Ethical compliance

  1. Introduction

The PIMA journal of Health Sciences (PIMAJHS) is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in health research and publishing. This policy outlines the ethical requirements for authors, reviewers, and editors to ensure integrity, transparency, and accountability in scientific research and publication.

  1. Ethical Principles

PIMAJHS adheres to the ethical guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki. The key ethical principles include:

  • Honesty and Integrity: Research findings should be reported accurately, without fabrication, falsification, or manipulation.
  • Transparency: Disclosure of conflicts of interest, funding sources, and affiliations is mandatory.
  • Confidentiality: Editors and reviewers must maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and authors’ identities.
  • Accountability: Researchers, authors, and editors must take responsibility for their contributions.
  1. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
  • Ensure that research involving human subjects complies with ethical guidelines, including informed consent and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval.
  • Properly acknowledge contributions and avoid plagiarism, redundant publication, and data fabrication.
  • Disclose any conflicts of interest and funding sources.
  • Submit only original, unpublished work and avoid duplicate submission to multiple journals.
  • Address any ethical concerns raised during peer review or post-publication.
  1. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors
  • Ensure an unbiased, transparent peer-review process.
  • Maintain confidentiality of authors and reviewers.
  • Avoid conflicts of interest and recuse themselves when necessary.
  • Take appropriate action in cases of suspected ethical violations, such as plagiarism or data manipulation.
  • Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the review process.
  1. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers
  • Provide objective, constructive, and unbiased feedback.
  • Maintain confidentiality and not share or use submitted data for personal gain.
  • Disclose any conflicts of interest and decline reviews when necessary.
  • Report on any ethical concerns, such as suspected plagiarism or research misconduct.
  1. Research Ethics and Human Subjects Protection
  • All research involving human subjects must comply with internationally recognized ethical standards (e.g., the Helsinki Declaration, CIOMS guidelines).
  • Authors must obtain ethical approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) and provide a statement confirming informed consent from participants.
  • Clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible database before patient enrollment.
  1. 7. Plagiarism and Misconduct Policy

PIMAJHS strictly prohibits any form of research misconduct, including:

  • Plagiarism: All submissions will be screened using plagiarism detection software.
  • Data Fabrication/Falsification: Any manipulation of research data will lead to rejection and reporting to relevant authorities.
  • Redundant Publication: Submitting the same work to multiple journals is not permitted.
  • Authorship Disputes: Authorship must be based on significant contributions to research and manuscript preparation.
  1. Conflict of Interest Policy

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including:

  • Financial interests (e.g., funding, stocks, patents)
  • Personal relationships or affiliations that may influence the research.
  • Any other factors that could bias the study or review process.
  1. Data Sharing and Reproducibility
  • Authors are encouraged to share raw data in a publicly accessible repository whenever possible.
  • Research must be reproducible, and methods should be described in detail to allow verification.
  • Any data corrections post-publication must be transparently documented through errata or retractions.
  1. Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Actions
  • Corrections: If minor errors are identified post-publication, authors must submit a correction request.
  • Retractions: In cases of serious ethical violations, PIMAJHS reserves the right to retract published articles.
  • Expressions of Concern: If investigations into ethical concerns are ongoing, an expression of concern may be published.
  1. Reporting Ethical Violations

Anyone suspecting unethical practices in submitted or published articles should report concerns to the editorial office at [email address]. Complaints will be managed confidentially and in accordance with COPE guidelines.

  1. Conclusion

The Emerging Health Research Journal is dedicated to promoting high ethical standards in health research. All stakeholders must adhere to these policies to ensure scientific integrity, public trust, and the advancement of knowledge in healthcare.