Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement (PEM Statement)
The publication of articles in peer-reviewed academic journals is a key element of the scholarly communication system, serving purposes beyond simple communication. It helps establish a respected network of knowledge and demonstrates the quality and impact of authors’ research and their supporting institutions. Additionally, it exemplifies the scientific method. To ensure ethical behavior among all involved authors, editors, peer reviewers, publishers, and journal-owning societies-standards must be established to promote respect and dignity, free from discrimination and harassment. These guidelines specifically address primary research journals but can also apply to reviews and other professional publications. Individual journals may have more detailed ethical procedures in their Guides for Authors and may follow standards set by organizations like the International Council of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT).
Duties of the Publisher
These guidelines acknowledge the vital role of publishers in supporting journal editors and the often-unrecognized contributions of peer reviewers in maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. While ethical codes typically focus on potential violations, it is commendable that issues are comparatively rare, reflecting the effectiveness of scholarly practices. The University of Dschang, as the journal publisher, takes its responsibility for the scholarly record seriously. Our journals capture “the minutes of science,” and we uphold our duty as their custodians through our policies, including ethical guidelines. We have instituted these policies to help editors, reviewers, and authors meet their ethical obligations, collaborating with other publishers and industry groups to establish best practices for ethical matters, errors, and retractions.
Investigational Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology is dedicated to ensuring that advertising as well as other commercial revenue, do not impact or influence the editorial decisions. The journal ensures best practices by checking all submissions for similarity before peer review. We also help editors communicate with other journals and publishers when needed, and we are ready to provide specialized legal review and advice if necessary. Editors are required to disclose any competing or conflicting interests that could affect their editorial judgment. These interests should be reported immediately upon recruitment. Competing interests may include current academic affiliations or editorial roles, such as employment, consulting, advisory positions, board memberships, or expert witness roles (whether compensated or not), and financial interests, including patents, travel grants, ownership stakes, and directorships. Editors should not be involved in the review process of their research papers. Any submissions they make must disclose any conflicts of interest to the journal’s editor, ensuring an independent editorial process.
Duties of Editors
The editor of a scholarly journal is responsible for deciding which submitted articles will be published. Decisions must be based on the validity of the work and its relevance to researchers and readers. The editor follows the journal’s editorial board policies and adheres to legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. Consultation with other editors and reviewers may also occur to support these decisions. The editor must ensure a fair, unbiased, and timely peer review process. Research articles should be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. The editor will select reviewers with relevant expertise and will check for any conflicts of interest. The editor must evaluate manuscripts solely for their intellectual content, without bias based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, or political beliefs. Editorial policies should promote transparency and honest reporting, ensuring that peer reviewers and authors understand expectations. The editor establishes a transparent appeal process for editorial decisions. The editor should not try to manipulate the journal’s ranking by artificially inflating any journal metric. The editor must ensure confidentiality for all submitted materials and communications with reviewers, unless agreed otherwise. In exceptional cases, limited information may be shared with other journals or organizations investigating misconduct. Reviewers’ identities must remain protected. Unpublished materials from manuscripts cannot be used in the editor’s research without the author’s written consent, and privileged information from peer review must remain confidential and not be used for personal gain. A submitted manuscript is a confidential document, and editors must not upload it or any part of it to generative AI tools. This confidentiality also applies to communication about the manuscript, including decision letters, which should not be uploaded for language improvement. Editors should avoid using AI for manuscript evaluation. While authors may use generative AI to improve their writing before submission, they must disclose this use. Editors should report any suspected violations of AI policies to the publisher.
Duties of Reviewers
Peer review aids editors in making decisions and helps authors enhance their work. It is a vital part of scholarly communication and the scientific method. Reviewers should evaluate the manuscript scientifically and identify any potential ethical issues, including significant similarities with other published works. Relevant citations should accompany any claims of previous reporting. Reviewers are encouraged to treat authors as they wish to be treated and to follow good reviewing etiquette. If a reviewer feels unqualified or cannot review promptly, they should inform the editor and decline the review. Reviews should be objective, avoiding personal criticism. Reviewers must declare conflicts of interest to the editor before agreeing to review a manuscript and discuss potential biases that may require recusal. Examples of conflicts include recent collaborations, shared institutions, and close personal relationships. If a reviewer suggests including citations to their work, it must be for valid scientific reasons, not to enhance their citation count or visibility. Any manuscript received for review is confidential. Reviewers must not share the review or contact authors without the editor’s permission. While some editors allow discussions with colleagues, reviewers should confirm this with the editor to maintain confidentiality and ensure proper credit. Unpublished materials in a manuscript cannot be used in a reviewer’s research without the author’s written consent, and any privileged information must remain confidential and not be used for personal gain. When invited to review a manuscript, reviewers must treat it as confidential. They should not upload the manuscript or their peer review report to generative AI tools, as this may violate authors’ confidentiality and data privacy rights. Generative AI should not be used by reviewers. Reviewers are accountable for their reports. While authors can use AI tools to improve their writing before submission, they must disclose this in their manuscript, at the bottom of the manuscript.
Duties of Authors
Authors of original research reports must provide an accurate account of their work and discuss its significance objectively. All underlying data should be accurately represented, and the paper must include enough detail and references for replication. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are unethical and unacceptable. Review articles and professional publications should also maintain accuracy and objectivity, with editorial opinions clearly identified. Authors may be asked to provide research data for editorial review and to meet the journal’s open data requirements. They should ensure public access to this data when possible and retain it for a reasonable period post-publication.
Authors must ensure their work is original and properly cite any external sources or ideas used, obtaining permission when necessary. They should acknowledge influential publications to provide context within the scholarly record. Private information gained through conversation or correspondence cannot be used without explicit written permission. Plagiarism, which includes passing off another’s work, copying without attribution, or claiming others’ research results, is unethical and unacceptable in all forms.
Authors should not publish manuscripts covering the same research in multiple primary journals. Concurrent submission to different journals is unethical. Generally, previously published papers should not be submitted elsewhere, except as an abstract or part of a lecture or thesis. Some articles, like clinical guidelines or translations, may be published in more than one journal if the authors and editors agree, the content remains consistent, and the primary reference is cited. Authors must cite relevant, timely, and verified literature to support the claims made in their articles. Citations should primarily consist of peer-reviewed sources. Authors should accurately cite any statements in their articles that rely on external sources, ensure that all citations can be verified through a permanent Digital Object Identifier (DOI) or another permanent identifier, avoid excessive or inappropriate self-citations, refrain from excessive or inappropriate citations of other authors’ or institutions’ works, and should not enter into arrangements to cite the work of other authors or author groups, limit the number of citations used to support a single statement in their articles. Editors and reviewers may suggest that authors consult and potentially cite additional sources during the peer-review process for valid scientific reasons. If an editor or reviewer proposes that an author includes citations to their own work or that of their associates, it should be for genuine scientific purposes and not for the purpose of boosting their citation counts or increasing the visibility of their work or that of their associates. Confidential information from services like manuscript or grant refereeing cannot be used without the author’s explicit written permission.
Authorship should be reserved for those who have significantly contributed to the study’s conception, design, execution, or interpretation, with all substantial contributors listed as co-authors. Others who contributed, such as in language editing or medical writing, should be acknowledged in the acknowledgements section. The corresponding author must ensure appropriate co-authors are listed, all have seen and approved the final version, and have agreed to its submission. Authors should carefully consider the list and order of authors before submission; changes post-submission will only be considered in exceptional circumstances with consensus among all authors. All authors share responsibility for the work and must ensure the accuracy and integrity of the research is upheld.
Authors using generative AI and AI-assisted technologies should aim to improve the readability and language of their work under human oversight. It’s crucial to review and edit the output, as AI can produce inaccurate or biased content. Ultimately, authors are accountable for their work. Authors must disclose the use of AI technologies in their manuscripts, promoting transparency and trust among all parties involved. AI should not be credited as an author; only humans can bear authorship responsibilities. Each co-author is responsible for ensuring the work’s accuracy and integrity, approving the final version, and complying with ethics guidelines. This journal does not allow the use of Generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images in submitted manuscripts.
Investigational Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology respects authors’ choices regarding territorial designations and affiliations in their published content and maintains a neutral stance on territorial disputes. Regarding maps, authors should only display the study area and must indicate that “map lines delineate study areas and do not necessarily depict accepted national boundaries.” Editors may request changes to maps during the review process if these guidelines are not followed. For institutional affiliations, authors must use either the full title or standard abbreviation of their institution to ensure research integrity.
If the work involves hazardous chemicals, procedures, or equipment, the author must identify these in the manuscript. For studies involving animal or human subjects, the author should state that all procedures comply with relevant laws and have institutional approval. For human subjects, informed consent must be obtained, and privacy rights must be respected. The work should adhere to the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki for human experiments. Animal experiments must comply with the ARRIVE guidelines and relevant laws, such as the U.K. Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act or EU Directive 2010/63/EU. Authors must obtain appropriate consents for including personal details or images of individuals in their publications. Written consents should be retained by the author and provided to the journal upon request.
A conflict of interest can be regarded as a situation where an individual’s private interests may influence their responsibilities in scientific and publishing activities, raising concerns for observers. Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could bias their work. All sources of financial support for the research and article preparation should be disclosed, including the role of sponsors in study design, data analysis, and the writing process. If sponsors were not involved, this should also be stated. Examples of potential conflicts include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications, and funding. Such conflicts should be disclosed as early as possible.
When an author finds a significant error in their published work, they must promptly inform the journal editor or publisher and assist in retracting or correcting the paper if necessary. If the editor learns of an error from a third party, the author is obligated to cooperate and provide evidence when requested.
Enhancing, obscuring, moving, removing, or introducing features in an image is unacceptable. Adjustments to brightness, contrast, or color balance are allowed if they do not obscure original information. Clarity improvements are permitted, but other manipulations may constitute scientific ethical abuse.
Investigational Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology supports clinical trial transparency and expects authors to follow industry standards, such as CONSORT guidelines, for trial registration and presentation in relevant journals.