Publication Ethics Statement

Journal of Integrated Health (JOIN Health)

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Journal of Integrated Health (JOIN Health) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and to ensuring the integrity of all published materials. The journal follows the ethical guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

1. Duties of Authors

• Authors must ensure that their manuscripts are original, have not been published elsewhere, and are not under review by another journal.
• All authors should have significantly contributed to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.
• Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Plagiarism in any form constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
• Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence their work.
• If an error is discovered after publication, authors should promptly notify the editor to issue corrections or retractions if necessary.

2. Duties of Editors

• Editors are responsible for making decisions on which articles will be published based on their academic merit, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
• Editors must ensure a fair, unbiased, and timely peer-review process.
• Editors should maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and must not use unpublished materials for personal research without the author’s written consent.
• Editors should take reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of papers where research misconduct has occurred.

3. Duties of Reviewers

• Reviewers assist the editors in making editorial decisions and help the author improve the manuscript.
• Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents.
• Reviewers should not have conflicts of interest with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.
• Reviews should be conducted objectively, with clear and constructive feedback to help authors improve their work.

4. Duties of the Publisher

The publisher of JOIN Health (Patria Medika Publisher) ensures that all editorial decisions are independent and free from commercial or political influence. The publisher supports the editorial team in addressing ethical issues, investigating allegations of misconduct, and ensuring the integrity of the publication process.

5. Ethical Oversight

JOIN Health adheres to ethical principles in research involving human participants, data privacy, and informed consent. Authors must confirm that studies involving humans have been approved by the relevant ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB).

6. Handling of Research Misconduct

In cases of suspected misconduct, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or duplicate publication, the journal will follow COPE flowcharts and guidelines. Appropriate action may include correction, retraction, or communication with the author’s institution.

7. Retraction Policy

Articles may be retracted if significant errors, data falsification, or ethical violations are discovered. Retractions will follow the COPE Retraction Guidelines and will be clearly marked on the journal’s website.

8. Copyright and Licensing

JOIN Health publishes articles under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), allowing unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction, provided the original work is properly cited.

This statement is adapted from COPE’s Core Practices and ICMJE Recommendations to ensure ethical standards in scholarly publication.