timeframe
Provide authors with constructive, detailed feedback
Identify relevant published work not cited
Offer specific suggestions for improvement
Maintain professional tone in all comments
Follow journal's review format and guidelines

Conflict of Interest for Reviewers

Reviewers must decline invitations when there are recent collaborations with authors, direct competition, personal relationships, or financial interests that may compromise objectivity. Undisclosed conflicts will result in removal from our reviewer database.

3. Editorial Ethics Responsibilities

Editorial Independence & Fairness

Editorial Independence: Decisions based solely on academic merit
Fair Judgment: Evaluate intellectual content without regard to author demographics
Confidentiality: Protect author and reviewer identities throughout
Transparency: Provide clear and consistent editorial policies
Accountability: Take responsibility for editorial decisions
Consistency: Apply standards uniformly across all submissions
Accessibility: Make policies and processes accessible to all

Conflict Management & Integrity

Conflict Avoidance: Recuse from handling manuscripts with personal conflicts
Full Disclosure: Disclose potential conflicts to editorial team
Ethical Use: Avoid using unpublished information for personal research
Separation of Interests: Maintain editorial and personal interests separately
Ethical Oversight: Investigate concerns thoroughly and confidentially
Due Process: Provide authors opportunity to respond to allegations
Corrective Action: Implement corrections and retractions when needed

4. Handling Research and Publication Misconduct

Types of Misconduct

Data-Related Misconduct:

Fabrication: Making up research data or results
Falsification: Manipulating research materials or data
Destruction: Improper destruction of research data
Misrepresentation: Selective reporting or data manipulation

Publication Misconduct:

Plagiarism: Using others' work without attribution
Duplicate Publication: Publishing same research multiple times
Authorship Misrepresentation: Inappropriate inclusion/exclusion of authors
Peer Review Manipulation: Suggesting reviewers with conflicts

Investigation and Sanctions Process

Initial Assessment: Determine if investigation is warranted based on evidence
Author Notification: Notify corresponding author of concerns and request explanation
Evidence Collection: Gather relevant documentation and comparisons
Expert Consultation: Seek input from subject matter experts if needed
Institutional Liaison: Contact authors' institutions for verification
Decision Making: Reach conclusion based on comprehensive evidence
Implementation: Impose appropriate sanctions and corrections

Sanctions may include: Manuscript rejection, publication retraction, author blacklisting, and notification to institutional authorities and indexing services.

5. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

Correction

Issued for minor errors not impacting conclusions:

Typographical errors
Author name misspellings
Incorrect affiliations
Minor calculation errors
Reference inaccuracies

Retraction

Issued for severe ethical breaches or incorrect findings:

Data fabrication or falsification
Plagiarism detection
Unauthorized data usage
Major methodological flaws
Ethical violations

Expression of Concern

Issued when investigation is ongoing but readers should be alerted:

Ongoing institutional investigations
Unresolved authorship disputes
Inconclusive evidence of misconduct
Possible implications for research validity
Serious but unconfirmed allegations

6. Ethical Guidelines for Specific Research Types

Human Subjects Research

Institutional review board approval required
Informed consent from all participants
Protection of participant confidentiality
Minimization of potential harm and risk
Cultural sensitivity in research design
Debriefing procedures where appropriate
Data protection and privacy compliance

Data and Privacy

Compliance with data protection regulations
Anonymization of personal and sensitive details
Secure data storage and processing protocols
Appropriate data sharing practices
Respect for privacy and confidentiality agreements
Data retention and disposal policies
Transparency about data usage

Animal Research

Ethical treatment and care standards
Minimization of pain and distress
Proper institutional approvals and oversight
Justification of animal use necessity
Appropriate housing and environmental conditions
Qualified personnel and veterinary care
Humane endpoints and euthanasia protocols

Cultural and Indigenous Research

Respect for cultural protocols and traditions
Community engagement and consultation
Appropriate knowledge sharing practices
Acknowledgement of traditional knowledge
Benefit sharing with communities
Cultural sensitivity in interpretation
Reciprocal research relationships

7. Reporting Ethical Concerns

Reporting Process

Readers, authors, and reviewers can report ethical concerns through:

Primary Email: info@globalacademician.com for confidential reporting
Alternative Email: info.IJOER@gmail.com
Evidence: Provide specific details and supporting documentation
Anonymity: Ability to report anonymously is available
Response Time: Initial acknowledgement within 3 business days
Investigation Timeline: Most cases resolved within 4-6 weeks

Our Commitment

We treat all ethical concerns with the utmost seriousness:

Thorough examination of all allegations
Confidentiality for all parties during investigation
Fair and impartial investigation procedures
Opportunity for response from accused parties
Transparent resolution when investigation concludes
Protection for whistleblowers acting in good faith
Continuous improvement based on case learnings

8. Ethics Education and Training

Resources for Authors

Detailed information and learning resources on ethical issues related to research and publishing

Reviewer Skills Training

Training in ethical reviewing, conflict resolution, and effective feedback for reviewers

Continuous Improvement

Editorial team receives ongoing ethics training and stays updated with evolving COPE standards

Contact Ethics Committee

For all matters pertaining to ethics and related inquiries, contact our Ethics Committee:

Email: info.IJOER@gmail.com or info@globalacademician.com

All correspondence is treated confidentially. Guidelines and resources are available to authors, reviewers, and editors to facilitate ethical decision-making in scholarly publishing.