Quality Assurance and Audits

The PIMA Journal of Health Sciences upholds the highest standards of academic publishing through a robust Quality Assurance and Audit framework. Regular internal and external audits ensure compliance with ethical publishing guidelines, peer review integrity, and indexing standards. The editorial team conducts periodic evaluations of manuscript handling, reviewer performance, and plagiarism detection. Internal audits also focuses on compliance of guidelines of Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Additionally, external audits by independent experts from Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) and Higher Education Commission (HEC) assess journal impact, transparency, and adherence to their guidelines. These measures help maintain the credibility, reliability, and continuous improvement of the journal. Here’s how both types of audits are typically conducted:

  1. Internal Audit of a Medical Journal

Internal audits are conducted by the journal’s editorial board, publishing team, or an internal quality assurance committee. The main focus is on editorial processes, peer review integrity, compliance with ethical guidelines, and financial accountability.

Key Areas of Internal Audit

  1. Editorial Process & Peer Review
  • Manuscript Tracking: Review the manuscript submission, review, and publication timelines.
  • Peer Review Process: Ensure that reviewers are selected based on expertise and there is no conflict of interest.
  • Editorial Decisions: Verify that decisions are made based on academic merit and not personal bias.
  • Plagiarism & Ethics Check: Ensure the use of plagiarism detection tools (e.g., Turnitin, iThenticate) and compliance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.
  1. Compliance with Publishing Standards
  • Indexing Requirements: Ensure adherence to indexing databases like Scopus, Web of Science, or PubMed.
  • Digital Object Identifier (DOI): Verify the assignment of DOIs for published articles.
  • Archiving & Open Access Compliance: Check if articles are archived properly in repositories like LOCKSS or Portico.
  1. Financial & Administrative Audit
  • Publication Fees & Funding: Ensure transparency in article processing charges (APCs), publishing fees and funding sources.
  • Author & Reviewer Payments: Audit honoraria, if applicable.
  • Subscription & Revenue Management: Verify income from subscriptions, advertisements, and sponsorships.
  1. Ethical Considerations & Complaints Handling
  • Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Ensure authors, reviewers, and editors declare any conflicts.
  • Retractions & Corrections: Review how retractions and corrections are handled according to COPE guidelines.
  • Complaint Resolution: Check the process for handling author and reviewer complaints.
  1. External Audit of a Medical Journal

External audits are conducted by independent organizations, regulatory bodies, or indexing agencies to assess journal credibility and compliance with global publishing standards.

Key Areas of External Audit

  1. Regulatory & Ethical Compliance
  • HEC, PMDC, COPE, ICMJE, WAME Standards: Ensure the journal meets the required ethical and publishing guidelines.
  • ISSN & DOI Verification: Confirm the proper registration and use of International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSN) and DOIs.
  1. Quality & Impact Assessment
  • Citation Analysis: Review citation reports from databases like Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science.
  • Impact Factor Verification: Assess impact factor calculations and credibility of indexing claims.
  • H-Index & Other Metrics: Evaluate author and journal-level research impact.
  1. Indexing & Accreditation
  • Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science Compliance: Check if the journal meets the standards for these databases.
  • HEC (Pakistan) & International Accreditation: Verify national and international accreditation status.
  1. Financial Transparency
  • Grant & Sponsorship Verification: Ensure declared funding sources align with financial records.
  • Subscription & APC Auditing: Examine pricing models for transparency.
  1. Technology & Security
  • Website & Digital Infrastructure Audit: Ensure the journal’s website meets security and accessibility standards.
  • Data Protection & Privacy Compliance: Check adherence to GDPR or other data protection regulations.

Conclusion

  • Internal audits focus on operational efficiency, editorial integrity, and ethical compliance.
  • External audits provide an independent validation of journal credibility, indexing status, and financial transparency.

 

Sample Audit Report Format

PIMA Journal of Health Sciencies

 Audit Report

Audit Period: [Start Date] – [End Date]
Auditor(s): [Name(s) and Designation]
Date of Report: [Date]

  1. Introduction
  • Purpose of the audit
  • Scope of the audit (e.g., editorial processes, peer review, compliance, indexing, etc.)
  • Standards and guidelines followed (e.g., COPE, ICMJE, DOAJ criteria)
  1. Editorial and Peer Review Process

✅ Manuscript Submission & Screening

  • ☐ Are all submitted manuscripts logged and tracked?
  • ☐ Is plagiarism detection software used (e.g., Turnitin?
  • ☐ Are manuscripts checked for ethical compliance and conflicts of interest?

✅ Peer Review Process

  • ☐ Are peer reviewers selected based on expertise?
  • ☐ Is a double-blind or single-blind review process followed?
  • ☐ Are reviewer comments and decisions documented?
  • ☐ Are turnaround times for peer review monitored and optimized?

✅ Editorial Decision-Making

  • ☐ Are editorial decisions recorded transparently?
  • ☐ Are conflicts of interest among editors properly managed?
  • ☐ Are rejected manuscripts documented with reasons?
  1. Publishing Ethics and Compliance

✅ Authorship & Plagiarism Policies

  • ☐ Are authorship criteria aligned with ICMJE guidelines?
  • ☐ Is a plagiarism threshold defined, and is it consistently enforced?

✅ Corrections, Retractions, and Ethical Issues

  • ☐ Is there a formal process for handling corrections and retractions?
  • ☐ Are ethical concerns (e.g., fabrication, falsification) addressed transparently?
  • ☐ Are COPE guidelines followed for dispute resolution?
  1. Indexing, Archiving, and Digital Preservation

✅ Indexing and Abstracting

  • ☐ Is the journal listed in recognized databases (PubMed, Scopus, DOAJ, etc.)?
  • ☐ Are metadata and citations correctly formatted for indexing?

✅ Digital Preservation & Archiving

  • ☐ Is the journal content preserved in repositories (e.g., LOCKSS, Portico)?
  • ☐ Are backup mechanisms in place for journal website and data?
  1. Production and Distribution

✅ Journal Website & Accessibility

  • ☐ Is the website functional, secure, and regularly updated?
  • ☐ Are articles published with DOIs and proper metadata?
  • ☐ Is Open Access (OA) compliance met if applicable?

✅ Publication Timeliness

  • ☐ Are issues published according to the planned schedule?
  • ☐ Are authors and readers notified of new issues?
  1. Financial and Operational Review

✅ Revenue & Funding

  • ☐ Are article processing charges (APCs) transparently disclosed?
  • ☐ Is there a funding mechanism or institutional support?

✅ Editorial Board Performance

  • ☐ Are editorial board meetings documented?
  • ☐ Are board members actively contributing?
  • ☐ Are there clear policies for selecting and removing board members?
  1. Summary of Findings and Recommendations
  • Strengths: [List key strengths of the journal]
  • Areas for Improvement: [List specific recommendations]
  • Action Plan & Deadlines: [Specify corrective actions and responsible persons]
  1. Conclusion & Certification

This audit confirms that [Journal Name] adheres to the established standards of academic publishing. Based on the findings, the following recommendations are proposed:

Audit Team Signatures:

[Name], [Designation]

[Name], [Designation]