Publication Ethics

The International Journal of Surgical and Medical Research (IJSMR) is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. The journal follows the principles and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and other internationally recognized guidelines governing responsible research and publication. All participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff, are expected to adhere to these ethical standards to ensure the reliability and credibility of the scientific record.

Authors submitting manuscripts to IJOSMR must ensure that their work is original, accurate, and ethically conducted. Research findings should be reported honestly and without fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or selective omission of data. Authors are responsible for presenting an accurate account of their methods, results, and interpretations and must be prepared to provide underlying data or supporting documentation if requested by the editorial office. All sources, references, and contributions from other researchers must be properly acknowledged through appropriate citation. Plagiarism in any form, including direct copying, paraphrasing without attribution, duplicate publication, and self-plagiarism, is considered unethical and may result in rejection, retraction, or further corrective action. Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals or publish substantially similar work in more than one publication without appropriate disclosure and permission.

For studies involving human participants, authors must confirm that the research received approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB), Ethics Committee, or equivalent authority and that informed consent was obtained from all participants where required. Research involving human subjects must be conducted in accordance with internationally accepted ethical principles, including the Declaration of Helsinki. Studies involving animals must comply with relevant institutional, national, and international regulations governing animal welfare and ethical treatment. Authors are also responsible for ensuring that all listed authors have made substantial scholarly contributions to the work, have reviewed and approved the final manuscript, and have agreed to its submission for publication. Any changes to authorship after submission must be justified and approved by all affected parties.

Peer reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the quality and integrity of the journal. Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, timely, and evidence-based evaluations that assist editors in making informed editorial decisions and help authors improve their manuscripts. Manuscripts received for review must be treated as strictly confidential and must not be shared, discussed, or used for personal advantage. Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited, draw attention to potential ethical concerns, and disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could influence their judgment. Individuals who feel unqualified to review a manuscript or who are unable to complete a review within the requested timeframe should promptly decline the invitation.

Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, unbiased, and transparent editorial process. Editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific quality, originality, methodological rigor, clinical relevance, ethical compliance, and overall merit of submitted manuscripts. Decisions are made without discrimination based on race, nationality, ethnicity, gender, religious belief, political affiliation, institutional association, or other personal characteristics of the authors. Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted materials and must not use unpublished information obtained through the editorial process for personal research or professional advantage. Any conflicts of interest that may affect editorial judgment must be disclosed and managed appropriately.

IJSMR takes allegations of publication misconduct seriously and will investigate all credible concerns regarding plagiarism, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, unethical research practices, data fabrication, data falsification, citation manipulation, peer review manipulation, or other forms of academic misconduct. Investigations will be conducted in accordance with COPE guidance and may involve communication with authors, reviewers, institutions, funding bodies, or other relevant organizations. Where misconduct is confirmed, the journal may implement appropriate corrective measures, including manuscript rejection, publication of corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, notification of affected institutions, or other actions necessary to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

This Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement is reviewed regularly to ensure continued alignment with international ethical standards, advances in scholarly publishing, and evolving recommendations issued by COPE, ICMJE, and other recognized organizations. The journal remains committed to promoting ethical research, responsible authorship, transparent peer review, and the long-term trustworthiness of the scientific literature.