Publication Ethics for Editors
The Journal of Maternal and Child Health is an open-access and peer-reviewed international journal. Publication ethics are guidelines for authors, editors, and reviewers. They are in place to maintain the integrity of the peer review and publication process. The journal editors are responsible for the publication of copyrighted works, which imposes the need to follow the fundamental principles:
- The journal editors’ decisions to accept or reject the paper for publication are based on the reliability of the data presented and the validity of the study. They decide on the publication of materials guided by the following main criteria: compliance of the manuscript with the subject of the journal; relevance, novelty, and scientific significance of the submitted article; clarity of presentation; reliability of results and completeness of conclusions. The quality of the study and its relevance are the basis for the decision on publication.
- The journal editors shall ensure that all published reports and reviews of research have been reviewed by suitably qualified reviewers (including statistical review where appropriate).
- The journal editors provide the author of the reviewed material with an opportunity to justify their research position
- The journal editors take into account the recommendations of reviewers when making a final decision on the publication of the article. The responsibility for the decision to publish lies entirely with the editorial board of the journal.
- The journal editors shall give unbiased consideration to each manuscript submitted for publication. They shall accept the intellectual content of the manuscripts regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, origin, seniority, institutional affiliation of the author(s), citizenship, social status, or political preferences of the authors.
- The journal editors take reasonable measures to protect the confidentiality of personal data. No content of the unpublished data obtained from the submitted manuscripts shall be used for personal purposes and disclosed to third parties without the written consent of the author. The journal editors shall ensure that information or ideas obtained during editing and related to possible benefits are processed confidentially and are not used to his/her advantage. Journal editors must keep the peer-review process confidential. They must not share information about a manuscript with anyone outside of the peer-review process.
- The journal editors shall not authorize the publication of the information if there are sufficient grounds to believe that the information contains plagiarized material. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) defines plagiarism as: “When somebody presents the work of others (data, words or theories) as if they were his/her own and without proper acknowledgment” (https://publicationethics.org/category/keywords/plagiarism).
- The journal editors strive to constantly improve their journal, follow the principle of freedom of expression, strive to meet the needs of readers and authors, and preclude business or political needs from decisions about the publication of materials. The journal editors should make all reasonable effort to process submissions on time.
- The journal editors, together with the publisher, shall not leave unanswered claims concerning the reviewed manuscripts or published materials, and take all necessary measures to restore the violated rights if a conflict situation is identified.
