The Journal of Advanced Healthcare and Medical Sciences (JAHMS) is firmly committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal follows the principles and guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and adheres to the best practices recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). The following ethical standards apply to all parties involved in the publication process- authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

• Authors must ensure that their submissions are original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.
• All data and findings must be presented accurately and honestly without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation.
• Authors must properly acknowledge and cite all sources that have influenced their work.
• All persons listed as authors must have made a significant contribution to the research and approved the final manuscript.
• Authors must disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest that may influence their work.
• For studies involving human or animal subjects, authors must include a statement confirming ethical approval from an institutional review board and informed consent from participants, in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

2. Responsibilities of Editors

• The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are responsible for deciding which manuscripts will be published based on their scientific quality, originality, and relevance.
• Editors must evaluate submissions solely on academic merit, without discrimination based on authors’ gender, institution, nationality, or religion.
• Editors must ensure confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and may not use unpublished information for their own research.
• Editors must take appropriate action when ethical complaints or allegations of misconduct are raised- including retractions, corrections, or expressions of concern, as necessary.
• The editorial team is committed to ensuring a fair, unbiased, and transparent peer-review process.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

• Reviewers assist editors in making editorial decisions and help authors improve their manuscripts.
• They must maintain confidentiality of all manuscripts received for review.
• Reviews must be objective, constructive, and evidence-based, avoiding personal criticism of the author.
• Reviewers must disclose any conflict of interest (financial, institutional, or personal) and decline to review if such conflicts exist.
• Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors.

4. Misconduct, Plagiarism, and Retraction

• Plagiarism in any form - including verbatim copying, paraphrasing without citation, or self-plagiarism-is considered unethical and unacceptable.
• All submissions are screened for similarity using plagiarism detection tools (e.g., iThenticate or Turnitin).
• If plagiarism, data fabrication, or duplicate submission is detected, the manuscript will be rejected or the published article retracted.
• JAHMS follows COPE’s Retraction Guidelines for handling cases of misconduct.

5. Publisher’s Responsibilities

• The publisher supports the Editorial Board in maintaining publication ethics and integrity.
• The publisher ensures that the journal’s content remains permanently available and freely accessible through proper archiving and preservation systems.
• Any potential conflicts, corrections, or retractions are handled promptly and transparently.

6. Ethical Oversight and Appeals

• Authors or readers who believe that an article has ethical issues may contact the Editorial Office in writing.
• Complaints and appeals are handled according to COPE’s recommended procedures, ensuring confidentiality and impartiality throughout the process.

Statement of Ethical Compliance:

By submitting a manuscript to JAHMS, authors acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agree to abide by this Publication Ethics and Malpractice Policy. The journal strives to promote responsible research conduct, prevent unethical practices, and maintain the trust of the global academic community.