Journals under Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences (MUK) adhere to the guidelines set by prominent bodies such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) Policy Statement on Geopolitical Intrusion on Editorial Decisions, the Council of Science Editors' White Paper on Promoting Integrity in Scientific Journal Publications, and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals.
By submitting a manuscript to a journal affiliated with MUK, it is understood that all credited authors have reviewed and consented to the content of the submitted material, ensuring compliance with the journal's policies.
Table of Contents
Ethics and Approval
Registration of Trials
Reporting Criteria
Statistical Methods
Conflicting Interests
Author Contributions
Distinct Identifiers
References
Repetitive Publishing
Text recycling guidelines
Peer Review
Privacy and Confidentiality Measures
Unethical Behavior
Revision and Retractions
Ethics and Approval
Ethical Approval
Journals under Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences (MUK) strictly follow to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, ensuring its Best Practice Guidelines. All research submissions must declare if they obtained ethics approval, providing details like the ethics committee's name, approval reference, and participant consent. If questions arise about a study's ethics, authors might be requested to provide further clarity. Additionally, any research involving humans must align with the Declaration of Helsinki and gain proper ethics committee approval. The journals hold the right to decline submissions lacking ethical compliance and might consult relevant ethics committees.
Concerns about misconduct, pre or post-publication, will be thoroughly investigated, and corrective actions, including retractions, will be taken if misconduct is confirmed. Authors are expected to be well-versed in ethical considerations like authorship, plagiarism, and research standards, with COPE guidelines serving as a reference for addressing misconduct.
Retrospective Ethics Approval Application
Research without prior ethics approval cannot usually obtain retrospective ethics approval, potentially hindering its peer review process, a decision left to the editors' discretion.
Patient Privacy and Consent
For submissions to journals under MUK containing identifiable personal medical details of living individuals, explicit consent from the patient is mandatory before publishing. As such, patients involved must sign a consent form after reviewing the study's details.
In scenarios where obtaining consent becomes challenging due to untraceable patients, publishing is permissible only if the data is adequately anonymized, ensuring no clear identification of the individual.
In cases where the patient has passed away, authors must attempt to get consent from a family member out of respect and ethical considerations. If reaching out to relatives proves impossible, the decision to publish will weigh the importance of the content against potential identification risks and potential offense.
Regarding images like x-rays, ultrasounds, or other medical visuals, they can be utilized without explicit consent if they are appropriately anonymized, devoid of any identifying features, and are not paired with information that might disclose the patient's identity.
Animal Research Guidelines
Studies that involve experimental work on vertebrates or regulated invertebrates should adhere to guidelines set by institutions, national entities, or international standards. Ideally, such studies should receive approval from a relevant ethics committee. The Basel Declaration provides essential principles for animal research, and the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS) offers additional ethical recommendations.
When experiments involve animals owned by clients, authors need to secure informed consent from the animal's owner or guardian. Furthermore, authors must ensure they maintain a superior standard of veterinary care, aligning with best practices in the field.
Registration of Trials
According to the ICMJE guidelines, a clinical trial is any study that assigns individuals or groups to a health-related intervention to examine its effects on health outcomes.
All journals affiliated to MUK follow the ICMJE guidelines and only accept clinical trial reports that were registered before enrolling any participants.
To be eligible for publication, journals of MUK also require that all trials are registered in a public registry that is approved by the ICMJE (any of the registries listed on the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform www.who.int/ictrp/network/primary/en/index.html).
The submission abstract should have the trial registration number and the registration date in the last line.
Reporting Criteria
Authors are strongly encouraged to utilize the appropriate research reporting guidelines for their specific study type, as provided by the EQUATOR Network, when preparing their manuscript. It is important for authors to adhere to these guidelines during the drafting process, as peer reviewers will be instructed to consult these checklists when evaluating such studies. This ensures that authors include sufficient information for editors, peer reviewers, and readers to comprehend the methodology employed in the research and to assess the reliability of the findings.
Here are the key reporting guidelines for different study types:
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses: PRISMA guidelines and MOOSE guidelines
Observational studies in epidemiology: STROBE guidelines
Diagnostic accuracy studies: STARD guidelines
Quality improvement studies: SQUIRE guidelines
Qualitative research: SRQR or COREQ guidelines
Economic evaluations: CHEERS guidelines
Statistical Methods
All authors are required to provide comprehensive details about the statistical methods and measures employed in their manuscript, along with a justification for the suitability of the statistical test chosen. For further guidance and information, authors can refer to the SAMPL guidelines. Meanwhile, reviewers will assess the statistical methods used, and if deemed necessary, the submission may undergo statistical review by specialists. Additionally, editors may seek consultation from methodology specialists in the respective field.
Conflicting Interests
A competing interest refers to any factor that could potentially compromise or be perceived as compromising the unbiased presentation, peer review, editorial decision-making, or publication of research or non-research articles submitted to the journals published by Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences.
Competing interests arise when a secondary interest, such as financial gain (such as employment, consultancies, stock ownership or options, honoraria, patents, paid expert testimony) or personal relationships, may influence the professional judgment concerning a primary interest, such as patients' welfare or the validity of the research. It is important to note that having a competing interest is not unethical, but it must be acknowledged and clearly disclosed. All authors are required to declare any competing interests in their cover letter and in the "competing interests" section during submission. If no competing interests exist, the statement should indicate that "The author(s) declare(s) that they have no competing interests with regards to authorship and/or publication of this article." The Editor may request additional information regarding competing interests.
Editors and reviewers are also obligated to disclose any competing interests they may have, and if a competing interest exists, they will be excluded from the peer review process.
MUK prohibits all journal editors from having any financial relationship with biomedical companies.
Declaring all potential competing interests is essential for transparent research reporting. Failure to disclose competing interests can lead to immediate rejection of a manuscript. If an undisclosed competing interest is discovered after publication, MUK will take appropriate action in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines and issue a public notification to the community.
Competing interests can be both financial and non-financial, and may be related to professional or personal affiliations. They can arise in connection with an organization or an individual.
Financial Competing Interests
Financial competing interests encompass various situations, including but not limited to:
Receiving reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that may financially benefit or suffer as a result of the publication of the manuscript, either presently or in the future. Holding stocks or shares in an organization that may financially benefit or suffer as a result of the publication of the manuscript, either presently or in the future. Holding patents or currently applying for patents related to the content of the manuscript. Receiving reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that holds or has applied for patents related to the content of the manuscript.
Non-financial Competing Interests
Non-financial competing interests encompass a variety of factors, such as political affiliations, personal connections, ideological beliefs, academic commitments, and intellectual conflicts, among others.
Commercial Organizations
Authors who are affiliated with pharmaceutical companies or other commercial organizations that sponsor clinical trials must disclose these affiliations as competing interests during the submission process. Furthermore, they are expected to follow the Good Publication Practice guidelines for pharmaceutical companies (GPP2), which aim to ensure that publications are produced in a responsible and ethical manner. These guidelines also extend to companies or individuals involved in industry-sponsored publications, including freelance writers, contract research organizations, and communications companies. It is important to note that Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences does not publish advertorial content, which refers to content that serves primarily as an advertisement.
Author Contributions
Generally, an "author" refers to someone who has made significant intellectual contributions to a published study. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) provides recommendations for authorship based on four criteria:
1. Substantial contributions to the conception, design, acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content.
3. Final approval of the version to be published.
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to accuracy or integrity are appropriately addressed.
Furthermore, authors should be able to identify the specific contributions of each co-author and have confidence in the integrity of their contributions. All individuals designated as authors should meet all four criteria, and those who meet the criteria should be acknowledged as authors.
Merely assisting with funding acquisition, data collection, technical support, writing assistance, or general supervision of the research group does not qualify for authorship. Individuals who do not meet all four criteria should be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgments" section of the publication.
Acknowledgments
Persons who contributed to the work but do not fulfill all the authorship criteria should be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgments" section, detailing their names and contributions. Authors must ensure that those mentioned in this section have given permission for their acknowledgment based on their contributions.
Furthermore, any financial or material backing should be recognized. This encompasses grants, support from various entities like institutions or commercial sources, and funds provided directly to researchers. Any involvement of scientific or medical writers in drafting the manuscript should be acknowledged, following the guidelines set by the European Medical Writers Association (EMWA), including details of their funding source.
Author Information
The journals published by MUK emphasize the importance of accurate author information. This information serves to identify authors and their affiliated institutions within the scientific community and aids in database and bibliographic index searches. Recognizing complexities like authors having compound first, middle, or last names, or the absence of a middle name, the journals maintain a policy to publish author details exactly as provided by the submitting author during the manuscript submission.
To maintain accuracy and minimize post-publication corrections, authors submitting to these journals must verify an auto-generated representation of their author details upon submission. This ensures consistency in how their names appear in prominent databases such as PubMed or Scopus. Authors are encouraged to input their details in a manner that aligns with their previous bibliographic records.
Authorship Changes
Modifications to the authorship of a manuscript post-submission require unanimous consent from all authors involved. The sequence and participation of authors should be mutually agreed upon by all contributors. Furthermore, any changes in authorship must be transparently communicated to the editor. Adhering to COPE standards, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences mandates that all authors provide explicit written consent via individual emails for any adjustments to authorship—be it in submissions or already published works. The corresponding author shoulders the responsibility of ensuring this consensus. Should disagreements arise among authors about authorship details, they should seek resolution through their respective institutions, as the journal editor does not intervene in such disputes. Rectifications to authorship post-publication can solely be addressed by publishing an Erratum.
Distinct Identifiers
ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a nonprofit initiative aimed at establishing a comprehensive registry of distinct researcher identifiers, facilitating a clear linkage between research contributions and these IDs. Similarly, Scopus author ID serves as another distinct identifier. Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences promotes the adoption of these distinct identifiers for individuals submitting manuscripts or serving as peer reviewers for the journals. Additionally, members of the editorial team also incorporate their unique identifiers within their profiles.
References
When preparing their manuscript, authors should follow to the guidelines regarding citations as follows:
1. Support claims with appropriate and relevant literature: Both research articles and non-research articles (such as opinion, review, and commentary articles) should cite relevant literature to back up their claims and ideas.
2. Avoid excessive self-citation: Excessive and inappropriate self-citation, as well as coordinated efforts among authors to collectively self-cite, should be avoided.
3. Use original sources: Authors should cite the original work whenever possible, rather than citing derivations or review articles that cite the original work.
4. Ensure accuracy of citations: Authors should ensure that their citations accurately support the statements made in their manuscript. Citations should not misrepresent another work by citing it if it does not support the point being made.
5. Read the cited sources: Authors should only cite sources that they have actually read and are relevant to their work.
6. Avoid biased or preferential citation: Authors should not disproportionately cite their own publications or those of their friends, peers, or institution. They should also avoid solely citing work from one particular country.
7. Use an appropriate number of citations: Authors should avoid using an excessive number of citations to support a single point. Citations should be used judiciously to provide necessary support or context.
8. Prefer peer-reviewed sources: Whenever possible, authors should cite sources that have undergone peer review, as they have undergone a rigorous evaluation process.
9. Avoid citing advertisements or advertorial material: Citations should not include advertisements or advertorial content, as these sources may not provide reliable and objective information.
Repetitive Publishing
All manuscripts submitted to a journal under Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences should be original, ensuring it is not concurrently under consideration elsewhere. All authors are obligated to disclose potential overlaps or duplications transparently. They must acknowledge and provide relevant overlapping publications as supplementary files during submission, ensuring proper citation. If any unpublished or 'in press' work influences the manuscript's assessment, it should be accessible upon the Editor's request. The university evaluates potential overlaps or redundancies on an individual basis.
Typically, manuscripts should not have prior formal publication or be in another citable format. However, exceptions like conference presentations can be considered if clarified upon submission.
Using CrossCheck's plagiarism detection, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences rigorously addresses publication misconduct, especially covert duplications. Any suspicions will be managed per COPE guidelines, potentially involving the authors' institution. The university aligns its policies with ICMJE concerning overlapping publications.
Pre-print Servers and Author/Institutional Repositories
Uploading a manuscript to a pre-print server, such as ArXiv, BioRxiv, PeerJ PrePrints, or similar platforms (both commercial and non-commercial), does not constitute duplicate publication. Additionally, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences' journals are open to conducting peer reviews for manuscripts that have been posted on an author's personal or institutional website. Furthermore, if academic theses contain material that has been made publicly accessible as mandated by the awarding institution, the journals published by Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences will also consider such content.
Summary Clinical Trial Results in Public Registries
Sharing summary clinical trial results in publicly accessible databases is typically not considered duplicate publication. MUK mandates that authors who submit manuscripts reporting clinical trials must have registered their trials in an appropriate and easily accessible registry. This requirement ensures transparency and promotes the availability of important trial information to the scientific community and the public.
Text recycling guidelines
All of the authors must recognize that reusing text from their prior publications, termed as text recycling or self-plagiarism, can be deemed inappropriate in certain contexts. If any overlap with an author's previous work is essential, it should be clearly disclosed, appropriately credited, and in line with copyright regulations. Should a manuscript include previously published content, authors are obligated to inform the journal editors through the submission cover letter.
Peer Review
All of the articles and the majority of other article types featured in the journals of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences are subjected to a comprehensive peer review procedure. Typically, two distinct peer reviewers evaluate each submission. However, specific journals might have variations in their peer review protocols. For details on a particular journal's peer review approach, it's advised to consult the respective journal's website.
Peer Review Policy Submissions to the journals of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences undergo an initial evaluation by an editor to determine their suitability for peer review. If an editor has a conflict of interest with a specific submission, another editorial board member will handle the peer review process. Once deemed appropriate, submissions are forwarded to independent experts for peer review. Based on the feedback from these reviewers, editors render a decision, which is then communicated to the authors along with the reviewers' comments. It's essential for authors to understand that concerns raised by any reviewer, even if another provides a positive review, can lead to rejection if they critically undermine the study.
All journals under Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences employ a closed double-blind peer review system, ensuring both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the process.
Peer Reviewers
While authors can propose potential reviewers for their submissions, the final decision rests with the editor. It is essential to note that authors should not suggest reviewers who have collaborated with them recently or those from the same institution. If authors want to recommend reviewers, they can mention them in the cover letter, providing institutional email addresses if available or details like ORCID or Scopus ID to help the Editor verify the suggested reviewer's identity.
If authors have specific individuals they would prefer not to review their manuscript, they should clarify their reasons in the cover letter upon submission. However, authors should avoid listing too many exclusions as it might impede the peer review process. Editors retain the right to approach reviewers, even those initially excluded by the authors.
Any attempt to deceive, like providing false reviewer names or contact details, will lead to manuscript rejection and could trigger further scrutiny as per our misconduct guidelines.
Privacy and Confidentiality Measures
Editors at the journals published by the MUK Press maintain strict confidentiality regarding all submissions. Similarly, reviewers are expected to handle manuscripts with confidentiality. Furthermore, all manuscripts will not be disclosed to external parties unless there is a suspicion of misconduct. For more details on this, please refer to our Misconduct policy.
Unethical Behavior
Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences gives significant attention to any claims of possible misconduct. The journals affiliated with Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences adhere to the COPE protocols when addressing potential misconduct issues.
If there are suspicions of research or publication improprieties, editors might need to communicate and provide manuscripts to external entities, such as the author(s)' institution(s) or ethics committee(s). Additionally, the MUK Press might consult with COPE and present de-identified cases in the COPE Forum.
Academic Misconduct in Research
All studies involving humans (inclusive of human data and material) and animals should adhere to ethical standards. If there is a concern that the research lacks proper ethical adherence, the editor reserves the right to decline the manuscript and may notify relevant entities like the author's institution or ethics committees.
Should there be confirmed instances of research misconduct in published papers or if the article's scientific credibility is substantially compromised, the articles could be withdrawn.
Publication Misconduct
All journals published by the MUK Press adhere to the COPE guidelines when addressing potential publication misconduct.
Image Manipulation
· All digital images submitted for publication undergo careful examination for potential alterations that do not align with the established guidelines. Deviations from these standards might lead to delays in review, rejection, or even the retraction of an already published article.
· Images should not have specific elements enhanced, obscured, shifted, deleted, or added.
· If combining images from different gels, fields, or exposures, it must be clearly indicated in the figure layout, using demarcation lines, and specified in the figure caption.
· Modifications like adjusting brightness, contrast, or color balance are permissible, but they must uniformly affect every pixel in the image and not distort or eliminate any original details, including the backdrop. Any nonlinear adjustments, like altering gamma settings, should be mentioned in the figure caption.
Any concerns emerging during or post peer review will be directed to the editor, who might request the authors to provide the original data for comparison with the submitted figures. Failure to produce the original data could lead to rejection or, for published articles, retraction. If image alterations influence data interpretation, the article might face rejection or retraction. Suspicions of misconduct will be communicated to the respective author(s)’ institution(s).
Plagiarism
The journals under the MUK Press utilize the iThenticate software, a plagiarism detection tool, to authenticate the originality of submissions prior to publishing. Should any plagiarism be detected, our actions will align with COPE guidelines.
Plagiarism encompasses, but isn't restricted to:
· Directly lifting content from external sources.
· Replicating concepts, visuals, or data from other works.
· Repurposing content from one's own prior publications.
· Borrowing an idea from an external source and altering its wording slightly.
Should plagiarism be identified during the review phase, the manuscript might face rejection. If detected post-publication, we may issue corrections or retract the article as deemed suitable. Furthermore, we retain the discretion to notify the authors' institutions regarding any identified plagiarism, whether before or after publication.
Revision and Retractions
On rare occasions, the MUK Press might find it necessary to issue corrections or retractions for articles in its journals to uphold the academic record's integrity.
Adhering to academic community standards, any corrections or retractions will be executed by publishing an Erratum or a Retraction article. The original article will remain unaltered, but a distinct link to the Erratum/Retraction will be prominently displayed. This ensures the original article's visibility while ensuring that the Erratum or Retraction is also widely accessible. However, if content is deemed to violate specific rights or is potentially defamatory, its removal from our platform and associated archives might be necessary.
In instances where minor adjustments to published articles are needed, authors may provide comments on the published piece. This approach is suitable only when such modifications do not impact the article's findings or conclusions.
Revision
Changes to published articles that influence their interpretation and conclusions, without entirely nullifying the content, may be addressed by publishing an Erratum, subject to the editor(s)' judgment. This Erratum will be indexed and linked directly to the initial article. Similarly, alterations in the authorship of already published articles will also be rectified through an Erratum.
Retraction In exceptional circumstances where the scientific content of an article is significantly compromised, the article may need to be retracted. The MUK Press adheres to the COPE guidelines when making such decisions. Retracted articles will be indexed and connected to the original publication for transparency.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions presented in articles published by the MUK Press solely belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of the publisher unless explicitly stated. The MUK Press disclaims any responsibility for the interpretation or application of the content within these articles. The utilization of information from these articles should not be construed as an endorsement by the MUK Press.
Editorial Freedom The final decisions concerning each submitted paper, along with the selection of topics and content for each issue, rest solely with the Editors-in-Chief. Both the journal owners and the MUK Press are not involved in influencing the editorial decisions. It is expected that editors will support the Editors-in-Chief by providing constructive and pertinent feedback and recommendations.
