Publication Ethics Statement
Editorial Policies
The MEJ journal follows the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Upon submission of a manuscript to the journal, it indicates that all authors have thoroughly reviewed the content and collectively agreed to its alignment with the journal's standards and principles. This ensures that the manuscript is in compliance with the journal's guidelines.
Affiliations
Authors and co-authors are required to provide comprehensive information about affiliations that demonstrate where the research garnered approval, support, or was conducted. This encompasses:
- Clearly stating your current institutional affiliation for non-research articles.
- In cases where you have transitioned to a different institution prior to the article's publication, it is essential to identify the affiliation associated with the research's execution and include a note regarding your current affiliation.
- If your current status does not involve affiliation with a pertinent institution, please explicitly mention that you maintain an independent status.
Appeals and Complaints
The MEJ journal complies with the COPE guidelines for managing appeals concerning editorial determinations and addressing issues pertaining to the editorial oversight of the peer review procedure. While we welcome valid appeals, it is imperative that they are supported by substantial evidence or the introduction of fresh data and information in response to feedback from editors and reviewers.
Acknowledgment
Individuals who have actively contributed to a manuscript but do not fulfill the criteria for authorship should be duly acknowledged. Similarly, it is essential to recognize organizations that have extended support in the form of funding or other valuable resources.
Citations
For both research and non-research articles, it is essential to include citations from relevant, up-to-date, and reputable literature (preferably peer-reviewed) to substantiate any claims within the article.
Please exercise caution to avoid excessive and inappropriate self-citation or prearranged agreements among author groups, as such practices can be regarded as citation manipulation, which is considered a form of misconduct. You can refer to COPE's guidance on citation manipulation for further information.
If you are the author of a non-research article, such as a Review or Opinion, it is important to ensure that the references you incorporate are pertinent and provide an impartial and comprehensive overview of the current state of research or scholarly work in the field. Your references should not display bias towards any particular research group, organization, or journal.
Conflicts of Interest/ Competing interests
Authors and your co-authors must transparently declare any potential conflicts of interest that could pertain to the article or may be reasonably seen as relevant.
- A conflict of interest may arise when you, your employer, sponsor, or your familial and social connections have financial, commercial, legal, or professional relationships with other entities or individuals that could potentially influence the research or the interpretation of its results.
- These conflicts of interest can encompass both financial and non-financial connections. To ensure full transparency, it is also crucial to disclose any associations that others might perceive as giving rise to a conflict of interest.
Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions
On occasion, there might arise a need to modify a published article. Such adjustments will be made following a thorough review by the Editor to guarantee that any essential alterations adhere to the guidelines provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Any required amendments will be supplemented with a post-publication notification, which will be permanently linked to the original article. This notification can take the form of a Correction notice, an Expression of Concern, a Retraction, and in exceptionally rare cases, a Removal. The primary objective of this system for implementing enduring and transparent changes is to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.
Consent for Publication
To publish any manuscripts containing information or images of an identifiable individual, written consent must be secured from the respective person (or their parent or legal guardian if the individual is under 18). This consent must pertain to the publication of their information under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, thereby making it freely accessible on the internet. In cases where the individual is deceased, consent for publication should be obtained from their next of kin. The manuscript should explicitly state that written informed consent for publication has been obtained.
Authors have the option of using a consent form to acquire publication consent, or they can use an appropriate consent form from their own institution or region. It is imperative that the consent form clearly states that the details/images will be accessible to the general public on the internet. Any requested consent forms will be handled confidentially by the Editor.
Confidentiality
A manuscript that has been submitted is considered confidential. The Journal is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and will not share them with any individuals except those who are directly involved in the processing and preparation of the manuscript for potential publication. These individuals may encompass editorial staff, corresponding authors, potential reviewers, actual reviewers, and editors.
However, in cases where misconduct is suspected, the confidentiality of the manuscript may be breached. This could involve disclosing the manuscript to members of the Academic Journals’ ethics committees and institutions or organizations that require access to resolve issues related to misconduct. Academic Journals will adhere to the relevant COPE guidelines and procedures as needed.
Data falsification/fabrication
In cases where there is an intentional effort to inappropriately alter or create fabricated data, it constitutes a severe form of misconduct. Such actions are intended to deceive others and can result in significant and enduring damage to the integrity of the scholarly record.
Authors, when submitting a manuscript to the journal, bear the responsibility of ensuring that all the data presented within their manuscript is both accurate and a faithful representation of their research. To aid in the journal's assessment of manuscripts, authors are required to maintain all the original data that is reflected in their manuscripts.
Failure to produce the original data upon request could lead to the manuscript's non-acceptance or, in the case of a published paper, its retraction. This underscores the critical importance of upholding data integrity throughout the publication process.
Desk Rejection Policy
- Manuscripts may be desk-rejected for various reasons, including when the study's topic or scope is deemed irrelevant to the journal's field.
- Reasons for desk rejection may include issues related to publication ethics, such as non-compliance with international standard guidelines and instances of plagiarism, particularly when a similarity index exceeds 25 percent.
- Manuscripts may be desk-rejected if they lack the potential for significant impact or if they fail to contribute sufficiently to the field by offering new knowledge.
- Desk rejections may also occur when manuscripts exhibit flaws in their study design. If a manuscript's objectives are not clearly stated, it may be subject to desk rejection.
- Manuscripts that lack clarity in their organizational structure or that have missing components may also face desk rejection.
- Writing quality and grammatical issues can be grounds for desk rejection.
- Manuscripts that do not adhere to the journal's submission guidelines may be rejected.
Duplicate Submission/Publication
Authors are required to confirm at the time of submission that their manuscript is not simultaneously being reviewed or published elsewhere. The identification of a duplicate submission or publication is typically considered an intentional breach of ethical standards. This policy also encompasses articles that have been previously published in different languages.
In cases where there is a legitimate need for secondary submission or publication, such as translating an article into English, authors must obtain explicit permission from the original article's publisher and copyright holder. Additionally, it is essential to disclose the complete history of the original article to the receiving journal. This disclosure should clearly indicate that the submitted article is a translated version, along with proper citation of the original article.
Funding
Authors are required to disclose all sources of funding and financial support in their manuscript. They should describe the role, if any, of the sponsor(s in all stages from study design to manuscript submission for publication. They should also clarify if the sponsor(s) had no involvement in these stages. Authors are expected to provide accurate information in compliance with their funder's requirements.
Images and Figures
Inclusion of images and figures in an article should be based on their relevance and their contribution to the scholarly work. Purely illustrative content that does not enhance the scholarly content should be avoided. Authors must secure written permission to use material in their articles that is copyrighted by third parties, including but not limited to text, illustrations, tables, data, audio, video, film stills, screenshots, musical notation, and supplemental material.
Misconduct
Misconduct refers to any violation of the editorial policy, journal policies, publication ethics, or guidelines specified by organizations such as COPE, WAME, and STM. It encompasses actions that compromise the integrity of research and publication. Suspected misconduct cases will be thoroughly investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines.
Open Access Policy
This journal operates as an Open Access platform, allowing users the right to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to full-text articles under specific conditions outlined by the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
Publication Ethics
The journal and its editorial board wholeheartedly adhere to the policies and principles set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Duties of Editors
Publication Decisions
The responsibility for selecting articles for publication lies with the editorial board of the journal. Their decisions are guided by the evaluations provided by reviewers and remain impartial with regard to factors like the author's nationality, ethnicity, political affiliations, race, or religion. Furthermore, the decisions take into account legal obligations related to issues such as libel, copyright violations, and plagiarism.
Confidentiality, Disclosure, and Conflicts of Interest
Editors must uphold rigorous confidentiality throughout the review process, refraining from divulging details about submitted manuscripts to anyone except the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and fellow editorial advisors. Materials that have not been published from these submitted manuscripts should not be utilized for personal research purposes unless explicit written consent from the author has been obtained. Additionally, any sources of funding for the authors should be made transparent.
Author Relations
Editors guarantee the impartiality, fairness, and punctuality of the peer review process. To prevent any potential bias, the journal has implemented specific policies for managing submissions from members of the editorial board. The criteria for authorship are explicitly outlined in the journal's guidelines.
Reviewer Relations
Reviewers are urged to examine ethical issues and potential misconduct in the submissions. They should also pinpoint instances of duplicate publication, plagiarism, or unethical research practices. The comments provided by reviewers are shared with authors in their entirety, except if they contain offensive material.
Quality Assurance
Editors bear the responsibility of upholding the quality of published content. They are tasked with confirming that research has received approval from a relevant body, like a research ethics committee. Editors also maintain vigilance over intellectual property matters and ensure that any inaccuracies or deceptive statements are swiftly rectified.
Duties of Reviewers
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Reviewers play a crucial role in helping the editorial board make decisions about submitted manuscripts. Their reviews are conducted objectively and provide clear, well-supported arguments to assist authors in improving their work.
Reviewer Qualifications
Reviewers should promptly inform the editor if they believe they lack the qualifications to review a manuscript or are unable to do so in a timely manner. Reviewers are also expected to steer clear of any conflicts of interest with the authors or their associated institutions.
Confidentiality
Every manuscript submitted for review must be handled with the utmost confidentiality. Reviewers are expected to refrain from exploiting any privileged information obtained during the peer review process for personal gain.
Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers are responsible for recognizing pertinent published works that authors may have omitted from their citations. Additionally, reviewers should highlight any significant resemblances or duplications between the manuscript being reviewed and other previously published materials.
Duties of Authors
Reporting Standards
Authors of original research papers must provide precise and impartial descriptions of their work, making certain that the foundational data is faithfully represented. Authors should be ready to grant public access to the raw data and maintain it for a minimum of two years following publication.
Originality, Plagiarism, and Concurrent Publication
Authors must guarantee the complete originality of their work and acknowledge the contributions and verbiage of others appropriately. All types of plagiarism are not permissible, and simultaneously submitting the identical manuscript to multiple journals is deemed unethical.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Authors are required to reveal any financial or substantial conflicts of interest that might impact the interpretation of their manuscript. Additionally, they must disclose all sources of financial support for their project.
Authorship of the Paper
The corresponding author bears the responsibility of ensuring the inclusion of all suitable co-authors, verifying that they have reviewed and endorsed the final manuscript, and confirming their consent for submission for publication.
Fundamental Errors in Published Works
Should authors uncover substantial errors in their published work, it is imperative that they expeditiously inform the journal editor and engage in cooperation with the editor to effectuate the retraction or correction of the paper.
Peer Review Process
Every manuscript undergoes a peer review process and must align with the benchmarks of academic excellence. Editorial decisions about accepting or rejecting manuscripts rely on recommendations from reviewers, and the process maintains anonymity for both reviewers and authors, following the double-blind peer review model.
Plagiarism
The journal upholds a rigorous policy against plagiarism, the unpermitted utilization of others' ideas, text, or work without appropriate attribution. Manuscripts discovered to have issues related to plagiarism, duplicate or redundant publication, or self-plagiarism will not be accepted.
Preprints Policy
Authors have the freedom to openly share their preprints. In the event that an article is later accepted for publication, authors are encouraged to establish a link from the preprint to the officially published version by using a Digital Object Identifier (DOI).
Protection of Patients' Rights to Privacy
Patient data that can identify individuals should not be disclosed unless it is indispensable for scientific reasons and informed consent has been acquired. Consent from patients should be securely stored, and any details that could identify the patient should be excluded.
Research Ethics and Consent
Research involving humans, animals, and plants must uphold ethical norms. It is essential to secure appropriate approvals, consent, and standards of care in line with institutional protocols and national or international regulations.
Informed Consent
Prior to publishing potentially identifiable patient information, it is imperative to secure informed consent. Upholding patients' privacy rights and maintaining anonymity whenever feasible is of utmost importance.
Standards of Reporting
To facilitate verification and reproducibility, it is essential to communicate research transparently. Authors are urged to furnish comprehensive descriptions of their research, encompassing rationale, methodology, and analysis.
Use of Third-Party Material
Authors are responsible for obtaining appropriate permissions to incorporate third-party content in their articles, encompassing text, illustrations, photographs, and other copyrighted materials. This is essential to ensure compliance with copyright regulations. In cases of brief text excerpts used for criticism and review, formal permission may not be necessary.
Use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in writing
Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies can be used to improve the readability and language of scholarly writing, but they should not be used to replace essential authoring tasks such as generating insights, drawing conclusions, or making recommendations. Authors should disclose their use of AI tools in their manuscripts and should not attribute authorship to AI.
In other words, AI tools can be used to help authors write better and improve readability, but they should not be used to replace the human authors. Authors must still be responsible for the accuracy and integrity of their work.
Authors should not give credit to AI or list AI as a co-author on their papers. Authorship is reserved for humans, who are responsible for the accuracy, integrity, originality, and ethics of their work. Authors must be able to answer questions about their work and approve the final version before it is submitted for publication.
Please note that, researchers are free to use AI tools to analyze data and draw insights as part of the research process, but this policy only applies to the use of AI tools in the writing process.
