ethics

Publication Ethics

The Journal of Midwifery, Health and Community Care (JMHCC) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. JMHCC follows the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expects editors, reviewers, authors, and the publisher to uphold the principles of honesty, integrity, transparency, fairness, confidentiality, and accountability throughout the publication process.

Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to JMHCC must ensure that their work is original, has not been published previously, and is not under consideration by another journal. Authors are responsible for presenting accurate data and objective discussion without fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or inappropriate data selection. All sources of information must be properly acknowledged, and any use of copyrighted material must obtain the necessary permissions.

Authors should ensure that all individuals listed as authors have made substantial scientific contributions to the study and have approved the final version of the manuscript. Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the interpretation of their findings. All sources of research funding should also be clearly identified within the manuscript.

Research involving human participants must receive approval from an appropriate Research Ethics Committee before data collection begins. Authors must state the name of the ethics committee, approval number, and confirm that informed consent was obtained from participants whenever applicable. Research involving animals must comply with internationally accepted standards for animal welfare and ethical treatment.

If authors discover significant errors after publication, they are obligated to promptly notify the editorial office and cooperate fully in issuing corrections, retractions, or other appropriate actions.

Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for making publication decisions based solely on the scientific quality, originality, significance, ethical integrity, and relevance of submitted manuscripts to the scope of JMHCC. Editorial decisions must not be influenced by the authors' nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, or commercial interests.

Editors must maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts and should not disclose any information to individuals other than those directly involved in the editorial process. Editors are responsible for ensuring that all submissions undergo a fair, objective, and timely double-blind peer-review process.

Editors should take appropriate action when ethical concerns arise, including investigating allegations of plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, image manipulation, authorship disputes, or other forms of research misconduct. When necessary, editors may publish corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions to preserve the integrity of the scientific record.

Editors must avoid conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have personal, professional, or financial relationships that could affect editorial judgment.

Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play an essential role in maintaining the scientific quality of JMHCC. Reviewers are expected to evaluate manuscripts objectively, constructively, and confidentially while providing evidence-based recommendations that assist editors in making publication decisions.

Reviewers should complete evaluations within the agreed review period and inform the editorial office if they are unable to review a manuscript promptly. Reviews should focus on scientific merit, methodological quality, ethical considerations, clarity of presentation, originality, and relevance to the journal.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained during the review process for personal research or professional advantage. Any potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed immediately, and reviewers should decline assignments whenever impartiality cannot be maintained.

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors and report any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other ethical concerns to the editorial office.

Ethical Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher supports the editorial team in maintaining editorial independence and ensuring that all published articles meet internationally recognized standards of scientific quality and publication ethics. The publisher does not interfere with editorial decisions and remains committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly publication process.

The publisher works collaboratively with editors to investigate allegations of publication misconduct and, when appropriate, facilitates the publication of corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern in accordance with established ethical guidelines.

Plagiarism Policy

All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before entering the peer-review process. JMHCC accepts manuscripts with an overall similarity index of no more than 20%, excluding references, quotations, and standard methodological expressions.

Any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, citation manipulation, or authorship misconduct, constitutes a serious violation of publication ethics and may result in manuscript rejection, publication retraction, notification of authors' institutions, or other appropriate editorial actions.

Corrections and Retractions

JMHCC is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. When significant errors or ethical issues are identified after publication, the journal may issue a correction (erratum or corrigendum), an expression of concern, or a retraction depending on the severity of the issue. All such actions are conducted transparently and in accordance with COPE recommendations.

Data Availability and Research Transparency

Authors are encouraged to retain original research data and make supporting datasets available whenever possible to promote transparency, reproducibility, and verification of published findings. Authors should provide a Data Availability Statement describing how readers may access the underlying data or explaining any restrictions on data sharing.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is permitted only as a writing or language-assistance aid. Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, interpretation, and integrity of all submitted content. AI tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the work. Authors should disclose the use of AI-assisted writing or editing tools when such use has substantially contributed to manuscript preparation.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors may submit appeals regarding editorial decisions by providing a detailed scientific justification supported by evidence. Appeals will be reviewed independently by the Editor-in-Chief and, when appropriate, additional editorial board members. Complaints concerning publication ethics or editorial procedures will be handled fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with COPE Core Practices.

Publication Integrity

JMHCC is dedicated to preserving the integrity, credibility, and transparency of scholarly publishing. All participants in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher—share responsibility for maintaining ethical standards that promote trustworthy scientific communication and the advancement of healthcare research worldwide.