Research/Publication Ethics Policy

Last updated 1/4/2025

The Infectious Diseases Journal of Pakistan (Infect Dis J Pak) is dedicated to ethical, rigorous, and forward-thinking editorial practices to ensure the continuous improvement and high standards of its published scholarly research. As a quarterly, double-blind peer-reviewed publication, the journal's editorial board maintains a rigorous review process. It upholds strict ethical policies and standards for all scholarly articles, following the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and its code of conduct.

Ethical Guidelines for Authors

Authors submitting to the Infectious Diseases Journal of Pakistan must maintain the highest ethical standards in their research and publication practices. This involves guaranteeing the work’s originality, preventing plagiarism, and ensuring data accuracy. Authorship should be granted only to those who have made significant contributions, with proper credit given to sources, funding, and any conflicts of interest. For studies involving humans or animals, documented ethical approval is mandatory. Additionally, authors should engage in peer review, address reviewer feedback constructively, and correct any published errors promptly. Following these ethical principles helps preserve the trustworthiness and rigor of medical research.

In summary, Infect Dis J Pak stresses ethical behavior, transparency, and accountability in research and publishing. Authors are encouraged to follow these standards to uphold the credibility of their work and its contribution to medical science.

Plagiarism and Data Fabrication

Data presented to Infect Dis J Pak must be original and not inappropriately selected, manipulated, enhanced, or fabricated as plagiarism and data fabrication are not acceptable in Infectious Diseases Journal of Pakistan.

Plagiarism is the practice of using someone else’s ideas, writings, images, data etc., without giving due credit to the original source. If a document is found to be plagiarized during any stage of editorial process, it is rejected forthwith and the authors of the manuscript are blacklisted. The name of author(s) committing plagiarism is also disseminated to editors of other medical journals, PM&DC and HEC.

Research Involving Human Subjects

A declaration must be made along the lines of the Declaration of Helsinki of 1975 (https://www.wma.net/what-we-do/medical-ethics/declaration-of-helsinki/) revised in 2013, by all authors working on human subjects and human samples. Moreover, a certificate of approval must be taken from an institutional ethics committee. The certificate must allot an institutional research number to the study which should be included in the certificate along with title of research, names of all the authors and the date of approval. The ethical research certificate must be signed by all the members of the Institutional Review Board.

Consent Policy

A signed informed consent form for participation and/or publication must be acquired from all participants, adhering to ethical guidelines. Patient confidentiality must be strictly maintained by anonymizing personal details, excluding sensitive information from manuscripts, and ensuring no identifiable features are visible in images etc.

Ethical Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Research

Researchers working with animals must consider the ethical implications of their studies and ensure that the potential benefits justify any harm to the animals. They should also follow guidelines on appropriate animal use and be aware of approved and prohibited procedures. Compliance with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) regulations is mandatory, and researchers must verify that proper ethical standards were followed. Any original research involving animals must receive approval from an institutional ethics committee, and the Methods Section should include the project ID, approval date, and the name of the ethics review board.

Clinical Trials Registration

Registration

Clinical trial registration involves publicly documenting key details of a study involving human participants to assess the impact of a health-related intervention. The Infectious Diseases Journal of Pakistan adheres to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines, which mandate that clinical trials be registered in a public registry—either before or at the time of the first patient enrollment—to be eligible for publication.

Authors must register their clinical trials in a recognized national or international registry (such as ClinicalTrials.gov) and include the registration number in both the Abstract and Methods sections. Additionally, approval from a local or regional ethics committee is required. The journal reserves the right to reject any submission that lacks proper trial registration prior to peer review.

CONSORT Statement

The CONSORT Statement (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) aids in validating, including, and analyzing trials for meta-analyses and systematic reviews. When submitting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to the Infectious Diseases Journal of Pakistan, authors must provide a filled CONSORT 2010 checklist and a flow diagram. Templates for these can be found here or on the CONSORT website (http://www.consort-statement.org).

Citation Policies

Citation in medical writing is the process of correctly and adequately referring to the ideas, concepts, results etc., of other researchers. Infectious Diseases Journal of Pakistan employs the Vancouver style of referencing. Details can be found in the following link (https://guides.lib.monash.edu/citing-referencing/vancouver2022-introduction).

Ethical Guidelines for Reviewers

The Infectious Diseases Journal of Pakistan follows a double-blind peer review policy, guaranteeing that every manuscript is evaluated through a fair, transparent, and impartial process by field experts. This rigorous review system is vital for upholding the credibility of both the published research and the journal itself. For detailed instructions on preparing a review report, refer to the guidelines for reviewers.

Reviewers are key to preserving the integrity and excellence of academic publications. The Infect Dis J Pak highly appreciates their ethical input and has established clear guidelines to promote a confidential, unbiased, and constructive peer review process.

Confidentiality

Reviewers must uphold confidentiality by keeping details from submitted manuscripts private. They should immediately report any conflicts of interest and refrain from reviewing if they cannot remain unbiased.

 Promptness

Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse himself or herself from the review process.

The assigned reviewer is expected to reply promptly whenever a manuscript is sent for review. In case the reviewer feels unqualified to review the manuscript or is unsalable to give a prompt review for any reason, should notify the editor and excuse himself or herself from the review process.

Conflict of Interest

We request that reviewers notify the journal editor if they have any conflicts of interest that could bias their review, whether favorably or unfavorably. While the Editorial Team will conduct preliminary checks before inviting reviewers, we greatly value reviewers' cooperation in disclosing such issues. If reviewers are asked to evaluate a manuscript they have previously reviewed for a different journal, this should not be regarded as a conflict of interest.

Objectivity and Constructive Feedback

Reviewers are urged to perform impartial evaluations, offering helpful critiques of the research material. They should recognize their own constraints and strive for an equitable and neutral review.

Timeliness and Communication

Timely completion of reviews is emphasized, and communication should be confidential and direct with the editorial office.

Ethical Considerations

Part of a reviewer's role is to handle ethical concerns, including authorship disputes and research integrity violations.

Continuous Professional Development

Reviewers should keep up to date with recent advancements in their area of expertise and peer review methods. 

Reviewer Recognition

Infect Dis J Pak values the contributions of reviewers and may acknowledge their efforts, ensuring due credit for their voluntary service.

Compliance with Journal Policies

Reviewers must be well-acquainted with the editorial and ethical guidelines of Infect Dis J Pak and adhere to them while conducting reviews. If reviewers identify any breaches of the journal’s policies, they should immediately notify the editorial team.

Ethical Guidelines for Editors

The Ethical Guidelines for Editors at Infect Dis J Pak outline the principles guiding editorial conduct to ensure integrity and fairness in scholarly publishing.

Editorial Decision-Making:

Editors should evaluate manuscripts solely on their quality, free from any impact of financial motives, personal connections, or other prejudices.

Conflicts of Interest

All potential conflicts of interest must be fully disclosed, and responsibilities should be reassigned when needed.

Equal Treatment

Submissions must be assessed on the quality of their content alone, independent of the author's identity, gender, nationality, or personal traits.  

Anonymous Peer Review

To maintain impartial assessment, the peer review process should be carried out without revealing identities.

Confidentiality

Editors and reviewers are required to handle manuscripts with confidentiality. Details about submitted papers should not be shared with anyone outside the peer-review process. Additionally, editors must protect the privacy of research participants and any personal data included in the manuscripts.

Integrity and Ethical Conduct

Editors play a key role in maintaining research integrity by quickly addressing ethical issues and overseeing corrections or retractions when needed. Transparent and clear communication with authors, reviewers, and readers is crucial, which includes sharing editorial policies openly. Additionally, they must ensure proper credit is given, follow copyright regulations, and deal with plagiarism thoroughly. 

Editorial Team Development

Editors should offer chances for ongoing professional growth for both themselves and their team. They must also uphold fair authorship standards, ensuring no bias or unfair treatment occurs.

Conflicts of Interest

Everyone participating in the research process—whether authors, reviewers, or editors—must reveal any conflicts of interest that could affect the study's impartiality or credibility. Compliance with the Infect Dis J Pak conflict of interest policy is essential. Authors must include the ICMJE Conflict of Interest Form with their submission. This promotes transparency and accountability in managing conflicts of interest, upholding scholarly publishing standards, and safeguarding research integrity.

Editorial Independence

At Infect Dis J Pak, editorial independence is a core value that protects the integrity and impartiality of the journal's decision-making. The editorial team works free from external pressures, guaranteeing fair and objective assessment of submissions. Upholding editorial independence is essential, allowing editors to judge manuscripts based on scientific quality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal’s focus. This steadfast commitment to autonomy ensures that research is evaluated purely on its academic value, enhancing the journal’s reputation and the trustworthiness of its publications.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

Corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern are managed in accordance with Infect Dis J Pak established policy.

The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

The Infectious Diseases Journal of Pakistan (Infect Dis J Pak) acknowledges the changing trends in research methods, particularly the use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools. While the journal supports the responsible use of these technologies in research, it emphasizes the importance of maintaining ethical guidelines and transparency. Authors are required to comply with the journal’s AI Disclosure Policy.