Publication Ethics

World Journal of Medicine Evidence (WJME) is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in publishing. The journal follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure integrity, transparency, and accountability in the scholarly communication process.

  1. Duties of Authors
  • Originality: Authors must submit only original works that have not been published elsewhere.
  • Plagiarism-Free: All sources must be properly cited; plagiarism in any form is prohibited.
  • Data Integrity: Authors must present accurate data and disclose any fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of results.
  • Multiple Submissions: Simultaneous submission to more than one journal is strictly forbidden.
  • Conflicts of Interest: Authors must declare any financial or personal conflicts of interest.
  • Acknowledgments: Contributions of others (funding bodies, colleagues, institutions) must be properly acknowledged.
  1. Duties of Editors
  • Fair Review: Manuscripts are evaluated solely on academic merit, without bias related to race, gender, religion, or nationality.
  • Confidentiality: Editors must maintain confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts.
  • Conflict of Interest: Editors must not use unpublished material for personal advantage.
  • Decision-Making: Final publication decisions are based on reviewers’ feedback, originality, and contribution to the field.
  • Handling Misconduct: Editors are responsible for addressing plagiarism, duplicate submissions, and ethical violations promptly.
  1. Duties of Reviewers
  • Objectivity: Reviews must be fair, unbiased, and constructive.
  • Confidentiality: Manuscripts must be treated as confidential documents.
  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers must identify uncited relevant work.
  • Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must decline assignments where conflicts exist.
  • Timeliness: Reviews should be completed within the agreed timeline.
  1. Duties of Publisher (WJME)
  • Integrity: The publisher ensures that publishing practices comply with ethical standards.
  • Archiving: All published content is preserved in digital archives (LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, PKP PN).
  • Transparency: APC charges, policies, and peer review procedures are clearly communicated.
  • Corrections & Retractions: When errors or ethical issues are identified, the publisher ensures timely corrections, retractions, or clarifications.
  1. Misconduct & Consequences
  • Plagiarism: Leads to rejection, withdrawal, or retraction.
  • Data Manipulation: May result in rejection, blacklisting, or institutional notification.
  • Unethical Withdrawal: Manuscripts withdrawn without valid reason after review may incur a submission ban.
  • Retractions: Post-publication issues will be managed according to COPE Retraction Guidelines.