Publication Ethics Statement

Archives of Community Medicine and Public Health (ACMPH) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, integrity, and transparency. Our ethical guidelines are based on internationally recognized standards, including those established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

Ethical Principles for Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to ACMPH must adhere to the following ethical principles:

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Manuscripts must be original and not published elsewhere. All submissions are checked using iThenticate for plagiarism detection.
  • Data Integrity: Authors must ensure that all research findings are accurate, reliable, and verifiable.
  • Transparency: Any modifications to data, images, or results must be disclosed.
  • Proper Acknowledgment: Authors must appropriately cite all sources and give credit to contributors.
  • Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Authors must declare any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the research.
  • Ethical Approval: Research involving human or animal subjects must comply with institutional and international ethical research guidelines.

Editorial Responsibilities

The Editorial Board of ACMPH is responsible for ensuring:

  • Fair and Unbiased Peer Review: Manuscripts are assessed purely on academic merit without discrimination.
  • Confidentiality: All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential documents.
  • Integrity and Transparency: Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest and avoid biased decisions.
  • Ethical Oversight: The journal follows COPE guidelines to handle any ethical concerns related to submitted or published research.
  • Corrections and Retractions: In cases of ethical violations or errors, necessary corrections, errata, or retractions will be issued.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Peer reviewers are essential to maintaining research quality and are expected to:

  • Provide Constructive Feedback: Reviews should be fair, objective, and aimed at improving the manuscript.
  • Maintain Confidentiality: Reviewers must not share or discuss submitted manuscripts.
  • Report Ethical Concerns: If any ethical issues such as plagiarism or duplicate publication are suspected, they must be reported to the editorial team.
  • Declare Conflicts of Interest: If a reviewer has any competing interests, they must decline the review.

Research Misconduct and Ethical Violations

ACMPH does not tolerate any form of research misconduct. This includes:

  • Plagiarism: Copying or using another’s work without proper attribution.
  • Data Fabrication or Falsification: Manipulating data or misrepresenting research findings.
  • Duplicate Submission: Submitting the same research to multiple journals simultaneously.
  • Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest: Failure to disclose financial or personal relationships that may influence the research.

In case of suspected misconduct, the journal follows COPE's ethical guidelines to investigate and take necessary actions.

Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Actions

If serious ethical concerns arise after publication, ACMPH may take the following actions:

  • Corrections: Issued for minor errors that do not affect the overall findings.
  • Retractions: Articles with major ethical violations or inaccuracies will be retracted.
  • Expression of Concern: If misconduct is suspected but not yet confirmed, an editorial notice will be issued.

Ethical Guidelines Followed by ACMPH

ACMPH aligns with internationally recognized ethical publishing frameworks, including:

Ensuring Ethical and Transparent Research Publication!