Ethical Guidelines

Ethical Guidelines – Journal of Advanced Homoeopathic Studies (JAHS)

The Journal of Advanced Homoeopathic Studies (JAHS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. Our ethical guidelines are based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct, International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations, and DOAJ Best Practices.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

  • Originality: Authors must submit only original work that has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal.

  • Plagiarism: All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software (Similarity Check/iThenticate). Plagiarism in any form will result in rejection or retraction.

  • Authorship: Only individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study should be listed as authors.

  • Acknowledgment: Contributors, funding agencies, and institutions must be properly acknowledged.

  • Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence their work.

  • Data Accuracy: Authors must ensure accuracy of data and provide access to raw data if requested.

  • Human & Animal Research Ethics:

    • Studies involving human subjects must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and have approval from an Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC).

    • Clinical trials must include registration details (e.g., CTRI/ClinicalTrials.gov).

    • Animal studies must comply with institutional/national guidelines for animal care and use.

2. Responsibilities of Reviewers

  • Confidentiality: Manuscripts must be treated as confidential documents.

  • Objectivity: Reviews should be fair, constructive, and free from personal bias.

  • Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must decline assignments if conflicts exist.

  • Misconduct Reporting: Reviewers should alert editors to suspected plagiarism, duplication, or unethical practices.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

  • Editorial Independence: Decisions are made solely on academic merit, without discrimination based on gender, religion, ethnicity, or affiliation.

  • Fair Peer Review: Editors ensure a rigorous, double-blind peer review process.

  • Misconduct Handling: Editors follow COPE flowcharts to address plagiarism, data fabrication, authorship disputes, or redundant publications.

  • Transparency: Editors must disclose conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts exist.

  • Corrections & Retractions: Errors, corrections, or retractions will be published promptly in accordance with COPE and ICMJE guidelines.

4. Research Integrity

  • Clinical Trials: Must follow CONSORT guidelines for reporting.

  • Systematic Reviews: Must follow PRISMA guidelines.

  • Case Reports: Must follow CARE guidelines.

  • Data Sharing: Authors are encouraged to make datasets available for verification and reuse.

5. Plagiarism, Fabrication & Falsification

  • Any form of plagiarism, data fabrication, image manipulation, or falsification is strictly prohibited.

  • JAHS will follow COPE procedures, which may include:

    • Rejection of the manuscript.

    • Retraction of published articles.

    • Notification to authors’ institutions or funding bodies.

    • Banning future submissions from offending authors.

6. Conflicts of Interest & Funding Disclosure

  • All parties (authors, reviewers, editors) must declare any financial, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest.

  • Funding sources and the role of funders must be disclosed in the manuscript.

7. Intellectual Property & Copyright

  • Authors retain copyright but grant JAHS a non-exclusive license to publish.

  • All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, allowing maximum dissemination while protecting author rights.

8. Complaints & Appeals

  • Authors, reviewers, or readers may raise concerns or appeals regarding editorial decisions, peer review, or ethical issues by contacting the Editor-in-Chief.

  • All complaints will be handled fairly, transparently, and according to COPE guidance.

9. Alignment with International Standards

These ethical guidelines are fully consistent with:

  • COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines

  • ICMJE Recommendations

  • WAME (World Association of Medical Editors) Principles

  • DOAJ Transparency Principles

  • Scopus and PubMed standards