Publication Ethics

Ethical Standards

The following statements are based on Elsevier recommendations and the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

SHIFA HEALTH JOURNAL and its publisher, Ali Institute of Research and Publication, are committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and follow the principles established by COPE.

Authors submitting manuscripts confirm that their work is original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere. Authors also ensure that their work has not been copied or plagiarized in whole or in part and that any potential conflicts of interest related to the research have been clearly disclosed.

Duties of Editors

Decision on Publication

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for deciding which submitted manuscripts should be published. Decisions are based on the journal’s editorial policies, the reviewers’ recommendations, and legal requirements concerning libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.

Review of Manuscripts

Each manuscript is initially evaluated by the editor or co-editor for suitability and originality. Appropriate plagiarism detection software may be used during this stage. Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are sent to at least two independent reviewers for blind peer review. Reviewers recommend whether the manuscript should be accepted, revised, or rejected.

The review process generally requires approximately one month after reviewers confirm their willingness to review, although the exact duration may vary depending on the quality and complexity of the manuscript.

Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisers, or the publisher.

Fair Play

Manuscripts are evaluated solely based on their academic merit without regard to the author’s race, gender, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s own research without the explicit written consent of the author.

Duties of Reviewers

Promptness

Reviewers who feel unable to complete the review within the allocated time should notify the editor promptly so that the manuscript can be reassigned to another reviewer.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be shared or discussed with others without authorization from the editor.

Standards of Objectivity

Reviews should be conducted objectively and constructively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should provide clear and well-supported evaluations.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors and notify the editor of any substantial similarity between the submitted manuscript and previously published work.

Conflict of Interest

Reviewers should decline to review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors or institutions involved.

Duties of Authors

Reporting Standards

Authors should present an accurate account of their research and provide an objective discussion of its significance. Data must be represented accurately and include sufficient detail to allow others to replicate the work.

Data Access and Retention

Authors may be asked to provide the raw data related to their manuscript for editorial review and should retain such data for a reasonable period after publication.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original and that any use of others’ work or words is properly cited.

Multiple Publications

Authors should not publish the same research in more than one journal simultaneously. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals constitutes unethical publishing behavior.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given.

Authorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the research design, execution, or interpretation of the study.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose financial or other conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of their research.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

If an author discovers a significant error in their published work, they must promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate in correcting or retracting the article.

Plagiarism Policy
The publisher and SHIFA HEALTH JOURNAL strictly prohibit any form of plagiarism. Plagiarism is considered a serious breach of scientific ethics. Any detected or reported case of plagiarism will be investigated thoroughly and handled according to the journal’s publication ethics policies.