Authorship

Journal of Women and Child Health (JoWaCH): Ethical and Responsible Authorship Practices

The Journal of Women and Child Health (JoWaCH) is dedicated to upholding the highest ethical standards in research and publication. We believe that responsible authorship practices are fundamental to maintaining the integrity of scientific knowledge and ensuring the well-being of women and children. This document outlines our comprehensive policies and procedures, aligned with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, to guide authors, reviewers, and editors in navigating ethical publishing practices.

Authorship: Recognizing Substantial Contributions

JoWaCH adheres to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria for authorship. Authorship credit is only awarded to individuals who have made substantial intellectual and practical contributions to the research. These contributions include:

• Conceptualization and Design: Significantly contributing to the development of the research question, methodology, and overall approach.
• Active Participation: Actively engaging in data collection, analysis, and interpretation, not merely providing access to data.
• Drafting and Revising: Substantially contributing to the intellectual content of the manuscript through writing and revising.
• Accountability: Approving the final version for submission and taking responsibility for all aspects of the work.

Corresponding Authors: Key Responsibilities

Corresponding authors play a vital role in facilitating communication and ensuring all necessary approvals are in place. They oversee:

• Manuscript submission
• Author sequence agreement
• Administrative requirements
• Exclusive submission to JoWaCH

Following acceptance, the corresponding authors:

• Manage final copy-proofs
• Act as journal liaisons
• Ensure author information accuracy
• Facilitate corrections with co-author consent

Contributions Beyond Authorship: Acknowledging Valuable Involvement

Individuals who contribute significantly beyond the ICMJE authorship criteria are recognized in the "Acknowledgments" section. This ensures transparency and acknowledges their valuable role in the research process.

Strict Conflict of Interest Management: Ensuring Impartiality

To prevent bias, JoWaCH has stringent policies to mitigate potential conflicts of interest (COIs). We implement robust safeguards, including:

• Double-Blind Peer Review: All manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review process, ensuring reviewer anonymity.
• Editorial Oversight: The editorial team actively evaluates reviewers' feedback based solely on scientific merit and ethical conduct.
• Disclosure of COIs: Authors are required to disclose any potential COIs in their manuscripts. The editorial team carefully assesses these disclosures and may take necessary actions, such as seeking additional reviewers or consulting with external experts.

Additional Practices Highlighting Our Commitment:

• Confidentiality: JoWaCH maintains strict confidentiality between authors and reviewers. Pre-publication disclosure of review reports is prohibited.
• Reviewer Appreciation and Selection: While reviewer suggestions are valued, the final selection remains the editors' prerogative, ensuring objectivity and expertise. Limited exclusions may be considered upon request.
• Consortia Authorship: We support consortium authorship, provided members clearly agree to and fulfill their authorship responsibilities, and those who don't are distinguished.
• Clear Communication and Responsibility: The corresponding author serves as the primary point of contact, upholding responsibilities related to data integrity, copyright forms, and co-author agreements, ensuring clear and responsible communication throughout the process.

Conclusion

JoWaCH's commitment to ethical research and publication practices is evident in these comprehensive policies and procedures. These measures safeguard the integrity of our journal and ensure the quality, objectivity, and transparency of the research published within.

Questions and Concerns

If you have any questions or concerns regarding JoWaCH's authorship, ethics, or COI policies, please do not hesitate to contact the editorial team.

Note: This policy may be updated periodically. Please refer to the latest version on the JoWaCH website. For more information on COPE guidelines, visit https://publicationethics.org/.

 

Journal of Women and Child Health Author List Updates (JOWCH)

In accordance with recent guidelines from local accreditation bodies, the Journal of Women and Child Health (JOWCH) will be implementing a revised author list format for upcoming issues.

This new format will acknowledge the significant contributions of all authors involved in a research project. Here's what you can expect:

• The author list will include the first six authors of a manuscript.
• Following the six listed authors, "et al." will be used to acknowledge the remaining contributors.

JOWCH recognizes the valuable work of all authors involved in research, and this revised format aims to strike a balance between acknowledging contributions and adhering to accreditation body recommendations.

We appreciate your understanding and continued support of JOWCH as we strive to publish high-quality research on women's and children's health.

For any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the JOWCH editorial team.