Publication Ethics & Policy


1. Ethical Standards and Guidelines

The International Journal of Innovative Medicine (IJIM) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. Our ethical and editorial policies are strictly based on the guidelines recommended by:

  • ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors)

  • COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)

  • WAME (World Association of Medical Editors)

2. Editorial Independence and Integrity

  • Independence: Editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific merit of the manuscript (originality, quality, validity) and its relevance to the journal's scope. Decisions are never influenced by the policies of governments, commercial interests, or any other agencies outside of the journal itself.

  • Confidentiality: The Editor-in-Chief and the editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher.

3. Peer Review Policy (Double-Blind)

IJIM employs a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure impartiality.

  • Anonymity: Identities of both authors and reviewers are kept hidden from each other throughout the process.

  • Process: Every manuscript is reviewed by at least two external experts in the relevant field.

  • Objective Evaluation: Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

4. Research Ethics

  • Human Subjects: Research involving human subjects, human material, or human data must have been performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

  • Approval: A statement detailing the name of the ethics committee, the date, and the approval number must appear in the "Materials and Methods" section of all manuscripts reporting such research.

  • Informed Consent: Written informed consent must be obtained from all participants.

  • Animal Subjects: Experimental research on vertebrates or any regulated invertebrates must comply with institutional, national, or international guidelines (e.g., ARRIVE guidelines). Authors must include details of animal welfare and the ethical approval obtained.

  • Clinical Trial Registration: IJIM requires that all prospective clinical trials be registered in a public database (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov) prior to enrollment.

5. Plagiarism and Misconduct Policy

IJIM has a zero-tolerance policy towards scientific misconduct.

  • Detection: All submissions are screened using Turnitin or similar plagiarism detection software.

  • Threshold: Manuscripts with a similarity index generally above 20% (excluding references) are returned to authors or rejected.

  • Image Integrity: Images must not be manipulated or adjusted in any way that could misrepresent the scientific data.

  • Sanctions: If plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or image manipulation is detected at any stage (before or after publication), the manuscript will be rejected, and the author's institution may be notified in accordance with COPE flowcharts.

6. Authorship and AI Policy

  • Authorship Criteria: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All listed authors must meet the ICMJE criteria.

  • AI Policy: Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools (e.g., ChatGPT) cannot be listed as authors. The use of AI tools for writing or data analysis must be transparently disclosed in the manuscript.

7. Conflicts of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest regarding the manuscript.

  • Authors: Must explicitly state their conflicts in the manuscript.

  • Reviewers: Must recuse themselves from reviewing manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest.

8. Post-Publication Corrections and Retractions

In cases of serious errors or scientific misconduct proven after publication, IJIM follows the COPE guidelines for:

  • Correction: Publishing a formal correction/erratum for honest errors that do not affect the validity of the results.

  • Retraction: Retracting the article in cases of fraud, plagiarism, or major scientific errors that invalidate the results.