Publication Ethics and Malpractice

SMRJ aspires to be a globally reputable journal that publishes high-quality double-blind and peer-reviewed papers. Towards this end, we will strive to ensure thoroughness and fairness throughout the review and publication process. This code of ethics delineates salient features of good ethical principles and practices governing publication as recommended by the Committee of Publication Ethics (COPE).

We urge all authors, editors and reviewers to use this code of ethics as a guide throughout the preparation and publication of all manuscripts submitted to SMRJ. Any concerns are to be brought to the attention of the Editor-in-Chief of SMRJ.

Authors Responsibilities

  1. Reporting Standards
  • Authors should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behaviour and are unacceptable. Review and professional publication articles should also be accurate and objective, and editorial works clearly identified as such.
  1. Data Access and Retention
  • Authors may be asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review and should be prepared to provide public access to such data and in any event, be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.
  1. Originality and Plagiarism
  • The authors should ensure that they submit original work and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others, that this has been appropriately cited or quoted. Plagiarism takes many forms, from passing off another paper as the author(s) own paper, to copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another(s) paper (without attribution), to claiming results from research conducted by others. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.
  1. Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication
  • An author should not, in general, publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable. In general, an author should not submit for consideration in another journal a previously published paper. Publication of some kinds of articles (e.g. clinical guidelines, translations) in more than one journal is sometimes justifiable, provided certain conditions are met. The authors and editors of the journals concerned must agree to the secondary publication, which must reflect the same data and interpretation of the primary document. The primary reference must be cited in the secondary publication.
  1. Acknowledgement of Sources
  • Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work. Information obtained privately, as in conversation, correspondence, or discussion with third parties, must be used or reported with explicit, written permission from the source. Information obtained in the course of confidential services such as refereeing manuscripts or grant applications, must be used with the explicit written permission of the author(s).
  1. Authorship of Paper
  • Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author should ensure that co-authors are included on the paper and co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.
  1. Hazards and Human or Animal subjects
  • If the work involves chemicals, procedures or equipment that have any unusual hazards inherent in their use, the author must clearly identify these in the manuscript. If the work involves the use of animal or human subjects, the author should ensure that the manuscript contains a statement that all procedures were performed in compliance with relevant laws and institutional guidelines and that the institutional committee(s) has approved them. Authors should include a statement in the manuscript that informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human subjects. The privacy rights of human subjects must always be observed.
  1. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
  • All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or substantive conflicts of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed. Examples of potential conflicts of interest which should be disclosed include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honorarium, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed at the earliest stage possible.
  1. Fundamental Errors in Published Works
  • When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper. If the editor or the publisher learns from a third party that a published work contains a significant error, it is the obligation of the author to promptly retract or correct the paper or provide evidence to the editor of the correctness of the original paper.

Editor Responsibities

  1. Publication Decisions
  • The editor is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The validation of the work in question and its importance to researchers and readers must always drive such decisions. The editor is guided by the policies of the journal’s editorial board. The editor may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.
  1. Integrity
  • An editor should evaluate manuscripts for intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.
  1. Confidentiality
  • The editor and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.
  1. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
  • Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s own research without the express written consent of the author. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Editors should recuse themselves (i.e. should ask a co-editor, associate editor or other members of the editorial board instead to review and consider) from considering manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or (possibly) institutions connected to the papers. Editors should require all contributors to disclose relevant competing interests and publish corrections if competing interests are revealed after publication.
  1. Involvement and Cooperation in Investigations
  • An editor should take reasonably responsive measures when ethical complaints have been presented concerning a submitted manuscript or published paper. Such measures will generally include contacting the author of the manuscript or paper and giving due consideration of the respective complaint or claims made.

These guidelines are based on COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Editor Responsibities