Publications Ethics Policy

The Journal of Women and Child Health (JoWaCH) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics. We adhere to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines to ensure integrity, transparency, and ethical practice in all aspects of our publication process. The following policy outlines the ethical expectations for all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

1.1. Originality and Plagiarism

  • Authors must ensure that their work is original and has not been plagiarized. Any work or words of others must be appropriately cited or quoted.
  • The submission should not have been published previously or be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
  • JoWaCH uses plagiarism detection tools to screen submissions, and any manuscripts found to contain plagiarism will be rejected.

1.2. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

  • Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently. Submitting the same work to multiple journals is unethical and unacceptable.
  • JoWaCH does not consider manuscripts that are currently under review elsewhere.

1.3. Authorship and Contribution

  • Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the concept, design, execution, or interpretation of the research.
  • All contributors who have significantly contributed to the research must be listed as co-authors.
  • The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the manuscript and have agreed to its submission for publication.

1.4. Acknowledgment of Sources

  • Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in the reported research.
  • Any financial support, grants, or other funding sources must be properly acknowledged.

1.5. 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, if possible.
  • Authors must retain the data for a reasonable time after publication.

1.6. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

  • Authors must disclose any financial or other 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.

1.7. Ethical Considerations

  • Authors must ensure that their research complies with ethical guidelines, particularly in studies involving human participants.
  • Informed consent must be obtained for experimentation involving humans, and authors must indicate that the procedures followed were in accordance with institutional and national ethical standards.
  • The submitting manuscript must contain information about the Ethics Committee/IRB approval with reference number and the date of issue.

2. Responsibilities of Editors

2.1. Fair Play

  • The editor must ensure that manuscripts are evaluated solely on their academic merit, without regard to the author’s race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

2.2. Confidentiality

  • Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, or other editorial advisers.
  • Manuscripts under review are treated as confidential documents.

2.3. Conflict of Interest

  • Editors must recuse themselves from considering manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the author(s), companies, or institutions connected to the manuscript.

2.4. Decision Making

  • The editor is responsible for deciding which of the manuscripts submitted to the journal will be published. The decision should be based on the manuscript’s importance, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
  • Editors should be guided by the journal’s editorial policies and constrained by legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

3.1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions

  • Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and, through editorial communications, may help the author improve the manuscript.
  • Reviewers are expected to be objective, constructive, and provide feedback that will help improve the quality of the manuscript.

3.2. Confidentiality

  • Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shared or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

3.3. Objectivity and Fairness

  • Reviews should be conducted objectively, and observations should be expressed clearly with supporting arguments.
  • Reviewers should avoid personal criticism of the author.

3.4. Acknowledgment of Sources

  • Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument has been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation.
  • Reviewers should inform the editor of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published work of which they have personal knowledge.

3.5. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

  • Reviewers should not review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.

4. Responsibilities of the Publisher

4.1. Integrity of the Academic Record

  • The publisher must ensure that published content is maintained and preserved according to the highest ethical standards.
  • Corrections, retractions, and clarifications should be issued where necessary.

4.2. Safeguarding Intellectual Property

  • The publisher must protect the intellectual property rights of authors and ensure that all published articles are protected from plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct.

4.3. Monitoring and Enforcement of Ethical Standards

  • The publisher works closely with the editors and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to monitor and enforce ethical standards.
  • In cases of alleged research or publication misconduct, the publisher will take appropriate steps, in consultation with editors, to clarify and address the issue.

5. Misconduct and Investigation

5.1. Handling Misconduct

  • JoWaCH adheres to COPE’s guidelines for investigating and handling allegations of research and publication misconduct.
  • All complaints of misconduct will be investigated regardless of when the issue arises, and JoWaCH will act in accordance with COPE’s flowcharts to ensure a thorough and transparent process.
  • The submitting manuscript must contain information about the Ethics Committee/IRB approval with reference number and the date of issue.

5.2. Retractions and Corrections

  • If significant errors, ethical breaches, or misconduct are found post-publication, JoWaCH will issue retractions, corrections, or expressions of concern as necessary.

6. Appeals and Complaints

  • Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions. Appeals will be handled in accordance with JoWaCH’s appeal process, which aligns with COPE guidelines.
  • Any complaints about editorial or peer review processes should be made in writing to the editor-in-chief, who will address the issue as per the journal’s complaint handling procedures.