Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

'International Journal Of Medical Case Reports' is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the scientific record. The journal follows COPE's guidelines for handling ethical issues and addressing potential misconduct in publishing. COPE provides support and guidance to editors and publishers on best practices for managing ethical concerns in academic publishing. Their Code of Conduct and guidelines can be accessed at COPE Resources.

All editors, authors, and reviewers of the Geosciences Journal are expected to adhere to the ethical standards set by COPE. Below are the key roles and responsibilities, along with penalties for misconduct.

Responsibilities of Editors

• Make unbiased decisions to accept or reject articles.
• Accept articles only when confident in their validity.
• Avoid conflicts of interest in decisions.
• Publish corrections or retractions if errors are found.
• Maintain the confidentiality of reviewers.
• Act fairly and without discrimination based on gender, beliefs, ethnicity, or geographic origin.

General Duties:

• Ensure the quality and integrity of published content.
• Continuously improve the journal and meet the needs of readers and authors.
• Support freedom of expression and uphold academic standards.
• Be prepared to issue corrections, clarifications, or apologies when necessary.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

• Provide objective and constructive feedback to improve the quality of submissions.
• Avoid conflicts of interest with authors, research, or funding sources.
• Identify relevant work not cited in the manuscript.
• Maintain confidentiality of submitted articles.

Authorship Guidelines

To qualify for authorship, contributors must:

1. Make significant contributions to the study design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation.
2. Participate in drafting or critically revising the work.
3. Approve the final version for publication.
4. Be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Additional Rules:

• Changing the first author after submission is not allowed.
• Authorship changes during review require a formal request.
• No changes to authorship are permitted after acceptance.

Responsibilities of Authors

• Participate in the peer-review process.
• Ensure all authors have significantly contributed to the research.
• Guarantee the authenticity of all data in the manuscript.
• Avoid plagiarism and fraudulent data.
• Refrain from submitting the same research to multiple journals.
• Ensure compliance with ethical guidelines for studies involving humans or animals.

Ethical Issues and Safeguards

• The editorial board monitors and ensures adherence to publication ethics.
• Business interests will not compromise intellectual or ethical standards.
• Corrections, clarifications, and retractions will be published when needed.

Penalties for Misconduct

1. Duplicate Submission:

   • If duplicate submission is confirmed, the review process will stop.
   • All parties involved, including the authors’ institutions, will be informed.
   • The authors will be blacklisted and banned from submitting to the journal for at least 2 years.

2. Duplicate Publication:

   • If duplicate publication is confirmed, the article will be retracted.
   • The authors’ institutions and relevant publishers will be notified.
   • The authors will be blacklisted for at least 2 years.

3. Plagiarism (Including Self-Plagiarism):

   • Confirmed plagiarism will lead to article removal.
   • The incident will be reported to the authors’ institutions and relevant publishers.
   • The authors will be blacklisted for at least 2 years.

International Journal Of Medical Case Reports is committed to ensuring ethical publishing practices and maintaining the highest standards of integrity.