Publication Ethics
Editors are responsible for maintaining the highest standards of academic publishing ethics to ensure the accuracy of each publication stage and to uphold integrity within academia. They must be knowledgeable about the various forms of misconduct that may arise during the publication process and be prepared to address any violations of publication ethics.
The primary forms of misconduct are summarized as follows:
- Overview
- Plagiarism and copyright infringement
- Duplicate publication
- Data fabrication and falsification
- Authorship disputes
- Peer review misconduct
- Citation manipulation
MediHealth Academy Publishing treats issues of copyright infringement, plagiarism, and other violations of publication best practices with the utmost seriousness. We are committed to protecting the rights of our authors and thoroughly investigate any claims of plagiarism or misuse of published works. Additionally, we strive to safeguard the reputation of our publications by addressing any abuse of authority or misconduct in the publication process.
Books submitted for publication are checked using plagiarism detection software. For example, we reserve the right to take appropriate action if a book is found to be plagiarized from another work or contains third-party copyrighted material without proper permission or sufficient attribution, or if there are disputes regarding authorship.
MediHealth Academy Publishing adheres to the principles of transparency and best practices in scholarly publishing as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). We follow their recommendations and guidelines (https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines-new/principles-transparency-and-best-practice-). Our processes are shaped by the suggestions, recommendations, and guidelines provided by the Council of Science Editors (CSE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).
MediHealth Academy Publishing:
- Adopts the principles of transparency and best practices in scientific publishing, as recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).
- Shapes its publishing practices based on the suggestions and guidelines offered by the Council of Science Editors (CSE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).
For further information, refer to the guidelines provided by COPE: Principles of Transparency and Best Practice.
Research Ethics
MediHealth Academy Publishing adheres to the highest standards of research ethics and follows the principles of international research ethics, as outlined below:
- The independence of the research must be explicitly clear, and any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed.
- Principles of integrity, quality, and transparency should be maintained throughout the research design, review process, and execution.
- The research team and participants should be fully informed regarding the research’s objectives, methods, potential applications, requirements, and any risks associated with participation.
- The confidentiality of the information provided by research participants and the confidentiality of their identities must be ensured. The design of the research should protect the autonomy and dignity of the participants.
- Participation in the research must be voluntary, with no coercion applied.
- Any potential harm to participants must be avoided. The research must be planned in a way that ensures the safety and well-being of participants.
- In experimental studies involving human subjects, written informed consent must be obtained from participants who choose to participate. In cases involving children, wards, or individuals with confirmed mental incapacity, consent must also be obtained from the legal guardian.
- If the study is conducted within any institution or organization, approval must be secured from that institution or organization.
- For studies involving human participants, it should be explicitly stated that informed consent was obtained from the participants and that ethics committee approval was granted by the institution where the study was conducted. Researchers are obligated to share data obtained through interviews, surveys, or similar methods with the publisher upon request.
Conflicts of Interest
A Conflict of Interest arises when an individual's professional judgment may be influenced by factors such as financial gain, material interest, or other personal or professional concerns.
MediHealth Academy Publishing takes all potential conflicts of interest into account during the review process and ensures maximum transparency in the implementation of its policies.
Any reader who suspects a conflict of interest beyond that of the author, editor, or reviewer is obligated to notify the publisher.
Conflicts of interest may be identified at various stages of the publishing process. Authors are required to disclose all relevant conflicts of interest that may impact the research reported in their submitted manuscript.
Book editors and reviewers must declare any potential conflicts of interest that could warrant their exclusion from further involvement in the handling of submissions.
Conflict of Interest – Academic Editor
Editors are required to transparently declare any potential conflicts of interest they may have. The appointed Academic Editor (or scientific advisor) will assign one or more individuals as reviewers or section editors to evaluate and assess the book or chapter.
The editor should have no conflict of interest with the authors or reviewers, such as personal, professional, or academic relationships (e.g., friendship, colleague, student, advisor). If any such conflict exists, the editor must disclose it. The editor is also obligated to adhere to the reviewing policy.
Academic Editors must disclose whether they are co-authors of the work, whether they are involved in a research project with the editor or authors of the book, and whether they share affiliations with the same department, faculty, institute, or company.
Conflict of Interest – Reviewer
If a reviewer believes that there may be a material, financial, or other conflict of interest related to the book or chapter being reviewed, they must declare this concern and withdraw from the review process.
Conflict of Interest – Author
Authors are required to disclose any editorial connections with MediHealth Academy Publishing. Authors must also declare whether they belong to an organization that may gain financial or moral benefits from the publication of their work.
All authors are obliged to declare any existing or potential conflicts of interest, including financial or personal factors, as well as any relationships that may influence their scientific work.
In multi-authored works, all contributing authors must declare any possible conflicts of interest.
Examples of Conflicts of Interest:
Financial and Material:
- Ownership of relevant stocks or shares
- Past and/or present employment or consulting work for the research funder
- Membership in relevant boards
- Financial compensation to the reviewer/academic editor by the author
- Acceptance of gifts by the reviewer/academic editor from the author
- Other direct or indirect funding or material benefits received by the reviewer/academic editor through the author
Non-Financial:
- Professional or personal relationships with institutions and funding bodies, including NGOs, research institutions, and charities
- Membership in relevant company boards or governmental organizations
- Personal relationships, whether through friendship, marriage, mentorship, family connections, or being a student of other contributors, including authors, reviewers, or academic editors
Human Subjects and Animal Research
MediHealth Academy Publishing adheres to the ethical standards set forth by the World Medical Association (WMA) Declaration of Helsinki – Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects and the WMA Statement on Animal Use in Biomedical Research.
Informed Consent and Ethics Committee Approval
Research protocols must be approved by national or local ethics committees and submitted along with the manuscript. Manuscripts reporting results from experimental research involving human subjects must include a statement confirming that informed consent was obtained after the procedures were fully explained. For studies involving children, individuals under guardianship, or those with confirmed mental incapacity, authors must include information regarding whether the legal guardian’s consent was obtained.
Disclosure of Funding Sources
Each author must individually disclose all sources of funding received for the work submitted to the publisher. This information must include the names of the granting institutions, grant numbers, and a description of each funder’s role. If a funder did not play any role in the research, this must also be stated.
If the grant is unrelated to the published research, authors are not required to provide a detailed list of every grant that supports them.