Policies and Guidelines
- PEER REVIEW POLICY
Medical Journal of South Punjab (MJSP) follows double-blind peer-review process to uphold the highest standards of publishing research with impartiality. Double-blind peer review ensures impartial evaluation by keeping both the author's identity and the reviewers' identities confidential, encourage unbiased assessment of scholarly works. Expertise of the reviewers are also ensured prior to selection. The commitment to a double-blind peer-review system aligns with our dedication to maintaining integrity, objectivity, and the highest quality in the dissemination of academic knowledge.
- PLAGIARISM POLICY
Plagiarism policy of MJSP is aligned with the guidelines established by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Plagiarism, in any form, is considered a grave ethical violation and will not be endured.
Author Responsibility: Authors must ensure that their work is original and has not been published elsewhere. Use of previously published materials including the author's own work must be properly cited and referenced.
Plagiarism Detection: MJSP uses the "Turnitin" plagiarism detection tool. All submitted papers will be screened for plagiarism and dealt with according to the severity of the plagiarism to maintain the integrity of the publication process.
Consequences of Plagiarism: If plagiarism is detected, the manuscript will be rejected, and the author(s) will be notified. Repeated and severe violations may lead to not only informing the author's institution but also suspension of publication privileges and reporting the case to relevant academic bodies.
Self-Plagiarism: Authors are advised against self-plagiarism, which involves reusing substantial parts of one's own previously published work without proper citation. Authors must obtain permission and provide appropriate attribution if they need to include their own previously published material.
Reviewers and Editors: Reviewers and editors who participated in the process of peer review are advised to report any suspicions of plagiarism confidentially and bring them to the attention of the editorial board for further investigation.
Appeals: Authors have the right to appeal decisions related to plagiarism. They are directed to submit in writing to the editorial board, providing detailed information and evidence against the plagiarism allegations.
- ACCESSIBILITY POLICY
Open Access Statement: MJSP operates as an open-access journal providing free and unrestricted access to all of its content. It allows users and institutions to freely read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, link, crawl for indexing, pass as data to software, or use the articles for any lawful purpose.
Website Accessibility: MJSP’s online platform adheres to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA standards for providing a reader-friendly experience.
Content Accessibility: MJSP recommends the authors to adopt accessible writing practices, including providing alternative text for images and ensuring proper document formatting for screen readers. Editorial team does collaboration with authors for improving accessibility features.
Open Access: MJSP follows an open access publishing model, meaning that all published content is freely available to the global academic community.
Accessible Formats: In support of diverse needs, MJSP offers content in all accessible formats, such as HTML and PDFs. Furthermore, alternative formats are provided upon request to ensure that our publications are accessible to a broad readership.
User Assistance:
- Support: Users can easily contact editorial team in case of experiencing difficulties accessing content, so that direct assistance can be provided to them.
- Feedback: Feedback from users regarding accessibility concerns is welcomed and can be submitted to info@medteach.org
- DIGITAL ARCHIVING POLICY
MJSP is committed that its published contents, accessible in the digital archive, remain available for future use.
Archiving Process
- Content Preservation: MJSP has entrusted the work of preserving articles, supplementary materials, and metadata to reliable digital archiving services.
- Metadata Archiving: All metadata -- article titles, authors, abstracts, and dates of publication and other relevant data -- are preserved in their entirety.
- File Formats: MJSP archives the content in standard industry formats, making sure that it remains accessible to the public for many years to come.
Archiving Platforms
- DOI Integration: Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) enable a specific number to be assigned to each article and be registered with various archives, so that it could be found wherever the web is registered.
- The journal is managed directly from the Open Journal System, so keeps a record of what happens with each step.
- The journal is the frequent subject of submissions to various internet repositories, such as Internet Archive, Academia, Scribd, Google Scholar etc.
- Engagement with indexing services makes it easier to find archived material in properly indexed form, on scholarly databases and encourages more people to read it.
- PUBLICATION CHARGE POLICY
To sustain and cover the costs associated with manuscript processing, peer review, copyediting, production, and online hosting, MJSP levies publication charges upon acceptance of the manuscript.
Article Processing Fee: Article processing fee of 27,000 PKR is applicable.
Payment Details: Transfer fees to the account of MEDTEACH (PRIVATE) LIMITED.
Title: MEDTEACH (PRIVATE) LIMITED
Account# 3022301000005295
Faysal Bank Islami
SWIFT CODE: FAYSPKKA112
IBAN: PK70FAY53022301000005295
Send the fee receipt to info@medteach.org
Waiver Policy: MJSP understands that some authors have financial problems. Therefore, the journal operates a waiver policy for authors from low-income backgrounds or those facing financial hardship. Authors seeking a waiver should contact the editorial office during the submission process for further guidance.
- COPYRIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS
Authors must be vigilant to avoid material that may be offensive to religious or ethnic groups, or which could be seen as blasphemous, libelous, defamatory, obscene, illegal, or factually inaccurate.
Creative Commons Licensing Agreement
This is a human-readable summary of (and not a substitute for) the license.
Disclaimer: Under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication.
Under CC-by 4.0 authors are free to:
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
If license terms are followed the licensor not allowed to revoke these freedoms.
Under the following terms:
Attribution — The author is required to give proper credit, include a link to the license, and specify if any modifications were made. This must be done in a reasonable manner without implying endorsement by the licensor.
No additional restrictions — Application of legal technological measures and terms that restrict others legally from doing license permits not allowed to authors.
- AUTHORSHIP POLICY
MJSP has an open and equitable policy for authorship so that scholarly publication can be trustworthy and credible. Authorship criteria is aligned with best international practice and the highest ethical standards of academic research.
Authorship Criteria:
Credit for authorship is based on significant contributions to the design, writing, data collection, and analysis. Everyone listed as an author must have put effort to the work, actively participated in the research process and have done something of intellectual value in the research process.
Authorship Order:
Authorship order is determined in accordance with the contributions of each author. The corresponding author is responsible for submitting the manuscript so there may be a need to communicate with the editorial team. He or she is also responsible for revisions. For any changes to the authors' order after submission, consent of all listed authors is required.
Authorship Changes:
All authors must approve changes to the list of authors-including new additions, removals, and changes in the order of authorship - and these must be reported to the editorial office.
Acknowledgment of Non-Author Contributors:
It is necessary to acknowledge all personnel involved in nonauthor roles - such as those helping with data collection services, useful suggestions, and technical skills.
Corresponding Author Responsibilities:
All co-authors must make sure that a manuscript's content has been reviewed and approved by them, as well as its submission for publication. The corresponding author should be prepared for post-publication inquiries and corrections.
Dealing with Authorship Disputes:
If an authorship dispute arises, it should be settled in accordance with the standards set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All authorship contributions may be documented by the editorial board as an aid toward resolution.
- CONFLICT OF INTEREST/COMPETING INTEREST POLICY
- Publisher’s Responsibilities: MJSP adheres to the guidelines provided by the COPE concerning conflicts of interest in scholarly publishing. Authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the integrity, objectivity, or credibility of the research or publication process.
- Author's Responsibilities: Authors must transparently declare any financial, personal, or professional affiliations that may pose a conflict of interest regarding the submitted manuscript. Full disclosure is essential to maintain the credibility and impartiality of the peer-review and editorial processes.
- Reviewer's Responsibilities: Reviewers are expected to promptly disclose to the editorial board any conflicts of interest that may compromise their ability to provide an unbiased evaluation of a manuscript. If a potential conflict arises during the review process, reviewers should recuse themselves from the evaluation.
- Editor's Responsibilities: Editors must manage potential conflicts of interest diligently. They should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have a personal, financial, or professional relationship with the author(s) or if any other conflict might compromise their editorial decision-making.
COPE Guide the Editorial Office
Transparency and Corrections: If a conflict of interest is identified post-publication, MJSP will promptly investigate and, if necessary, publish corrections, clarifications, or retractions to maintain the accuracy and reliability of the published record.
- ETHICAL POLICY
We adhere to recognized guidelines for research integrity, authorship, peer review, and data transparency. Instances of misconduct or ethical concerns will be thoroughly investigated, and appropriate actions, including corrections or retractions, will be taken to ensure the integrity and credibility of our publications.
For ethical guidelines, MJSP follow Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan’s policies.
Correction of Honest Errors
Honest errors are recognized as a natural aspect of science and publishing. MJSP acknowledges the need for prompt correction when errors of fact are identified. Corrections should be distinguished from matters of debate, which are better addressed through letters to the editor, correspondence, or journal-sponsored online forums. Updates of previous publications, such as systematic reviews or clinical guidelines, are treated as new publications rather than versions of previously published articles.
Correction Standards
If a correction is warranted, MJSP adheres to the following minimum standards:
- Publication of Correction Notice: A correction notice is published promptly, detailing changes and citing the original publication. It is presented on an electronic or numbered print page, included in an electronic or print Table of Contents for proper indexing.
- New Article Version: MJSP posts a new version of the article, outlining changes from the original version and specifying the date(s) on which changes were made.
- Archive of Prior Versions: All prior versions of the article are archived, either directly accessible to readers or made available upon request.
- Notation of Prior Versions: Previous electronic versions prominently note the existence of more recent versions.
- Citation: Citations should refer to the most recent version.
Pervasive Errors
For pervasive errors that do not alter the article's direction, significance, results, interpretations, and conclusions, a correction should be published following the mentioned minimum standards.
Retraction and Republication
In cases where errors significantly impact the article's direction, significance, results, interpretations, and conclusions, retraction may be considered. Retraction with republication (or "replacement") can be contemplated for unintentional errors where the underlying science remains valid. If the changed version survives further review and editorial scrutiny, retraction with republication, along with an explanation, ensures a comprehensive correction of the scientific literature. The extent of changes is transparently disclosed in supplementary material or an appendix for clarity and completeness.
- CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY
Confidentiality
Manuscripts submitted to the MJSP are confidential property of the authors. Premature disclosure of any or all details of a manuscript can harm authors, and therefore, editors must adhere to the following guidelines:
- Editors must not share or disclose any manuscript related information with anyone other than the authors and reviewers. This includes details, such as whether a manuscript has been received, its content, status in the review process, reviewer criticisms, and final decisions.
- Any request regarding the use of reviews about manuscript from third parties should be refused politely, and editors should make necessary effort to provide confidential material if subpoenaed.
- Reviewers and editorial staff must maintain strict confidentiality. They should not publicly discuss authors' work, appropriate ideas, or hold the manuscript and material for personal use. Paper and electronic copies should be destroyed after submission of tier respective reviews.
- Regarding rejected manuscripts, best practice is to delete all kind of manuscript copies from online editorial system until unless local regulations required to retain. In case retention required journal should disclose to author for best practice.
- For published manuscripts, original copies of submitted manuscript, reviews of manuscript, revisions, and correspondence should be kept save for at least 3 years or longer as per local regulations, to address future questions about the published manuscript.
- Editors are not allowed to publicize or publish peer reviews and comments about manuscript until permission from author and reviewer. If journal policy is to anonymize authors to reviewer identity and comments are not signed, identity must not be revealed without the reviewers’ expressed written permission.
- Confidentiality must be honored, but in case of fraud and dishonesty it may be breached; however, reviewers and authors should be notified.
Timeliness
MJSP editorial team is committed to ensuring timely processing of manuscripts within the available resources. If the journal decides not to proceed with a manuscript, as per the MJSP’s policy, the editorial team will promptly reject it to allow authors the opportunity to submit it to another journal.
