Editorial Policy

  1. Aims and Scope

A‑JMRHS publishes original, high‑quality research in all areas of medical and health sciences, including clinical medicine, public health, biomedical sciences, and health policy. The journal’s editorial policy is aligned with international standards for scholarly publishing, including ethical guidelines from COPE and major indexing bodies.

  1. Peer Review Process
  • The journal follows a double‑blind peer review process: the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from each other during review.
  • Each submission is first screened by the Editor‑in‑Chief or an assigned editor for relevance, originality, and adherence to author guidelines.
  • Manuscripts deemed suitable are reviewed by at least two independent expert reviewers. Additional reviewers may be invited when needed for specialized topics.
  • Editorial decisions (accept, minor revision, major revision, reject) are based on the reviewers’ comments, scientific merit, originality, ethical soundness, and clarity of presentation.
  • The editorial office strives for a fair, timely, and constructive review process.
  1. Editorial Independence
  • Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by the journal’s owners, sponsors, advertisers, or institutional affiliations.
  • Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on their scientific quality, originality, methodological rigor, and relevance to the journal’s scope, regardless of the authors’ gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs.
  1. Authorship and Contributorship
  • Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, data acquisition, analysis or interpretation, drafting or critical revision, and who approve the final version.
  • Contributions not meeting authorship criteria (e.g., funding acquisition, general supervision, technical help) should be acknowledged appropriately.
  • Authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the work and for resolving questions related to the work’s validity.
  1. Originality, Plagiarism, and Redundant Publication
  • Submissions must be original and must not have been published previously or be under consideration elsewhere, in whole or in part.
  • The journal uses plagiarism‑detection tools and manual checks to identify overlapping or similar text. Suspected cases are handled in line with COPE guidance and may result in rejection, retraction, or notification of institutions.
  • Redundant, duplicate, or salami publications are not permitted.
  1. Ethical Approval and Patient Privacy
  • Research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data must comply with recognized ethical standards (e.g., Declaration of Helsinki, national/institutional ethics guidelines).
  • Authors must state that appropriate Ethics Committee/Institutional Review Board approval was obtained and that informed consent was taken when required.
  • Identifiable patient information must not be published unless essential for scientific purposes and with explicit written consent.
  1. Data Availability and Research Transparency
  • Authors are encouraged to provide data availability statements and, where possible, to deposit datasets, code, or supplementary materials in reputable repositories or to share them upon reasonable request.
  • Methods should be reported with sufficient detail to allow replication and verification of results.
  1. Conflicts of Interest and Funding
  • All authors, reviewers, and editors must declare any conflicts of interest (financial, personal, academic, or other) that could influence their work or its evaluation.
  • Funding sources, if any, must be clearly disclosed in the manuscript.
  • Editors and reviewers with conflicts of interest regarding a submission will recuse themselves from the review and decision process.
  1. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern
  • When errors that affect the interpretation of published work are identified, the journal will publish corrections (errata or corrigenda) as appropriate.
  • In cases of serious ethical breaches (e.g., data fabrication, plagiarism, unethical research), the journal may issue retractions or expressions of concern, following COPE procedures and best practices.
  • The integrity of the scholarly record is a core priority.
  1. Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Any advertising or sponsorship will be clearly distinguished from editorial content.
  • Commercial relationships do not influence editorial decisions or peer review.
  • Sponsored supplements, if accepted, undergo independent peer review and adhere to the same editorial standards as regular content.
  1. Open Access and Copyright
  • A‑JMRHS operates as an open‑access journal. Published articles are freely accessible online without subscription barriers, under the journal’s stated license.
  • Authors typically retain copyright while granting the journal rights to publish and distribute the work, as specified in the author agreement and license terms.
  1. Complaints and Appeals
  • Authors may appeal editorial decisions by providing a reasoned response to the editor, referencing specific scientific or methodological points. The Editor‑in‑Chief may seek additional independent opinions when appropriate.

Complaints regarding editorial processes, ethics, or publication policies will be investigated fairly and promptly by the editorial office and, if necessary, by the publisher, following COPE recommendations.