Editorial Policies

Section Policies

Editorials

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Original Research

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Meta-analysis

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Reviews

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Case Records

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Images In Clinical Medicine

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Perspectives

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Congress Abstracts

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Index

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HOW TO ...

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Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

 

Archiving

This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration. More...

 

IJMS CrossMark Policy Statement

IJMS CrossMark Policy Statement

All articles published in IJMS receive a DOI and are permanently published.
For articles, this applies regardless of the outcome of the peer review that follows after publication; all versions of all articles that have passed peer review are permanently archived in LOCKSS and SHERPA/RoMEO.
Authors can revise, change and update their articles by publishing new versions, which are added to the article’s history; however, the individual versions, once published, cannot be altered or withdrawn and are permanently available on MBMJ website. IJMS participates in the CrossMark scheme, a multi-publisher initiative that has developed a standard way for readers to locate the current version of an article. By applying the CrossMark policies,IJMS is committed to maintaining the content it publishes and to alerting readers to changes if and when they occur.
Clicking on the CrossMark logo (at the top of each IJMS article) will give you the current status of an article and direct you to the latest published version; it may also give you additional information such as new referee reports.
In order to maintain the integrity and completeness of the scholarly record, we will apply the following policies when published content needs to be corrected; these policies take into account current best practice in the scholarly publishing and library communities:

Correction to an Article

In traditional journals, where articles are peer reviewed before publication, Corrections (or Errata) are published to alert readers to errors in the article that became apparent following the publication of the final article.
Articles in IJMS undergo peer review before publication, but publication is not ‘final’ as new versions can be added at any stage. Possible mistakes that come to light during the peer review process may be highlighted in the published referee reports, which are part of the article. Authors can publish revised versions, and any errors that become apparent during peer review or later can be corrected through the publication of new versions. Corrections and changes relative to the previous version are always summarized in the ‘Amendments’ section at the start of a new version.

Retraction

This action is reserved for articles that are seriously flawed and so the findings or conclusions cannot be relied upon. Articles may be retracted for several reasons, including:

  • honest errors reported by the authors (for example, errors due to the mixing up of samples or use of a scientific tool or equipment that is found subsequently to be faulty)
  • research misconduct (data fabrication)
  • duplicate or overlapping publication
  • fraudulent use of data
  • plagiarism
  • unethical research

For any retracted article, the reason for retraction and who is instigating the retraction will be clearly stated in the Retraction notice. The retraction notice will be linked to the retracted article (which usually remains on the site) and the article will be clearly marked as retracted (including the PDF).
An article is usually only retracted at the authors’ request or by the publisher in response to an institutional investigation. It is important to note in the context of IJMS publication model, that ‐ as in traditional journals ‐ a retracted article is not ‘unpublished’ or ‘withdrawn’ in order for it to be published elsewhere. The reasons for retraction are usually so serious that the whole study, or large parts of it, are not appropriate for inclusion in the scientific literature anywhere.
Under rare circumstances, when serious publication or research misconduct has be brought to our attention, posters or slides may also be retracted, with a Retraction note stating the reasons.

 

Removal

The removal of an article, poster or slide would only be undertaken where legal limitations have been placed upon the publisher, copyright holder or author(s), for example, if the article is clearly defamatory or infringes others’ legal rights, or if the article is the subject of a court order. The bibliographic information for a removed article will be retained on the site along with information regarding the circumstances that led to its removal.
Under rare circumstances, for example, if false or inaccurate data have been published that, if acted upon, pose a serious health risk, the original incorrect version(s) may be removed and a corrected version published. The reason for this partial removal would be clearly stated on the latest version.

Editorial Note

If there is a potential, not yet resolved, problem with an article, poster or slide, it may be appropriate to alert readers with an Editorial Note. Such an Editorial Note may be added, for example, if IJMS receives information that research or publication misconduct might have taken place, or that there is a serious dispute between authors or between the authors and third parties. The Editorial Note will usually be posted while further investigations take place and until a more permanent solution has been found (e.g. the publication of a revised ‘corrected’ version, or a Retraction).

Expression of Concern

In rare cases, IJMS may decide to publish an Expression of Concern, which is linked to the problematic article, if there are serious concerns about an article but no conclusive evidence can be obtained that would unequivocally justify a Retraction. This may include:

  • if there is inconclusive evidence of research or publication misconduct
  • there is evidence that there are problems with the article, but the authors’ institution will not investigate the case
  • an investigation into alleged misconduct has not been impartial or conclusive



ISSN: 2336-0313