IJDHDS expects all parties involved in the publication process — authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher — to maintain the highest ethical standards. This page outlines our ethical expectations, reporting procedures, and consequences for misconduct.
Our policies align with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
Author Responsibilities
By submitting to IJDHDS, authors confirm and agree to the following:
Original Work
The manuscript is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under consideration by another journal.
Accurate Data
All data presented is accurate and free from fabrication or falsification. Raw data can be made available on request.
Proper Attribution
All prior work has been properly cited. No part of the manuscript has been plagiarized, including self-plagiarism.
Ethics Approval
All research involving humans or animals has been approved by an appropriate ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained where required.
Disclosure
All funding sources, competing interests, and contributions of each author are fully disclosed.
Corrections
If significant errors are discovered after publication, the authors will promptly notify the editor and cooperate with corrections or retractions.
Reviewer Responsibilities
Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. IJDHDS expects reviewers to:
01
Confidentiality
Treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and not share them with anyone.
02
Objectivity
Provide constructive, unbiased feedback supported by clear reasoning.
03
Timeliness
Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe (typically 21 days).
04
Conflict of Interest
Decline to review if you have a conflict of interest with the authors or the work.
05
Anonymity
Do not attempt to identify the authors or reveal your identity to them.
06
Reporting Misconduct
Report suspected plagiarism, fraud, or ethical violations to the editor.
Editor Responsibilities
The Editorial Board and reviewers of IJDHDS follow these principles:
Fair & Unbiased Decisions
Evaluate manuscripts solely on academic merit, regardless of author identity, affiliation, or nationality.
Confidentiality
Keep all manuscript details confidential until publication.
No Conflicts of Interest
Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have a personal or professional conflict.
Prompt Handling
Ensure timely peer review and communication with authors.
Ethical Oversight
Take responsibility for investigating and acting on ethical concerns or complaints.
Research Misconduct
IJDHDS considers the following as serious research misconduct:
Fabrication
Making up data, results, or citations.
Falsification
Manipulating, changing, or omitting data to misrepresent results.
Plagiarism
Using another's work without proper attribution.
Duplicate Submission
Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously.
Redundant Publication
Publishing the same work in multiple venues without disclosure.
Authorship Fraud
Including or excluding authors without valid justification.
Peer Review Manipulation
Suggesting fake reviewers or contacting reviewers directly.
Citation Manipulation
Excessive self-citation or citation stacking to inflate metrics.
Consequences of Misconduct
Depending on the severity, consequences may include: immediate rejection of the manuscript, notification of the author's institution, retraction of a published paper, a temporary or permanent ban on future submissions to IJDHDS, and reporting to relevant ethics bodies.
Plagiarism Policy
All manuscripts submitted to IJDHDS are screened for plagiarism using industry-standard software (e.g., iThenticate or Turnitin) before peer review.
Acceptable Similarity: Below 15%
Manuscripts with a similarity index below 15% (excluding references and quotes) are generally acceptable.
Warning Zone: 15% – 25%
Authors are asked to revise and reduce similarity before the manuscript proceeds to review.
Rejection: Above 25%
Manuscripts with a similarity index above 25% may be rejected without review.
Self-Plagiarism
Reusing text from your own previously published work without proper citation is also considered plagiarism. Authors must cite their own prior publications and clearly indicate any overlapping content.
Authorship
IJDHDS follows the ICMJE authorship criteria. To be listed as an author, a person must have:
1
Made substantial contributions to conception, design, data collection, or analysis.
2
Drafted or critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content.
3
Approved the final version of the manuscript for publication.
4
Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Contributors Who Do Not Qualify as Authors
Individuals who contributed but do not meet the criteria (e.g., funding acquisition, general supervision, or writing assistance) should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section, not listed as authors.
Changes to Authorship After Submission
Any change in authorship after submission (addition, removal, or reordering) must be approved in writing by all authors, including the person being added or removed. Requests must be sent to the editor with clear justification.
Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest exists when an author, reviewer, or editor has financial, personal, or professional relationships that could inappropriately influence their judgment. IJDHDS requires full disclosure.
Financial Interests
Grants, consulting fees, honoraria, patents, stock ownership, or employment with an organization that may benefit from the publication.
Personal Relationships
Family, close personal, or professional relationships with editors, reviewers, or other authors that could affect judgment.
Institutional Affiliations
Competitive institutional interests or shared affiliations with authors or reviewers.
How to Disclose
Authors must declare all conflicts of interest in the manuscript's Acknowledgements section or in a separate Conflict of Interest Statement file at submission. If there are no conflicts, state: "The authors declare no conflicts of interest."
AI & LLM Policy
IJDHDS recognizes the emergence of generative AI tools and has established the following policies aligned with COPE guidance:
AI Cannot Be an Author
AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) cannot be listed as authors because they cannot take responsibility for the work.
Disclosure Required
Any use of AI tools for writing, editing, translation, or analysis must be disclosed in the Methods or Acknowledgements section.
Full Author Responsibility
Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content, including text generated with AI assistance.
Prohibited: AI-Generated Images of Real People
Do not use AI to generate images of real people or manipulate photographs. AI-generated images used as figures must be clearly labeled and disclosed.
Corrections & Retractions
IJDHDS is committed to correcting the scholarly record when necessary. The following notices may be published:
Issued when a minor error is identified that does not affect the conclusions of the paper. The original article is updated, and the correction notice is linked.
Notice
Expression of Concern
Issued when there are serious concerns about the reliability of a paper, but the investigation is ongoing. The article remains accessible with a prominent notice.
Issued when findings are unreliable due to misconduct or honest error. The retraction notice explains the reason, and the original article remains accessible with a prominent "RETRACTED" watermark.
Appeals Process
If an author disagrees with an editorial decision, they may submit a formal appeal. IJDHDS handles all appeals fairly and transparently.
01
Submit Appeal in Writing
Email editor@ijdhds.org with subject "Appeal: [Manuscript ID]". Include a detailed explanation of why you believe the decision was incorrect.
02
Editorial Review
The Editor-in-Chief (or a designated senior editor who was not involved in the original decision) reviews the appeal.
03
Possible Outcomes
The original decision may be upheld, modified, or the manuscript may be sent for additional peer review. All decisions are final.
04
Timeline
Appeals are reviewed within 14 business days. You will receive a written response explaining the outcome.
Data Integrity & Availability
Transparency and reproducibility are cornerstones of good science. IJDHDS strongly encourages authors to share their data.
Data Availability Statement
All empirical papers must include a Data Availability Statement indicating where data can be accessed or why it cannot be shared.
Recommended Repositories
Zenodo, Figshare, Dryad, OSF, or your institutional repository.
Code & Materials
When possible, authors should share analysis code, scripts, and materials via GitHub, Zenodo, or as supplementary files.
Sensitive Data
For sensitive data (e.g., patient information), explain the access restrictions clearly in the Data Availability Statement.
Report Suspected Misconduct
If you suspect research misconduct in a manuscript submitted to or published in IJDHDS, please report it confidentially to the editorial office. All reports are handled discreetly and investigated thoroughly.
Have Questions About Our Ethics Policy?
Contact the editorial office for clarifications on authorship, conflicts of interest, or any other ethical concern.
COPE-Aligned Standards
Email Editorial Office