Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Medical Research and Clinical Evidence (JMRCE) is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity in scholarly publishing. JMRCE follows the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for handling ethical issues, preventing misconduct, and ensuring transparency in all aspects of the publication process. COPE's Code of Conduct and guidelines can be accessed at COPE Resources.

All editors, authors, and reviewers associated with JMRCE are expected to adhere to the ethical standards outlined below.

Responsibilities of the Editor and Editorial Board

Make fair, unbiased, and independent decisions on manuscript acceptance or rejection based solely on scientific merit, originality, and relevance to the journal's scope.
Accept manuscripts only when reasonably confident in their validity and scientific integrity.
Avoid any personal, financial, or institutional conflicts of interest in editorial decisions.
Ensure the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and the identities of peer reviewers at all stages of the review process.
Publish corrections, clarifications, retractions, or apologies promptly when errors, inaccuracies, or ethical violations are identified in published content.
Act without discrimination based on gender, religion, caste, ethnicity, nationality, or institutional affiliation of the authors.
Ensure the quality, integrity, and scientific rigor of all published content.
Continuously strive to improve the journal and meet the evolving needs of readers, authors, and the broader medical research community.
Uphold freedom of scientific expression while maintaining the highest academic and ethical standards.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based feedback aimed at improving the scientific quality of the submitted manuscript.
Declare any potential conflicts of interest with the authors, subject matter, funding sources, or affiliated institutions and recuse themselves if necessary.
Identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors.
Maintain strict confidentiality of the manuscript under review and not disclose any information about the submission to any third party.
Complete the review within the agreed-upon timeframe or promptly inform the editorial office if unable to do so.
Report any suspected ethical violations, plagiarism, data fabrication, or duplicate submission to the Editor-in-Chief.

Authorship Criteria

JMRCE follows the authorship criteria recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). To qualify for authorship, each individual must meet all four of the following conditions:

Made a substantial contribution to the conception or design of the study, or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
Participated in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.
Approved the final version of the manuscript prior to submission.
Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work, including the accuracy and integrity of the research.

Contributors who do not meet all four criteria should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section but must not be listed as authors.

Authorship Change Policy

Change of first or corresponding author after submission is not permitted.
Any request for change in authorship during the review process must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief with a justification signed by all listed authors.
No changes to authorship are permitted after acceptance of the manuscript.

Responsibilities of Authors

Participate honestly and constructively in the peer review process.
Ensure that all listed authors have made a genuine and significant contribution to the research.
Guarantee the authenticity, accuracy, and originality of all data presented in the manuscript.
Avoid plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, and image manipulation in any form.
Not submit the same manuscript or substantially similar work to more than one journal simultaneously.
Ensure full compliance with ethical guidelines for studies involving human participants or animal subjects, including obtaining appropriate institutional ethics committee or IRB approval.
Disclose all sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest, and any role of the funding body in the study design, data collection, analysis, or manuscript preparation.

Ethical Oversight

The JMRCE Editorial Board is responsible for monitoring and ensuring adherence to publication ethics across all submissions and published content.
Commercial or business interests will not be permitted to compromise intellectual or ethical standards at any stage.
Corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern, and retractions will be published promptly and transparently when warranted.

Penalties for Misconduct

Duplicate Submission If a manuscript is confirmed to have been simultaneously submitted to another journal, the review process at JMRCE will be immediately terminated. All involved parties — including the authors' affiliated institutions and the other journal — will be notified. The authors will be blacklisted and barred from submitting to JMRCE for a minimum period of two years.

Duplicate Publication If a published article is found to be a duplicate of previously published work, the article will be formally retracted from JMRCE. The authors' institutions, the original publisher, and relevant indexing agencies will be notified. The authors will be blacklisted for a minimum period of two years.

Plagiarism (Including Self-Plagiarism) If confirmed plagiarism is detected in a published article, the article will be retracted and permanently removed from the journal. The incident will be reported to the authors' affiliated institutions, relevant publishers, and indexing bodies. The authors will be blacklisted and barred from future submissions to JMRCE for a minimum period of two years.

Fabrication and Falsification of Data If data fabrication or falsification is confirmed at any stage — before or after publication — the manuscript will be rejected or retracted. The authors' institutions and relevant authorities will be notified. The authors will be subject to a permanent ban from submitting to JMRCE.

The Journal of Medical Research and Clinical Evidence (JMRCE) is committed to ensuring ethical publishing practices and maintaining the highest standards of scientific integrity and public trust.