Ethics Statements

Ethical Standards and Responsibilities

The Medzone-Journal of Health Sciences (MJHS) is committed to upholding ethical standards in the academic publishing process. We aim to maintain a transparent, fair, and responsible publishing environment. The following policy outlines the ethical responsibilities for authors, editors, and reviewers involved in manuscript submission, review, and publication, ensuring integrity and quality in all stages of the process.

Editors' Responsibilities:

• Fair and Unbiased Decision-Making: Editors must evaluate manuscripts based solely on academic merit, without personal bias or discrimination. They must ensure that decisions are based on the quality and relevance of the research to the field, and not influenced by the authors' affiliations or backgrounds.
• Confidentiality: Manuscripts and related information must be treated as confidential, and editors may not use unpublished content for their own research without obtaining permission. This confidentiality extends to the handling of peer reviews, ensuring that all discussions regarding the manuscript remain private.
• Ethical Complaint Handling: Editors are responsible for addressing any ethical concerns or complaints about a manuscript thoroughly. In cases of suspected misconduct or disputes, editors must investigate the matter carefully and take appropriate corrective action, including contacting the authors or their institutions if necessary.

Reviewers' Duties:

• Providing Constructive Feedback: Reviewers must offer constructive feedback to improve the quality of the manuscript. This includes providing suggestions for further clarification, additional experiments, or data analysis, where applicable, to enhance the overall rigor of the work.
• Maintaining Confidentiality: Reviewers must ensure that manuscripts are kept confidential and not used for personal gain. They should not discuss the manuscript with others or share it outside the review process, ensuring that all information remains within the context of the review process.
• Reporting Conflicts and Ethical Issues: Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest and notify the editor of potential ethical issues, such as data discrepancies or plagiarism. In cases where reviewers are aware of overlapping or duplicate publication, they must inform the editor promptly.
• Timely Reviews: Reviewers are requested to complete their assessments within the set deadlines to ensure a smooth review process. Delays in reviews can impact the timely publication of articles, so reviewers are encouraged to communicate any challenges they face in meeting deadlines as early as possible.

Authors' Responsibilities:

• Original Work and Proper Citations: Authors are expected to submit original content, credit all sources, and avoid plagiarism in any form. Proper citation of all previously published works and ideas is essential to ensure academic integrity.
• Integrity of Data: Authors must report data truthfully and not manipulate or forge results. Any errors or discrepancies found in the data must be promptly corrected, and authors should be transparent about their methodologies and statistical analyses.
• Exclusive Submission Policy: Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Submitting to multiple journals at once not only undermines the review process but also can lead to conflicting decisions regarding the manuscript's suitability for publication.
• Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Authors must declare any potential conflicts of interest to produce a constructive outcome when submitting their manuscripts. These disclosures ensure that the published work is not influenced by personal, financial, or professional interests that could affect its impartiality.

Addressing Allegations of Misconduct:

Medzone-Journal of Health Sciences takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and conducts a thorough investigation into any concerns. If misconduct is confirmed, actions such as retracting the article, notifying the author’s institution, or barring the author from future submissions may be taken. The journal may also work with relevant authorities or institutions to address ethical breaches. It is essential that authors, reviewers, and editors maintain the highest ethical standards to foster a credible and reputable academic environment.