Publication Ethics

Ethical Publishing Practices

1. Overview

Galen Medical Journal (GMJ) is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical publishing. As a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), we strictly follow its Code of Conduct and strive to align with its Best Practice Guidelines. Additionally, GMJ endorses the WAME Policy Statement on Geopolitical Intrusion in Editorial Decisions and adheres to the ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals.

We expect authors, editors, and reviewers to adhere to best practices in publication ethics. This includes understanding and following ethical guidelines on authorship (such as avoiding ghost or guest authorship), avoiding dual submissions, preventing plagiarism, handling figure manipulation responsibly, declaring competing interests, and ensuring compliance with research ethics policies. Detailed guidelines are available below or in related documents.

Reviewers and editors are obligated to treat all submissions with fairness and confidentiality, and to declare any potential conflicts of interest. GMJ rigorously investigates allegations of research or publication misconduct and reserves the right to contact relevant institutions, funders, or regulatory bodies if necessary.

In cases of suspected misconduct, we follow COPE’s flowcharts and may seek further advice from the COPE forum. Should we find conclusive evidence of misconduct, we will take appropriate action to correct the scientific record, which may include issuing corrections or retractions.

If you have any concerns about possible misconduct, please contact the journal’s Editor-in-Chief or Editorial Director directly via email.

Additional resources on publication ethics can be found on the COPE and WAME websites.

2. Ethics and Consent

2.1 Ethics Approval Research involving human subjects, materials, or data must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and receive approval from an appropriate ethics committee. A statement confirming this approval, including the committee's name and reference number, must be included in all manuscripts. If a study was exempt from ethics approval, this must be clearly stated, including the name of the committee that granted the exemption. Additional documentation may be requested by the Editor. Manuscripts may be rejected if the research is deemed to lack a proper ethical foundation. In rare cases, the Editor may contact the ethics committee directly for further information.

2.2 Retrospective Ethics Approval If ethics committee approval was not obtained before starting the study, retrospective approval is generally not accepted, and the manuscript may not proceed to peer review. The decision to review such manuscripts lies solely with the Editor.

2.3 Consent to Participate Informed consent must be obtained from all participants (or their guardians in the case of minors) in studies involving human subjects. This consent must be explicitly stated in the manuscript. For studies involving vulnerable populations, manuscripts will be evaluated at the editor’s discretion, especially where consent might not have been fully informed. For research involving human transplantation, authors must confirm that no organs or tissues were sourced from prisoners and must specify the institution(s) from which the tissues were obtained.

2.4 Reporting Guidelines Authors are expected to follow standard reporting guidelines relevant to their study design.

2.5 Human Subjects Research Researchers must meet the following requirements:

  • Obtain prior approval from an institutional review board (IRB) or equivalent ethics committee.
  • Declare compliance with ethical practices when submitting a manuscript.
  • Provide details on how informed consent was obtained, or explain why it was not obtained.
  • Submit supporting documentation from the ethics committee if requested by the journal.
  • Confirm that an individual has given written consent for the use of personal information.

2.6 Patient Privacy and Consent for Publication GMJ prioritizes the privacy of research participants and takes measures to ensure anonymity. Authors should avoid including identifying information unless absolutely necessary. If such information is included, written consent must be obtained and documented using the GMJ Consent Form for Publication. Manuscripts lacking proper consent documentation will not be considered for publication. If identifying information is found post-publication, the article may be withdrawn until the content is amended. 

2.7 Cell Lines Authors must disclose the origins of cell lines used in their research. For newly derived human cell lines, approval from an ethics committee and consent from donors or their next of kin must be confirmed. Manuscripts not meeting these criteria may be rejected. Any issues related to cell line identity or ethical concerns discovered after publication may lead to corrections or retractions.

2.8 Animal Research Animal research must comply with internationally recognized standards, and prior approval from an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or equivalent ethics body is required. Authors must provide the name of the approving committee and relevant permit numbers during submission.

2.8.1 Non-Human Primates Research involving non-human primates must adhere to the Weatherall report recommendations. Manuscripts must detail animal welfare practices, including housing, feeding, environmental enrichment, and methods to minimize suffering.

2.8.2 Reporting Guidelines GMJ encourages authors to follow the ARRIVE guidelines to ensure transparent reporting of animal research. Relevant details should be included in the appropriate sections of the manuscript.

2.8.3 Unregulated Research If research involves unregulated animals or does not require ethics approval, authors must provide a clear explanation, and the journal will assess these cases individually.

2.8.4 Policy Enforcement All animal research submissions are checked for compliance with ethical standards. Failure to meet these standards may result in rejection. The journal reserves the right to contact relevant authorities if concerns arise during or after publication.

3. Plagiarism

GMJ has a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism. Plagiarized submissions will not be published. If plagiarism is identified, GMJ will follow COPE guidelines, which include but are not limited to:

  • Copying text, ideas, images, or data without proper attribution.
  • Reusing text from previous publications without attribution or editor's permission.
  • Modifying others’ ideas with slight changes in wording without giving credit.

GMJ uses Crossref Similarity Check powered by iThenticate to screen for originality. Suspected cases of plagiarism may lead to manuscript rejection or, if discovered post-publication, to corrections or retractions. We may also notify the author’s institution of the misconduct.

4. Confidentiality

GMJ upholds the confidentiality of the peer review process in line with COPE guidelines. All submitted manuscripts and related correspondence are treated as confidential. Authors may only disclose basic details about their research prior to publication. Editors and reviewers must not share information from the review process without prior agreement. Breaches of confidentiality will be thoroughly investigated.

5. Anonymity

Reviewers have the option to reveal their identity by signing their reviews.

6. Submission and Publication of Related Studies

6.1 Author Requirements Authors must disclose any related manuscripts under consideration or previously published elsewhere when submitting a manuscript. Prior presentations, theses, or postings on preprint servers do not preclude submission to GMJ. Authors must be Download the Author statements and siged it.

6.2 Editor and Reviewer Requirements Reviewers and editors should notify the journal of any identified overlaps with existing content. Duplicate submissions or publications may result in manuscript rejection or post-publication corrections or retractions.

6.3 Policy Enforcement GMJ enforces strict policies to prevent duplicate submissions and overlapping content. Significant overlaps may lead to manuscript rejection.

6.4 Figure Preparation Authors must ensure that images are not manipulated in a way that could mislead readers. Figures should accurately represent the data.

6.5 Biosecurity and Dual-Use Research GMJ is sensitive to research that may pose biological risks. Authors must disclose any dual-use concerns at submission. Editors and reviewers are tasked with evaluating potential risks. If the risks outweigh the benefits, the manuscript may be rejected.

6.5.1 Policy Enforcement We adhere to standards set by national and public agencies to evaluate risks. Manuscripts posing significant risks may be rejected or, if discovered post-publication, corrected or retracted.

7. Research Conducted by GMJ

GMJ continuously researches its peer review processes to improve scientific communication. Participation in such research does not affect editorial decisions. Ethical considerations and consent will be obtained as necessary.