Publication Ethics

At the Coastal Journal of Medical and Allied Health Sciences (CJMAHS), we are committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in academic publishing. We adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure integrity, transparency, and accountability throughout the publication process.

Responsibilities of Authors

1. Originality and Plagiarism

• a. Authors must ensure that their work is original and free from plagiarism. Proper citations should be provided for all referenced materials.
• b. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism or unethical practices will be rejected or retracted.

2. Authorship Criteria

• a. Only individuals who have made significant contributions to the research and manuscript preparation should be listed as authors.
• b. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission.

3. Data Integrity

• a. Authors must provide accurate and complete data in their manuscripts.
• b. Manipulation, fabrication, or falsification of data is strictly prohibited.

4. Acknowledgment of Sources

• a. Proper acknowledgment must be given to all sources, collaborators, and funding bodies.
• b. Permissions must be obtained for the use of copyrighted materials.

5. Conflicts of Interest

• Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation of their findings.

6. Ethical Compliance

• a. Research involving human participants or animals must comply with ethical guidelines, including obtaining approval from relevant ethics committees.
• b. Authors must provide a statement of ethical compliance in their manuscript.

Responsibilities of Editors

1. Fair and Impartial Decision-Making

• Editorial decisions are based on the manuscript's academic merit, relevance, and originality, without regard to the authors' race, gender, ethnicity, or affiliations.

2. Confidentiality

• Editors must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and must not disclose information to anyone outside the peer review process.

3. Conflict of Interest

• Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where there is a potential conflict of interest.

4. Addressing Ethical Concerns

• Editors are responsible for investigating and addressing ethical concerns, including allegations of plagiarism or misconduct.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

1. Objective Review

• Reviewers must provide an objective, unbiased, and constructive assessment of manuscripts.

2. Confidentiality

• Manuscripts and related information must be treated as confidential and not disclosed or used for personal advantage.

3. Promptness

• Reviewers should complete their reviews promptly and inform the editorial office if they are unable to meet the deadline.

4. Conflict of Interest

• Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest and decline to review manuscripts where such conflicts exist.

Handling Ethical Misconduct

1. Allegations of Misconduct

• a. CJMAHS follows COPE guidelines for investigating and resolving allegations of ethical misconduct.
• b. Authors, reviewers, or third parties may report concerns to the editorial office at editors@cm-journals.com

2. Corrective Actions

• If ethical breaches are identified, CJMAHS may take the following actions:
  • a. Issue a correction or retraction.
  • b. Inform the authors' institutions or funding bodies.
  • c. Update the journal record with a note on ethical concerns.

Research Involving Humans and Animals

• a. Human Subjects: Authors must ensure informed consent is obtained from all participants and that studies comply with the Declaration of Helsinki or equivalent ethical standards.
• b. Animal Research: Studies involving animals must adhere to internationally accepted guidelines, such as the ARRIVE guidelines or equivalent.

Contact Us

For questions or concerns about publication ethics, please contact the editorial office at editors@cm-journals.com.