Ethical Polices
History of Medicine upholds the highest standards of ethics in publishing. Our ethical policies, informed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), guide authors, reviewers, and editors to maintain research integrity, transparency, and quality.
1. Authorship and Contributorship
Authorship Criteria:
Substantial Contributions: Authorship requires significant input in the research's conception, design, execution, or interpretation. This includes:
Study design
Data acquisition
Data analysis and interpretation
Manuscript drafting
Drafting and Approval: All authors must contribute to drafting or revising the manuscript and approve the final version.
Accountability: Authors must be accountable for the entire work, addressing any questions about its accuracy or integrity.
Acknowledgment:
Non-Author Contributions: Individuals who contributed but don’t meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged with their permission. This includes:
Technical assistance
Writing and editorial support
General research supervision
2. Conflicts of Interest
Disclosure:
Transparency: Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any conflicts of interest, including:
Financial ties (e.g., employment, consultancies, stock ownership)
Personal relationships or competing interests
Academic commitments affecting impartiality
Management: Disclosed conflicts will be managed by assigning alternative reviewers or editors if needed to ensure unbiased decisions.
3. Plagiarism and Research Misconduct
Plagiarism:
Detection: Manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using specialized software. Types include:
Direct copying without quotation marks and proper citation
Paraphrasing without attribution
Self-plagiarism
Consequences: Plagiarism leads to manuscript rejection and notification of the authors' institutions. Repeat offenders may be banned from future submissions.
Research Misconduct:
Definition: Includes:
Data fabrication
Data falsification
Unethical research practices
Handling Allegations: Allegations are investigated per COPE guidelines, including initial assessments, author communication, and possibly consulting with institutions.
Sanctions: Confirmed misconduct results in article retraction, institutional notification, and potential author blacklisting.
4. Data Sharing and Reproducibility
Data Availability:
Open Data: Authors are encouraged to deposit data in public repositories to promote transparency.
Data Availability Statement: Manuscripts should include a statement detailing where the data can be accessed.
Reproducibility:
Detailed Methods: Authors must provide enough detail to allow replication of their experiments, including experimental procedures, materials, reagents, and software/code used.
5. Peer Review Process
Double-Blind Review:
Anonymity: Both authors’ and reviewers’ identities are hidden to ensure unbiased evaluations. Manuscripts should not reveal authors' identities.
Objective Feedback: Reviews should be objective and free from personal bias, focusing on manuscript quality.
Reviewer Conduct:
Confidentiality: Reviewers must keep manuscripts confidential and not share or discuss them.
Ethical Standards: Reviewers should adhere to COPE guidelines, including declining reviews with conflicts of interest and reporting ethical concerns.
6. Ethical Oversight
Editorial Independence:
Decision-Making: Editorial decisions are made independently to avoid conflicts of interest. Editors must recuse themselves from manuscripts where they have conflicts.
Ethical Conduct: Editors must ensure fair review processes and promote publication transparency.
Ethical Approval:
Human and Animal Research: Manuscripts involving humans or animals must include statements confirming ethical approval from relevant review boards or committees.
7. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern
Corrections:
Errata: Minor errors that do not affect conclusions will be corrected via erratum, linked to the original article.
Retractions:
Serious Errors or Misconduct: Articles with serious errors or confirmed misconduct will be retracted with clear reasons stated.
Expressions of Concern:
Ongoing Investigations: An expression of concern may be published if there are unresolved issues, alerting readers while investigations continue.
8. Intellectual Property and Copyright
Licensing:
Creative Commons: Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) for wide dissemination and adaptation with proper credit.
Copyright Ownership:
Author Rights: Authors retain copyright but grant the journal rights to publish and distribute their work.
9. Handling Complaints and Appeals
Complaint Process:
Procedure: Complaints should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief and will be investigated per COPE guidelines, including initial assessment and communication with the complainant.
Appeals:
Reconsideration Requests: Authors can appeal editorial decisions with a detailed justification. Appeals will be reviewed by an independent editor for fairness.
10. Advertising Policy
Clear Distinction:
Separation from Content: Advertising will be clearly labeled to distinguish it from editorial content.
No Influence: Advertisers have no influence on editorial decisions or content.
11. Funding and Sponsorship
Disclosure:
Funding Sources: Authors must disclose all funding sources, including grants, sponsorships, and institutional support.
Sponsor Role: The role of sponsors must be clearly stated, including their involvement in study design, data collection, and manuscript preparation.
12. Privacy and Confidentiality
Data Protection:
Personal Information: Personal information will be protected and used only for journal purposes.
Confidential Submissions: Manuscripts under review are confidential to protect unpublished research.
13. Malpractice Statement
Commitment to Integrity:
Zero Tolerance: We have a zero-tolerance policy for research and publication malpractice, including plagiarism and data fabrication.
Investigations: Malpractice allegations will be thoroughly investigated per COPE guidelines.
Sanctions: Confirmed cases of malpractice will result in article retraction, institutional notification, and possible author blacklisting.
By following these policies, History of Medicine ensures a high standard of integrity, transparency, and quality in its publication process, fostering trust within the scientific community. Policies are updated periodically and communicated to all registered users.
