Publication Ethics

The Journal of Sulaimani Medical College (JSMC) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. We adhere to the principles and best practices outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

1. Authorship and Contributorship

• All listed authors must have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study and must have approved the final version.
• Contributions must be explicitly stated in the “Author Contributions” section.
• Gift authorship, ghost authorship, and honorary authorship are unethical and not permitted.

2. Originality and Plagiarism

• Submitted work must be original and not previously published or under review elsewhere.
• All submissions will be screened for plagiarism using reliable detection software (e.g., Turnitin or iThenticate).
• Manuscripts with a similarity score above 20% (excluding references and standard phrases) may be rejected without review.

3. Data Integrity and Fabrication

• Authors must ensure that all data presented are accurate, complete, and reproducible.
• Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data, figures, or images is considered misconduct and will result in immediate rejection or retraction.

4. Ethical Approvals

• Research involving human participants must include a statement of approval by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee.
• Informed consent must be obtained from participants or their guardians.
• For case reports or identifiable patient data, written consent for publication must be provided.
• Clinical trials should be registered in a recognized public registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov).

5. Conflict of Interest

• All authors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation or conclusions of their work.
• If no conflicts exist, a statement such as "The authors declare no conflicts of interest" must be included.

6. Redundant or Duplicate Publication

• Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously or submitting previously published work is unethical.
• Authors must clearly disclose prior publication of data, preliminary results, or overlapping content in conference abstracts, posters, or preprint servers.

7. Corrections and Retractions

• JSMC will issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions in cases of honest errors, academic misconduct, or unethical research practices.
• Authors and readers are encouraged to report errors or concerns to the editorial office for prompt investigation.

8. Reviewer Ethics

• Peer reviewers must maintain confidentiality and disclose any conflicts of interest.
• Reviews must be objective, constructive, and respectful.
• Reviewers should not use information obtained during the review process for personal or professional advantage.

9. Editorial Independence

• Editorial decisions are made independently based on scholarly merit, without influence from sponsors, authors’ affiliations, or conflicts of interest.
• Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists.

For questions or concerns regarding ethical standards, please contact the editorial office at [email protected]. Reports of unethical behavior or misconduct will be handled according to COPE’s flowcharts and recommendations.