Publication Ethics

Editorial Responsibilities

At MIJMSR, our editors uphold the following ethical responsibilities:

1. Fair and Unbiased Decision-Making: Editors evaluate submitted manuscripts based solely on academic merit, disregarding factors like race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, citizenship, religion, political beliefs, or institutional affiliations. Their decisions prioritize the manuscript's significance, originality, validity, and clarity. Editorial decisions remain independent of external influences, including government policies.

2. Confidentiality: Editors and their editorial staff maintain strict confidentiality. Information about submitted manuscripts is shared only with the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisors, and the publisher, when necessary, for publication purposes.

3. Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Editors and editorial board members do not use unpublished materials from submitted manuscripts for their personal research without the authors' consent. Any confidential information or insights gained during the review process are kept confidential. Editors declare any conflicts of interest, whether competitive, collaborative, or otherwise, with authors, institutions, or entities associated with the manuscript. In cases of conflict, they delegate the review task to another editorial board member.

4. Publication Decisions: Editors ensure that all submitted manuscripts undergo peer review by at least two subject-matter experts. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for determining publication based on factors including the manuscript's validity, significance, reviewer feedback, and legal compliance concerning false statements, copyright, and plagiarism. Consultations with other editors or reviewers may occur during this process.

5. Ethical Investigations: Editors collaborate with the publisher and relevant parties to address ethical concerns raised about submitted manuscripts or published papers. Ethical issues, even if identified years after publication, are thoroughly investigated, and responsive measures are taken to maintain the journal's integrity.

By adhering to these ethical responsibilities, MIJMSR's editors ensure a fair and ethical editorial process, upholding the quality and credibility of the journal's publications.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers play a crucial role in the scholarly peer review process, and at MIJMSR, they are expected to uphold the following responsibilities:

1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists editors in making informed editorial decisions and offers authors valuable feedback to enhance their manuscripts. It is an integral part of scholarly communication and advances the pursuit of knowledge.

2. Promptness: If a invited reviewer feels inadequately qualified to assess a manuscript or anticipates delays in providing a timely review, they should promptly inform the editors and respectfully decline the review request. This allows alternative reviewers to be contacted promptly.

3. Confidentiality: Manuscripts sent for review are confidential documents and should be treated as such. Reviewers must refrain from sharing or discussing them with unauthorized individuals. Disclosure may only occur under exceptional circumstances and with explicit authorization from the Editor-in-Chief.

4. Objectivity and Constructive Feedback: Reviews should be conducted objectively, providing clear and well-supported feedback that authors can use to enhance their manuscripts. Personal criticism of authors is discouraged; instead, the focus should be on the manuscript's content.

5. Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that authors may have overlooked. Any observations or arguments previously reported in publications should be appropriately cited. Reviewers should also inform editors if they are aware of substantial similarities between the manuscript under review and any other work, whether published or unpublished.

6. Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers with conflicts of interest due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors, affiliated institutions, or organizations associated with the manuscript must notify the editors. They should declare their conflicts of interest and decline the review invitation, facilitating the engagement of alternative reviewers. Unpublished material disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used for the reviewer's research without the express written consent of the authors. Any privileged information or ideas acquired through peer review should be treated confidentially and not exploited for personal gain.

These reviewer responsibilities ensure the integrity and fairness of the peer review process at MIJMSR, contributing to the quality of scholarly publications and maintaining ethical standards.

Author Responsibilities

Authors at MIJMSR are expected to adhere to the following ethical responsibilities:

1. Reporting Standards: Authors of original research must provide an accurate account of their work, including results and an objective discussion of their significance. Sufficient detail and references should be included to enable others to replicate the study. Review articles should be accurate, objective, and comprehensive, while opinion pieces should be clearly identified as such. Falsification or knowingly inaccurate statements are unethical and unacceptable.

2. Data Access and Retention: Authors may be asked to provide raw data for editorial review and should be prepared to make data accessible if possible. Data should be retained for at least 10 years after publication, ensuring accessibility to competent professionals while safeguarding confidentiality and proprietary rights.

3. Originality and Plagiarism: Authors should submit entirely original work and appropriately cite any external sources or prior work. Plagiarism in any form, from passing off someone else's work as one's own to copying substantial portions without attribution, is considered unethical and unacceptable.

4. Multiple Submissions: Manuscripts describing the same research should not be submitted to more than one journal or published more than once. Simultaneous submission to multiple journals is unethical. Exceptions, such as clinical guidelines, require agreement from both journals and must reference the primary publication.

5. Authorship Criteria: Only those who meet specific authorship criteria should be listed as authors, taking responsibility for the content. These criteria include significant contributions to conception, design, execution, data acquisition, analysis, or critical manuscript revisions. Individuals who do not meet authorship criteria but provided substantial support should be acknowledged with their consent.

6. Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors should promptly disclose conflicts of interest at the submission stage and within the manuscript. This includes financial and non-financial conflicts that could influence results or interpretations. Sources of financial support for the work should also be disclosed.

7. Acknowledgment of Sources: Authors must appropriately acknowledge the work of others and cite influential publications that shaped their research. Information obtained privately should not be used without explicit written permission.

8. Hazards and Ethics: Authors must clearly identify any inherent hazards in their work, whether involving chemicals, procedures, or equipment. If the study involves animals or human participants, it must adhere to relevant laws and institutional guidelines, with necessary approvals and informed consent.

9. Peer Review Participation: Authors must engage in the peer review process by responding promptly to editors' requests for data, clarifications, and ethics approvals. Revisions, when requested, should be submitted on time with systematic responses to reviewers' comments.

10. Fundamental Errors: If significant errors or inaccuracies are identified in published work, authors should promptly inform the journal editors and cooperate to correct the paper through an erratum or retraction. If errors are reported by third parties, authors should likewise cooperate to address them.

These ethical responsibilities ensure the integrity and credibility of publications at MIJMSR and uphold the principles of responsible research and scholarly communication.

Publisher Responsibilities

The publisher of MIJMSR is committed to upholding ethical standards and ensuring the availability of scholarly research. Our responsibilities include:

1. Addressing Unethical Behavior: In cases of alleged or confirmed scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism, the publisher collaborates closely with the journal's editors to take appropriate actions. This may involve promptly publishing an erratum, clarification, or, in severe cases, retracting the affected work. The publisher, along with the editors, actively works to identify and prevent the publication of papers involving research misconduct. We do not condone such misconduct and actively prevent its occurrence.

2. Access to Journal Content: The publisher is dedicated to ensuring the perpetual availability and preservation of scholarly research. We achieve this by partnering with reputable organizations and maintaining our digital archive, which guarantees ongoing accessibility to the content published in our journal.

These publisher responsibilities underscore our commitment to ethical publishing practices and the enduring accessibility of scholarly knowledge through MIJMSR.