PUBLICATION ETHICS & RESEARCH MISCONDUCT POLICY

The Journal of Pak International Medical College (JPIMC) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, scientific integrity, transparency, and responsible research conduct. The journal follows internationally accepted principles of ethical publishing and expects authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers to adhere to these standards throughout the publication process.

JPIMC promotes honesty, accuracy, accountability, and fairness in scholarly communication while safeguarding the integrity of the scientific record.

Ethical Standards

JPIMC follows the recommendations and best practices of:

  • International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Principles
  • World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)
  • Declaration of Helsinki
  • EQUATOR Network Reporting Guidelines

These standards guide all editorial decisions and publication activities.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to JPIMC must:

  • Submit original and unpublished work.
  • Ensure that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere.
  • Accurately report study methods and results.
  • Obtain ethical approval before commencing research.
  • Obtain informed consent from participants where applicable.
  • Appropriately acknowledge all contributors.
  • Disclose funding sources.
  • Declare all conflicts of interest.
  • Maintain original research data and provide it if requested.
  • Correct significant errors identified after publication.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the entire manuscript.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

  • Making fair and unbiased editorial decisions.
  • Maintaining confidentiality.
  • Managing conflicts of interest.
  • Selecting qualified peer reviewers.
  • Protecting the integrity of the peer-review process.
  • Investigating allegations of publication misconduct.
  • Issuing corrections or retractions when necessary.

Editorial decisions are based solely on scientific merit and ethical compliance.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers should:

  • Maintain confidentiality.
  • Provide objective and constructive feedback.
  • Declare conflicts of interest.
  • Complete reviews within the requested timeframe.
  • Report suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or ethical concerns.
  • Evaluate scientific validity without personal bias.

Reviewers should not use unpublished information for personal advantage.

Plagiarism Policy

JPIMC has zero tolerance for plagiarism.

All submitted manuscripts undergo similarity screening using Turnitin or equivalent plagiarism detection software before peer review.

Plagiarism includes:

  • Copying text without citation.
  • Self-plagiarism.
  • Duplicate publication.
  • Mosaic plagiarism.
  • Image plagiarism.
  • Improper paraphrasing.

Manuscripts with unacceptable similarity may be rejected or withdrawn.

Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals.

Previously published work, duplicate publication, or redundant publication without appropriate disclosure is considered publication misconduct.

Data Fabrication and Falsification

JPIMC strictly prohibits:

  • Fabrication of research data.
  • Falsification of results.
  • Manipulation of statistical analyses.
  • Selective reporting of findings.
  • Image manipulation intended to mislead readers.

Any confirmed misconduct may result in rejection, retraction, and notification of the authors' institutions where appropriate.

Image Integrity

Images submitted to JPIMC must accurately represent the original data.

Unacceptable practices include:

  • Selective enhancement.
  • Image duplication.
  • Misleading editing.
  • Manipulation that changes scientific interpretation.

Editors may request original image files for verification.

Authorship Misconduct

The journal does not accept:

  • Guest authorship.
  • Gift authorship.
  • Ghost authorship.
  • Omission of deserving contributors.

Authorship changes after submission require written consent from all authors and approval by the Editor-in-Chief.

Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, or personal relationships that could influence the publication process.

All declared conflicts are evaluated before editorial decisions are made.

Human Research Ethics

Studies involving human participants must comply with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Authors must provide:

  • Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval.
  • Ethics Committee approval number.
  • Date of approval.
  • Written informed consent where applicable.

Animal Research Ethics

Animal studies should comply with institutional and national guidelines for the ethical care and use of laboratory animals.

Appropriate ethical approval must be reported in the manuscript.

Clinical Trial Registration

Prospective clinical trials should be registered in a publicly accessible clinical trial registry before participant enrollment.

The registration number should be included in the manuscript.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI-assisted tools may be used only for language editing, grammar correction, or formatting assistance.

AI tools must not be listed as authors and may not replace human responsibility for the scientific content of the manuscript. Authors should disclose any significant AI-assisted use during manuscript preparation.

Corrections

If minor errors are identified after publication that do not affect the validity of the findings, the journal may publish:

  • Errata
  • Corrigenda

These corrections remain permanently linked to the original article.

Retractions

Articles may be retracted when there is evidence of:

  • Research misconduct.
  • Fabricated or falsified data.
  • Serious methodological errors.
  • Plagiarism.
  • Duplicate publication.
  • Unethical research.

Retraction notices remain permanently available as part of the scholarly record.

Expressions of Concern

Where allegations are under investigation but remain unresolved, JPIMC may publish an Expression of Concern until the investigation is completed.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a written explanation to the Editor-in-Chief.

Complaints regarding editorial conduct, peer review, or publication ethics are investigated fairly, confidentially, and without bias.

Confidentiality

Editors and reviewers maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and related correspondence. Unpublished material may not be disclosed or used for personal benefit.

Sanctions

Where publication misconduct is confirmed, JPIMC may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Reject the manuscript.
  • Retract the published article.
  • Publish a correction or expression of concern.
  • Inform the authors' institution or funding agency.
  • Restrict future submissions from the responsible author(s) for an appropriate period.

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

JPIMC is committed to preserving the integrity of the scientific literature through transparent editorial practices, ethical decision-making, rigorous peer review, and responsible management of publication misconduct. The journal continuously reviews and updates its ethical policies to align with internationally recognized standards.