Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

  1. Responsibilities of Authors

1.1 Originality and Plagiarism 
Authors must ensure that their work is original and properly cite or quote the work and/or words of others. Plagiarism in any form is unethical and unacceptable. 

1.2 Multiple or Redundant Publications 
Manuscripts submitted to International Journal of Allied Health Sciences (IJAHS) must be original and not under consideration or published elsewhere. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behaviour. 

1.3 Authorship of the Paper 
Only individuals who have made significant contributions to the research and writing of the manuscript should be listed as authors. All contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately. 

1.4 Acknowledgment of Sources 
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work. 

1.5 Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest 
Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that might influence their work. All sources of funding should be disclosed. 

1.6 Data Access and Retention 
Authors may be asked to provide raw data for editorial review and should be prepared to provide public access to such data if necessary. Data should be retained for a reasonable time after publication. 

1.7 Reporting Standards 
Authors should present an accurate account of the work performed and an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper.  

  1. Responsibilities of Editors

2.1 Publication Decisions 
The Editor-in-Chief and the editorial team of IJAHS are responsible for deciding which articles will be published, based on the quality, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope. 

2.2 Fair Play 
Manuscripts shall be evaluated solely on their academic merit without regard to the authors’ race, gender, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy. 

2.3 Confidentiality 
Editors must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, editorial board members, or the publisher. 

2.4 Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest 
Editors should not use unpublished information in their own research without the author’s express written consent. They must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest. 

  1. Responsibilities of Reviewers

3.1 Contribution to Editorial Decisions 
Peer reviewers assist the editorial board in making decisions and may also help authors improve their manuscripts through constructive feedback. 

3.2 Promptness 
Any selected reviewer who feels unqualified to review the manuscript or knows that a prompt review will not be possible should notify the editor and decline the review. 

3.3 Confidentiality 
Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorised by the editor. 

3.4 Standards of Objectivity 
Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments. 

3.5 Acknowledgment of Sources 
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any similarity or overlap with other published works should be reported to the editor. 

3.6 Disclosure and Conflict of Interest 
Reviewers must not use unpublished material disclosed in a submitted manuscript in their own research without written permission from the author. They should not review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest. 

  1. Dealing with Misconduct

IJAHS is committed to taking all possible measures against any publication misconduct. In cases of suspected ethical violations, the journal will follow COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines to investigate and take appropriate actions, which may include correction, retraction, or reporting to the author’s institution.  

  1. Ethical Considerations for Human Studies

All research involving human participants must comply with international ethical standards such as the Declaration of Helsinki. Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained and that the study received appropriate institutional ethical approval. Any potential risks to participants should be clearly stated and justified.

  1. Compliance with Institutional and International Standards

IJAHS adheres to the highest standards of ethical publishing and aligns its policies with international best practices as outlined by Elsevier and COPE. Authors, editors, and reviewers are expected to uphold these standards to maintain the integrity and quality of the journal.