1. Purpose and Scope

The Journal of Integrated Maternal and Pediatric Care (JIMPC) is committed to maintaining the integrity, transparency, and credibility of the scholarly record. This policy sets out the journal’s standards for preventing, identifying, reporting, investigating, and responding to allegations of publication misconduct and publication malpractice.

This policy applies to all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, co-authors, corresponding authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members, editorial staff, and any person who reports a concern in good faith.

JIMPC follows the principles and flowcharts of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and relevant international ethical standards, including the Declaration of Helsinki and CIOMS guidelines where applicable.

This policy should be read together with the JIMPC Publication Ethics, Peer Review Process, Guide for Authors, and Guide for Reviewers.

2. Definitions

2.1 Publication Misconduct

Publication misconduct refers to deliberate or seriously negligent behavior that compromises the integrity of research or the publication process. It includes, but is not limited to, the acts listed in Section 3.

2.2 Publication Malpractice

Publication malpractice refers to improper, unethical, or negligent conduct by any participant in the publication process that breaches professional standards, confidentiality, fairness, or editorial independence. Malpractice may occur even where there is no explicit intent to deceive, but it always requires correction or investigation.

2.3 Honest Error

Honest error is an unintentional mistake that does not involve deception or serious negligence. Honest errors are normally handled through correction, clarification, or corrigendum rather than misconduct sanctions.

3. Examples of Publication Misconduct and Malpractice

3.1 Author Misconduct and Malpractice

·         Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism without proper attribution

·         Data fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting intended to mislead

·         Image manipulation, including inappropriate cropping, splicing, duplication, or enhancement

·         Duplicate submission or duplicate publication

·         Salami slicing or redundant publication without disclosure

·         Ghost authorship, gift authorship, or unjustified authorship claims

·         Authorship disputes or changes made without written approval of all authors

·         Undisclosed conflicts of interest

·         Failure to obtain ethics approval or informed consent where required

·         Failure to disclose the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools

·         Citation manipulation, including coercive or excessive self-citation

·         Submission of paper-mill-generated or purchased manuscripts

·         Misrepresentation of data, methods, funding, or institutional affiliation

3.2 Reviewer Misconduct and Malpractice

·         Breach of confidentiality

·         Sharing, uploading, or analyzing a manuscript in unsecured AI tools or external platforms

·         Using unpublished data or ideas for personal advantage

·         Biased, discriminatory, or non-constructive review

·         Undisclosed conflicts of interest

·         Coercive citation or requesting citations solely to increase citation counts

·         Delaying review intentionally or failing to disclose inability to review

·         Plagiarizing content from a manuscript under review

3.3 Editor and Editorial Staff Misconduct and Malpractice

·         Breach of confidentiality

·         Making editorial decisions influenced by personal, financial, institutional, or political interests

·         Coercive citation or citation manipulation

·         Misuse of unpublished information

·         Failure to recuse from handling a manuscript with a conflict of interest

·         Undisclosed use of AI in editorial processes

·         Failure to follow COPE/ICMJE standards in handling allegations

4. Reporting an Allegation

Any person who suspects publication misconduct or malpractice should report the concern to the Editor-in-Chief at:

Email: jimpc@ssu.ac.ir

Reports should include, where possible:

·         The manuscript title and, if available, manuscript number

·         The name(s) of the person(s) involved

·         A clear description of the concern

·         Supporting evidence or documentation

·         Whether the reporter wishes to remain anonymous

All reports will be treated confidentially. JIMPC protects whistleblowers who report concerns in good faith and does not tolerate retaliation.

If the allegation concerns the Editor-in-Chief, the report should be addressed to the Publisher, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, through the Vice-Chancellery for Research and Technology.

5. Handling of Allegations

5.1 Initial Assessment

The Editor-in-Chief, together with uninvolved editorial board members, will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether the allegation:

• Falls within the scope of this policy
• Requires further investigation
• May be resolved through clarification or correction
• Should be referred to the authors’ institution, funder, or publisher

5.2 Investigation

Where further investigation is required, JIMPC will:

• Notify the concerned party in writing, providing sufficient detail to allow a response
• Request a response within a reasonable timeframe
• Review all relevant materials, including data, images, correspondence, and reviewer reports
• Consult independent experts where necessary
• Follow COPE flowcharts and, where applicable, the COPE Retraction Guidelines

5.3 Institutional Involvement

In serious or unresolved cases, JIMPC may contact the authors’ institution, funder, or relevant regulatory body. The journal may also request an institutional investigation.

5.4 Confidentiality

All allegations, investigations, and related documents will be handled confidentially and disclosed only to those who need to know.

5.5 Conflicts of Interest

Any editor or editorial board member involved in an allegation will be recused if they have a conflict of interest. An independent editor will manage the case.

6. Outcomes and Sanctions

Depending on the nature and severity of the finding, JIMPC may take one or more of the following actions:

• Rejection of the manuscript
• Request for revision, correction, or clarification
• Publication of a corrigendum or erratum
• Publication of an Expression of Concern
• Retraction of the article
• Prohibition of submission by the author(s) for a defined period
• Notification of the authors’ institution, funder, or regulatory body
• Notification of indexing and abstracting services where appropriate
• Other proportionate editorial or institutional action

Retracted articles will remain online and will be clearly marked as RETRACTED, with a statement explaining the reason. Corrections and retractions will be linked to the original article.

7. Appeals

The concerned party may appeal a decision by writing to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days of notification. The appeal must include:

• The manuscript title and reference number
• A clear explanation of the grounds for appeal
• A point-by-point response to the concerns
• Any supporting evidence

The appeal will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and, where necessary, an independent senior editor. The decision on appeal is final.

8. Protection of Good-Faith Reporters

JIMPC will protect the identity of reporters who act in good faith. Allegations made maliciously or knowingly falsely may themselves be treated as misconduct.

9. Records and Review

JIMPC will maintain confidential records of allegations, investigations, decisions, and actions for as long as required for editorial, legal, and archival purposes. This policy will be reviewed periodically and updated in line with COPE, ICMJE, and international best practice.

10. Contact

For questions about this policy or to report a concern, please contact:

Journal of Integrated Maternal and Pediatric Care (JIMPC)
Mother and Newborn Health Research Center
Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Ibn Sina Blvd., Yazd, Iran
Email: jimpc@ssu.ac.ir
Website: http://jimpc.ssu.ac.ir