The Journal of Health Research and Society (JHRS) maintains the highest ethical standards in research publication. The editorial board, staff, authors, and reviewers of JHRS are committed to observing and promoting the following policies:

 

Authorship

Based on the comprehensive authorship policies based on the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the American Sociological Association (ASA), JHRS acknowledges authorship to individuals who meet all the following criteria:

• Substantial Contribution: All authors must have provided contributions to the conception or design of the study and the collection and analysis of data. Giving funds, technical support, or other forms of assistance does not qualify as authorship.
• Manuscript Drafting or Critical Revision: All authors must actively take part in development of the manuscript and its intellectual content. This includes contributing to the theoretical framework, methodology, discussion of results, etc.
• Final Approval: All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission to the journal and concur to its submission and publication
• Accountability: All authors are held responsible for the integrity of the manuscript. They must also be able to address any questions related to the accuracy and integrity of the research.

JHRS requires the authors to reflect in the cover letter and at the end of the manuscript an explicit statement summarizing the role of each author at the time of manuscript submission. Any changes in authorship, such as the addition or removal of an author after submission, must be justified to the editorial office and approved by all co-authors.

Primary or corresponding authorship and co-authorship designations and authorship order in manuscripts with multiple authors must be openly discussed and mutually agreed upon by all authors before submission to the journal. Decisions on these matters must be based on the intellectual inputs and contributions of each author.

Additionally, the journal discourages "guest" or "honorary" authorship, wherein individuals are listed as co-authors despite not meeting the COPE, ASA, and ICMJE criteria. These practices are essential in preserving academic integrity and preventing the dilution of credit for those who have truly contributed to the work.

 

Publication

JHRS does not tolerate publication practices that distort the scholarly repository of knowledge. These unethical practices are discussed as follows:

Simultaneous submission: Authors are not permitted to simultaneously submit, or submit the same manuscript to multiple journals at the same time. They are required to declare in the cover letter that their submission is original, has not been previously published in another journal, and is not under review elsewhere.

Duplicate publication: Authors must not submit and eventually publish the same research variables, theories, results and or conclusions in more than one journal. It is unethical to submit and publish a new manuscript that significantly overlaps with previously published work of the same authors, whether in content, data, images, or hypotheses.

Self citation: Authors must likewise avoid the practice that is generally considered as self-citation or citing own previously published work that is not relevant to the current manuscript. It may only be acceptable if and when it is necessary to reference foundational or directly relevant prior work, particularly in cases where the author has made significant contributions to a field or interest.

Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their writings are original, meaning not plagiarized. If they used technical concepts or language from others that cannot be reworded or rephrased, they must ensure that they have appropriately acknowledged or quoted them. Authors must ensure a fifteen percent (15%) or below similarity index through Turnitin plagiarism detection software.

Work sources: Authors must acknowledge all sources of works or any intellectual properties, whether published or unpublished, that have informed or supported the manuscript. This includes, not only documents but also digital content like images and figures created by others. Recognizing the properties of others is a fundamental ethical responsibility in scholarly publishing.

Generative AI: Authors may use AI tools for proofreading purposes and under strict human oversight. However, they are  discouraged from excessively using generative artificial intellifence (AI) tools to create, expand, modify, or enhance text, images, or figures in their manuscripts. The manuscript must reflect the intellectual work of the authors, grounded in human review and judgement. JHRS will use tools through Turnitin AI writing report software to ensure submission integrity.

 

Conflicts of interest

JHRS is committed to maintaining transparency around conflicts of interest. It considers it a critical element to the credibility and integrity of the publication process and the scientific community. JHRS requires that all participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, and editors, disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could be perceived as influencing their contributions or judgments.

Editors, reviewers, and authors are required to declare conflict of interest, whether personal, financial, or other ties, at the time of manuscript submission and review, that could influence the outcome of the process. This declaration should be expressed by the editors and reviewers and included by the authors in the cover letter.

 

Data sharing and reproducibility

Data sharing and reproducibility are foundations of credible scientific inquiry within the emerging research and publication practices. JHRS is committed to promoting the transparency and reproducibility of research findings. To this end, all submitted manuscripts must include a data availability statement detailing where and how the data underlying the findings can be accessed. This policy aligns with the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) principles for data sharing, which are increasingly recognized as global standards.

JHRS encourages authors to deposit their data in reputable repositories that adhere to open-access principles, making data freely available to the scientific community. However, the journal also recognizes the need to protect sensitive data, particularly in studies involving human subjects, where privacy and confidentiality are paramount. In such cases, authors must indicate whether access to the data is restricted or requires institutional review. Authors are also encouraged to provide detailed methodologies to facilitate replication of their studies, including statistical analysis scripts, protocols, and other relevant materials.

JHRS supports the movement toward preregistration of studies and the publication of replication research to ensure that the findings published are not only robust but also reproducible. Where applicable, JHRS provides authors with the option of including supplementary materials, such as raw data sets, code, and analysis plans, to further enhance transparency.

 

Intellectual property

JHRS adopts theCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which allows users to share, copy, distribute, and transmit the work, as well as to adapt it, provided appropriate credit is given to the original authors and the journal. In cases where intellectual property violations are detected, JHRS follows the COPE guidelines for dealing with research misconduct, which may include rejection of the manuscript, notification of the authors' institutions, or retraction of the article post-publication. The journal encourages authors to familiarize themselves with copyright laws and to seek copyright registration for their original works to further protect their intellectual property.

 

Ethical oversight

JHRS is committed to the rigorous ethical oversight of all its published manuscripts.

For research involving human subjects especially those belonging to the vulnerable segments, the journal requires authors to confirm that the study has been reviewed and approved by an institutional review board in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Authors must also provide a statement confirming that informed consent and or assent was obtained from all participants, and that the study adhered to the principles of confidentiality and the protection of personal data. This information should be discussed in the methodology and mentioned in the cover letter.

For animal research, JHRS mandates that authors comply with internationally recognized guidelines for the ethical treatment of animals, such as the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS) standards and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Authors must provide a clear statement detailing their adherence to these guidelines and the approval of their research by the appropriate ethical bodies.

Additionally, JHRS recognizes that ethical oversight extends to include issues such as data integrity, environmental impact, and the potential societal consequences of research findings. The journal ensures that all submitted manuscripts undergo a thorough ethical review by the editorial team, institutional ethics review committee, and external experts. Ethical issues that arise after publication will be addressed in accordance with COPE guidelines, including the possibility of issuing retractions or corrections if significant ethical violations are identified.

 

Post-publication discussions and corrections

JHRS promotes post-publication engagement. It fosters an open dialogue among the scientific community. The journal is open for readers to comment on published articles, raise questions, or highlight discrepancies through rejoinder perspective articles.

Authors are also encouraged to engage in these discussions and respond to critiques in a formal, constructive manner. If errors or inaccuracies are identified in a published manuscript, JHRS has guidelines for issuing corrections or retractions:

• Minor errors that do not affect the overall findings of the study will result in a correction notice, which will be linked to the original article to maintain transparency.
• In cases of significant errors or ethical breaches, such as fabrication of data or plagiarism, the journal will issue a retraction in accordance with COPE guidelines.
• Retraction notices will clearly state the reasons for the retraction and will remain accessible alongside the original article to ensure accountability.

 

Complaints and appeals

JHRS strives to a fair, objective and transparent editorial processes. It follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines for handling complaints and appeals.

Complaints, in the form of written document, about editorial decisions, peer review quality, or ethical concerns can be submitted via the formal complaint process. The editor-in-chief or a designated editor will handle the complaint to ensure impartiality.

If the complaint pertains to editorial judgment, the complainant has the right to appeal. The journal commits to providing an evaluation by an independent member of the editorial board or external experts

All complaints and appeals are treated with the utmost seriousness, and the journal commits to resolving them within a reasonable timeframe. The outcome of the review will be communicated transparently, along with the reasons for the final decision.

 

Allegations of research misconduct

Editors, the journal, and the publisher shall take steps to determine and prevent the publication of manuscripts where there is misconduct, including but not limited to:

• Plagiarism: using someone else's work without proper attribution
• Citation manipulation: adding citations to boost citation than support the content.
• Data falsification: manipulating research materials or processes to obtain desired results.
• Data fabrication: making up data or results.

Under no circumstances shall the journal or its editors encourage or knowingly permit such misconduct. In the event that the publisher or editors become aware of any allegation of research misconduct related to a published article, they shall address the issue in accordance with the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) standard. 

 

Reporting and Investigation Procedure

1. Reports of research misconduct must be formally submitted in writing to the editor-in-chief. The journal will keep confidentiality throughout the investigation, to the extent possible, but disclosure may be necessary to protect the integrity of the process or comply with legal requirements. The institution protects reporters from retaliation, which will be promptly investigated if reported.
2. The designated investigator will conduct an initial review of the allegation to determine whether further investigation is warranted.
3. An investigation committee will be formed if an investigation is needed. The committee will consist of members from the subject matter field, research ethics, and legal matter.
4. The investigation committee will collect evidence.
5. The investigation committee will assess the evidence and determine whether there is sufficient ground to conclude that a misconduct was committed.
6. The investigation committee will make recommendations to the journal and institution regarding appropriate actions.

Individuals who are subject to disciplinary actions may have the right to appeal the decision.

These policies will be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness.