Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics

The Journal of Emerging Medical Sciences (JEMS) is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and upholding the integrity of the academic record. Our ethical policies are aligned with internationally recognized guidelines, including those established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and Elsevier’s Publishing Ethics Guidelines. These standards ensure that all published research is conducted, reviewed, and disseminated with honesty, transparency, and accountability.

Authors submitting manuscripts to JEMS are expected to ensure that their work is original, has not been published previously, and is not under consideration elsewhere. Proper acknowledgment of all sources is required to avoid plagiarism, and any potential conflicts of interest or sources of funding must be clearly disclosed. Authors must adhere to ethical research practices, particularly when human or animal subjects are involved, and secure approval from relevant ethics committees. It is the responsibility of authors to cooperate with the peer review process and promptly correct or retract their work if significant errors are discovered after publication.

Editors at JEMS are committed to the fair and unbiased evaluation of all submitted manuscripts, based solely on academic merit. The editorial process is conducted with strict confidentiality, and all ethical concerns, including those related to plagiarism or research misconduct, are addressed in accordance with COPE guidelines. Editors must ensure the integrity of the peer review process, remain free from personal or financial conflicts of interest, and take appropriate actions when ethical breaches are identified, including issuing corrections or retractions when necessary.

Reviewers play a vital role in maintaining the quality of publications in JEMS and are expected to provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback. They must preserve the confidentiality of the manuscript and refrain from using any unpublished information for personal gain. Reviewers are also responsible for identifying any ethical issues such as plagiarism or duplicate publication and must decline to review manuscripts if any conflict of interest exists.

JEMS enforces a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism, data fabrication, and falsification. All manuscripts undergo rigorous plagiarism detection screening, and any confirmed case of research misconduct will result in immediate rejection or retraction and possible blacklisting of the authors involved. Authors are also required to retain raw data for verification purposes if needed, and must ensure the accuracy and transparency of their methodologies and findings to allow for reproducibility.

Conflicts of interest—whether financial, personal, or institutional—must be disclosed by all authors, reviewers, and editors involved in the publication process. Failure to declare conflicts of interest can compromise the integrity of the work and may lead to manuscript rejection, correction, or retraction after publication.

In cases where post-publication issues arise, such as errors or ethical concerns, JEMS adheres to COPE-recommended protocols for issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern. Minor corrections are addressed through errata, while significant issues such as plagiarism or data falsification result in formal retraction statements. In situations where concerns are still under investigation, an expression of concern may be published to inform readers.

Research involving human or animal participants must comply with internationally accepted ethical standards, including the Declaration of Helsinki and the ARRIVE guidelines. Ethical approval from appropriate review boards must be documented, and informed consent must be obtained from all human participants. Researchers are also responsible for protecting participants’ privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of personal data.

JEMS provides a transparent and fair mechanism for handling complaints and appeals related to publication ethics, editorial decisions, and peer review. All complaints must be submitted in writing to the editorial office and will be investigated thoroughly in line with COPE procedures. Where misconduct is confirmed, JEMS will take necessary corrective actions, including retraction, notification of affiliated institutions, or sanctions against authors.

By submitting and publishing with JEMS, all contributors agree to comply with these ethical policies. Through the rigorous enforcement of these standards, the journal ensures the credibility, reliability, and scholarly value of its published research, thereby fostering trust in the global scientific community.