Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Research Misconduct Policy

The Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and research integrity. The journal follows the recommendations, best practices, and flowcharts of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expects all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher, to comply with internationally accepted ethical principles.

Ethical publishing is fundamental to ensuring the credibility, transparency, and reliability of scholarly communication. The Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy applies rigorous ethical oversight throughout the editorial and peer review process and does not tolerate any form of research or publication misconduct.

1. Ethical Oversight for Human and Animal Research

Human Participants

Research involving human participants must comply with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable national and institutional regulations. Manuscripts reporting human research must include:

  • The name of the ethics committee or institutional review board that approved the study, including the approval number and date where applicable.

  • A statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from all participants or their legal guardians, including consent procedures for vulnerable populations.

  • For studies involving identifiable personal information such as images, audio or video recordings, or detailed case descriptions, a statement confirming that written informed consent for publication was obtained.

Animal Research

Research involving animals must comply with relevant institutional, national, and international guidelines for animal welfare. Manuscripts reporting animal research must include:

  • The name of the approving animal ethics committee, including the approval number and date where applicable.

  • A statement describing measures taken to minimize animal suffering, reduce the number of animals used, and consider alternatives to in vivo methods where feasible.

Non-Compliance

Manuscripts that do not provide adequate ethical approval or consent statements may be rejected without peer review.

2. Clinical Trials and Reporting Standards

The Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy strongly encourages prospective registration of clinical trials in a publicly accessible registry such as ClinicalTrials.gov or other registries affiliated with the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. The trial registration number must be clearly stated in the manuscript.

Authors are expected to follow internationally recognized reporting guidelines when applicable, including:

  • CONSORT for randomized controlled trials

  • STROBE for observational studies

  • PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses

  • CARE for case reports

Where relevant, manuscripts must transparently describe randomization procedures, allocation concealment, blinding, and protocol deviations.

3. Research Misconduct and Integrity

The Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy takes seriously any suspicion of research or publication misconduct, including but not limited to:

  • Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism

  • Data fabrication or falsification

  • Inappropriate image manipulation

  • Redundant publication and salami slicing

  • Citation manipulation

  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

  • Manipulation of the peer review process

All submissions are subject to similarity screening using plagiarism detection tools. When potential misconduct is identified, the journal follows COPE procedures, which may include contacting authors, institutions, or funding bodies.

4. Authorship, Contributions, and Accountability

Authorship must reflect substantial scholarly contribution and accountability for the content of the work. All listed authors must:

  • Have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.

  • Approve the final version of the manuscript prior to submission.

  • Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

The Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy encourages transparent author contribution statements, such as those based on the CRediT taxonomy, and requires designation of a corresponding author responsible for communication with the journal and the integrity of the submission.

5. Conflicts of Interest and Funding Disclosure

All authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including:

  • Financial conflicts such as employment, consultancies, honoraria, grants, patents, or stock ownership.

  • Non-financial conflicts such as personal, academic, or institutional relationships that could influence the work.

A Conflict of Interest statement is mandatory for all manuscripts. Authors must also provide a Funding Statement that includes grant numbers and describes the role of the funder in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and publication decisions. If no funding was received, authors must explicitly state: No funding was received for this study.

6. Data Availability, Transparency, and Reproducibility

The Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy promotes transparency and reproducibility in research. Authors are expected to:

  • Clearly describe study methods and analytical procedures.

  • Provide a Data Availability Statement indicating whether data are publicly available, available upon reasonable request, or restricted with appropriate justification.

  • Share de-identified datasets, research instruments, and analytic code when ethical and legal conditions permit.

7. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

The journal will issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record. Such actions follow COPE guidance and will be clearly identified and permanently linked to the original published article.

8. Editorial Responsibilities and Decision-Making

Editors of the Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy:

  • Make publication decisions based on scientific merit, relevance to the journal scope, methodological rigor, and ethical compliance.

  • Evaluate manuscripts objectively and without discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, seniority, or institutional affiliation.

  • Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities in accordance with journal policy.

  • Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.

  • Ensure fair handling of appeals and complaints according to established procedures.

The publisher supports editorial independence and does not interfere with editorial decisions.

9. Reviewer Responsibilities and Peer Review Integrity

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Treat manuscripts as confidential documents.

  • Provide objective, constructive, and timely reviews.

  • Declare any conflicts of interest and decline review when such conflicts exist.

  • Identify potential ethical concerns, plagiarism, major reporting deficiencies, or suspected misconduct.

The Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy does not tolerate coercive citation practices or any inappropriate influence on editorial decisions.

10. Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence and AI-Assisted Tools

The use of generative artificial intelligence tools is permitted solely to improve language quality and readability. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the content.

Artificial intelligence tools must not be listed as authors. Authors must disclose the use of AI-assisted tools in the manuscript if such tools materially influenced the writing or analysis.

Ethical Standards for Editors, Authors, and Reviewers

Editors

  • Responsible for final publication decisions and the integrity of the editorial process.

  • Apply unbiased evaluation and maintain confidentiality.

  • Manage conflicts of interest and follow COPE guidance in cases of disputes, complaints, or misconduct.

Reviewers

  • Provide fair, confidential, and timely peer reviews.

  • Declare conflicts of interest and report ethical concerns to the editor.

Authors

  • Submit original work that is not under consideration elsewhere.

  • Report methods and results honestly, cite sources appropriately, and avoid redundant publication.

  • Provide all required ethical approval statements, conflict of interest disclosures, funding information, and data availability statements.