Publication Ethics Policy

The CJAHS is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, transparency, and academic excellence throughout the manuscript submission, peer review, editorial decision-making, and publication processes. The journal adheres to the principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), while complying with the policies of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, and other internationally recognized ethical standards.

CJAHS expects all individuals involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher, to uphold honesty, integrity, transparency, fairness, confidentiality, and accountability at every stage of scholarly publishing.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for submitting original, accurate, and ethically conducted research. Manuscripts must not have been previously published, nor be under consideration by another journal at the time of submission. Authors should ensure that all data are presented honestly without fabrication, falsification, inappropriate manipulation, or selective reporting.

All listed authors must have made substantial scholarly contributions to the conception or design of the study, data acquisition, analysis or interpretation, manuscript preparation, or critical revision, and must approve the final version before submission. Authorship should accurately reflect individual contributions and comply with the journal's Authorship Policy.

Authors are required to disclose all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest, funding sources, sponsorship, or material support that may influence the interpretation of the research findings. Any significant errors identified after submission or publication must be promptly reported to the Editorial Office.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editorial decisions are made independently of the publisher, sponsors, advertisers, institutional affiliations, or commercial interests. Editorial freedom is protected throughout the peer-review and publication processes, and decisions are based solely on the scientific merit, originality, methodological quality, ethical compliance, and relevance of submitted manuscripts.

Editors shall maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, safeguard the integrity of the peer-review process, manage conflicts of interest appropriately, and address allegations of publication misconduct in accordance with COPE recommendations and the journal's editorial policies.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to evaluate manuscripts objectively, confidentially, and constructively, providing evidence-based recommendations that assist editors in making informed publication decisions. Reviewers should declare any conflicts of interest that could affect their impartiality and decline review assignments where such conflicts exist.

Reviewers must not disclose, reproduce, or use unpublished information obtained during peer review for personal or professional advantage. Any concerns regarding plagiarism, duplicate publication, ethical misconduct, or scientific inaccuracies should be reported confidentially to the Editorial Office.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher supports editorial independence and is committed to maintaining transparent publication practices, research integrity, and ethical publishing standards. Commercial or financial considerations shall not influence editorial decisions. The publisher works collaboratively with the editorial team to investigate allegations of research or publication misconduct and to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Research Ethics

All research involving human participants, human biological materials, or identifiable personal data must receive prior approval from an appropriately constituted Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC), or equivalent ethics committee before participant recruitment begins. The name of the approving committee, approval number (where applicable), and approval date should be reported in the manuscript.

Studies involving medicines, medical devices, rehabilitation interventions, or other experimental procedures must comply with internationally accepted ethical principles and prioritize participant safety, dignity, and welfare.

Prospective registration of clinical trials in a publicly accessible registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), or another WHO-recognized registry) is expected before participant enrollment. Where applicable, the trial registration number and registry name should be reported within the manuscript.

Informed Consent and Patient Confidentiality

Written informed consent must be obtained from all participants or their legally authorized representatives before participation in research involving human subjects. For case reports, clinical photographs, videos, or any information capable of identifying an individual, explicit written consent for publication must also be obtained.

Authors must ensure that patient privacy and confidentiality are protected at all times. Personal identifiers should be removed or anonymized unless publication has been specifically authorized through documented informed consent.

Copyright Permissions

Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission from the original copyright holder before reproducing previously published figures, tables, photographs, questionnaires, or other copyrighted materials. Appropriate acknowledgment and citation must accompany all reproduced content.

Conflict of Interest and Funding Disclosure

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, personal, professional, institutional, or other relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing their responsibilities or judgment. All sources of research funding, sponsorship, or material support must be declared within the manuscript to ensure transparency and accountability.

Research Integrity and Publication Misconduct

CJAHS maintains zero tolerance toward research and publication misconduct. Unethical practices include, but are not limited to:

  • Fabrication or falsification of research data.
  • Plagiarism in any form.
  • Duplicate or redundant publication.
  • Simultaneous submission to multiple journals.
  • Salami publication.
  • Citation manipulation.
  • Peer-review manipulation.
  • Misrepresentation of authorship or contributor roles.
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest.
  • Inappropriate image manipulation or alteration intended to misrepresent research findings.

Authors are responsible for ensuring the integrity of all submitted images, figures, and graphical data. Inappropriate image manipulation that alters, obscures, enhances, removes, or misrepresents research findings is considered scientific misconduct. Where concerns regarding image integrity arise, the Editorial Office may request the original, unprocessed image files for verification.

Investigation of Ethical Concerns

Allegations of research or publication misconduct involving submitted or published manuscripts are investigated fairly, confidentially, and objectively in accordance with the principles, flowcharts, and best practice guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors may be requested to provide original research data, ethics approval documents, informed consent forms, or other supporting evidence during an investigation.

Where misconduct is confirmed, the journal may implement appropriate corrective actions, including manuscript rejection, publication of corrections, expressions of concern, article retraction, notification of relevant institutions or funding agencies, or other measures necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Related Journal Policies

Authors should prepare manuscripts in accordance with internationally recognized reporting guidelines appropriate to the study design, including CONSORT, PRISMA, STROBE, CARE, ARRIVE, SRQR, and other relevant EQUATOR Network reporting guidelines. Authors should also provide a Data Availability Statement in accordance with the Journal's Data Sharing Policy, where applicable.

This Publication Ethical Policy should be read together with the journal's Editorial Policy, Editorial Structure and Workflow, Peer Review Policy, Conflict of Interest Policy, Plagiarism Policy, AI Usage and Disclosure Policy, Copyright and Licensing Policy, Data Protection and Privacy Policy, Archiving and Digital Preservation Policy, Appeals and Complaints Policy, Withdrawal Policy, and Corrigendum, Addendum, and Retraction Policy. Read more on the Journal Policies page.

Contact for Ethical Concerns

Questions or concerns regarding publication ethics, suspected research misconduct, or ethical issues related to submitted or published manuscripts should be directed to the Editorial Office. All concerns will be handled confidentially, impartially, and in accordance with COPE recommendations and the journal's established editorial procedures.