Publication Ethics

The Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health (SJMPH) is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing. We strictly adhere to internationally recognized guidelines for publication ethics to ensure the credibility and reliability of the research we publish.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

  • Authors must submit original, unpublished work and ensure that their manuscript is free from plagiarism or duplicate submission.
  • Proper acknowledgment of sources, citations, and contributions must be made.
  • All authors must have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.
  • Any conflicts of interest and financial support must be disclosed.
  • Authors are responsible for ensuring that studies involving human participants or animals comply with ethical standards, with appropriate institutional approvals obtained.

2. Responsibilities of Editors

  • Editors make impartial decisions based solely on the manuscript’s scientific merit, relevance, and originality, without discrimination of gender, race, religion, or affiliation.
  • Editors must maintain confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts.
  • Editors must ensure that the peer-review process is fair, rigorous, and free from conflicts of interest.
  • Suspected cases of research misconduct, plagiarism, or unethical practices will be investigated in line with COPE guidelines.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

  • Reviewers must provide constructive, timely, and unbiased feedback to improve the quality of submitted manuscripts.
  • All reviews are confidential and must not be shared or discussed with others.
  • Reviewers must disclose conflicts of interest and decline reviews where such conflicts exist.
  • Plagiarism, ethical breaches, or data manipulation identified during review must be reported to the editorial office.

4. Research Integrity

  • SJMPH follows the principles of the Declaration of Helsinkifor human research and the International Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research Involving Animals.
  • Fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation of data is strictly prohibited.
  • Retractions, corrections, or expressions of concern will be issued when necessary to maintain scientific integrity.

5. Plagiarism and Misconduct Policy

  • All manuscripts are checked using plagiarism detection software prior to peer review.
  • Cases of plagiarism, data fabrication, redundant publication, or unethical research will result in rejection, retraction, and reporting to relevant authorities.

6. Adherence to International Guidelines

SJMPH strictly complies with:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
  • International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
  • World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)
  • Council of Science Editors (CSE)

References (Vancouver Style)

  1. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. COPE; 2011.
  2. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly work in medical journals. ICMJE; 2023.
  3. World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Recommendations on publication ethics policies for medical journals. WAME; 2022.
  4. Council of Science Editors (CSE). CSE’s White Paper on Promoting Integrity in Scientific Journal Publications. CSE; 2018.