Publication Ethics

1. Purpose of Publication Ethics Policy: The purpose of this Publication Ethics Policy is to ensure that all articles submitted to the Pakistan Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Research (PJAIMR) adhere to the highest ethical standards in scientific publishing. This policy provides clear guidelines to authors, reviewers, and editors on their responsibilities and outlines the journal's commitment to academic integrity, transparency, and fairness in the publication process.

2. General Ethical Principles: PJAIMR is committed to upholding the principles of integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct in all aspects of the publication process. These principles include:

  • Honesty: All participants in the publication process must act honestly and uphold the accuracy and integrity of the research.

  • Transparency: Clear and transparent communication is essential in all stages of the manuscript submission and publication process.

  • Fairness: All manuscripts will be treated fairly, without bias, and decisions will be made based on the scientific merit of the work.

  • Confidentiality: All parties involved in the publication process (authors, editors, and reviewers) must respect the confidentiality of the process, particularly in regards to unpublished manuscripts and proprietary data.

3. Author Responsibilities: Authors submitting manuscripts to PJAIMR must adhere to the following ethical guidelines:

  • Originality: Authors must submit only original research that has not been previously published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere. Plagiarism, data fabrication, and falsification of results are strictly prohibited.

  • Proper Attribution and Citation: Authors must properly cite all sources of information, data, or ideas that are not their own, and they must acknowledge any collaborators or contributors to the work.

  • Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest (e.g., financial, personal, or professional) that may influence the manuscript’s content or interpretation of results.

  • Data Availability and Transparency: Authors must provide access to the data and materials used in their research, if applicable, and ensure that their findings can be verified by others.

  • Ethical Approval: Authors must provide evidence that their research has been approved by relevant ethical committees, especially if it involves human or animal subjects. Informed consent must be obtained from all participants involved in the study.

  • Multiple Submissions: Authors are prohibited from submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently. If the manuscript is withdrawn from one journal and resubmitted elsewhere, the author must inform both journals.

4. Reviewer Responsibilities: Reviewers are essential in maintaining the scientific quality and integrity of the journal. Reviewers must adhere to the following ethical guidelines:

  • Fair and Objective Review: Reviewers must evaluate the manuscript based on its scientific merit, relevance, and originality. They should not allow personal biases or conflicts of interest to affect their review.

  • Confidentiality: Reviewers must keep the details of the manuscript confidential and not share or discuss it with anyone outside the peer review process.

  • Constructive Feedback: Reviewers should provide clear, objective, and constructive feedback to help authors improve their manuscripts. Criticism should be focused on the content of the manuscript, not on the author(s) personally.

  • Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that may compromise their impartiality. If a reviewer feels they cannot provide a fair assessment due to a conflict of interest, they should recuse themselves from the review process.

  • Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their reviews within the given timeframe. If they are unable to meet the deadline, they should inform the editorial office as soon as possible.

5. Editor Responsibilities: Editors play a key role in maintaining the ethical standards of PJAIMR. Editors must adhere to the following ethical guidelines:

  • Fairness and Objectivity: Editors must evaluate manuscripts based solely on their scientific quality and relevance to the journal’s scope. Decisions should not be influenced by personal or financial interests.

  • Confidentiality: Editors must maintain confidentiality regarding the content of submitted manuscripts. Manuscripts should not be disclosed or shared with third parties except as necessary for the review process.

  • Timely Decision-Making: Editors should make decisions on manuscripts promptly and communicate those decisions clearly to the authors. If revisions are needed, editors must ensure that the review and revision process is completed in a timely manner.

  • Conflict of Interest: Editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to the submitted manuscript. If an editor has a conflict of interest, they must recuse themselves from the decision-making process, and an alternate editor may be assigned.

  • Transparency in Publication Decisions: Editors must provide clear and transparent reasons for their decisions, particularly in cases of manuscript rejection. They should ensure that the peer review process is objective and unbiased.

  • Handling of Ethical Violations: Editors are responsible for investigating any suspected ethical violations, including plagiarism, data manipulation, and authorship disputes. If a violation is identified, the editor should take appropriate action, including retracting the article if necessary.

6. Handling of Misconduct: PJAIMR adheres to the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines for handling cases of misconduct, including plagiarism, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, and data fabrication. Any suspected misconduct will be investigated thoroughly, and appropriate actions will be taken, which may include:

  • Rejection of the Manuscript: If a manuscript is found to involve misconduct, it will be rejected for publication.

  • Retraction of Published Articles: If an article is published and subsequently found to involve misconduct, it may be retracted, and a retraction notice will be issued.

  • Informing Institutions: In cases of serious misconduct, the author’s institution(s) may be notified.

  • Banning Authors: In cases of severe misconduct, authors may be banned from submitting future manuscripts to PJAIMR.

7. Conflicts of Interest: PJAIMR expects all authors, reviewers, and editors to disclose any potential conflicts of interest, which may include:

  • Financial Conflicts: Any financial interests in the research or related fields (e.g., funding, employment, consultancy, patents).

  • Non-Financial Conflicts: Personal or professional relationships that may affect objectivity (e.g., academic collaborations, personal relationships with authors).

  • Institutional Conflicts: Conflicts arising from institutional or organizational relationships that could bias decisions.

If a conflict of interest is not disclosed, the manuscript may be rejected or retracted.

8. Open Access and Data Sharing: PJAIMR adheres to an open access policy, ensuring that all articles published in the journal are freely accessible to the global research community. Authors are encouraged to make their data, supplementary materials, and code publicly available, where appropriate, to enhance the reproducibility of their research.

  • Data Availability: Authors should provide access to their research data upon request and ensure that the data complies with ethical and legal standards.

  • Open Access Fees: PJAIMR may charge article processing fees (APC) to cover the cost of publication. Authors are expected to be transparent about the funding of their research and payment of fees.

9. Policy Updates: PJAIMR reserves the right to update and modify this Publication Ethics Policy as needed. Any changes will be communicated to authors, reviewers, and editors, and will be implemented in a transparent manner. The most current version of the policy will always be available on the journal’s website.

This Publication Ethics Policy ensures that the Pakistan Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Research adheres to the highest ethical standards and maintains the integrity and trust of its authors, reviewers, editors, and readers.