International Journal of Cardiology

Publication Ethics

International Journal of Cardiology Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement is based on the guidelines and Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics [COPE], the Recommendations of the International Council of Medical Journal Editors [ICMJE], and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing jointly developed by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME. It defines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process.

1. General Principles
The Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, editorial independence, scientific integrity, and accountability. All forms of research and publication misconduct are strictly prohibited. The Journal is committed to preventing and addressing misconduct through fair, confidential, and evidence-based procedures.

2. Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

• Editors are responsible for deciding which manuscripts submitted to the Journal will be published, based solely on academic merit, originality, methodological rigor, and relevance to the Journal's scope.
• Editorial decisions are made independently of commercial interests, personal interests, or discriminatory factors including race, gender, ethnicity, religion, institutional affiliation, or political beliefs.
• Editors must maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, author identities, and peer review materials. Information is disclosed only to authors, assigned reviewers, editorial board members, and the publisher where necessary.
• Editors must declare any competing interests and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict.
• Editors shall ensure a rigorous, fair, and timely double-blind peer review process and shall not use unpublished material from submitted manuscripts for their own research without explicit written consent.
• When ethical concerns, errors, or allegations of misconduct are raised, editors will follow COPE flowcharts and take appropriate action, including issuance of corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions where warranted.

3. Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers

• Peer review is essential for quality control and assists editors in making editorial decisions. Reviewers must agree to review only within their area of expertise and within the stipulated timeframe.
• Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents and must not share, copy, or use information from them.
• Reviews must be objective, constructive, and free from personal bias. Reviewers must clearly justify their recommendations with supporting arguments.
• Reviewers must disclose any potential competing interests and decline to review manuscripts where a conflict exists, including competitive, collaborative, or personal relationships with authors.
• Reviewers must alert the editor to any substantial similarity, overlap, or suspected misconduct, including plagiarism, redundant publication, data fabrication, or ethical concerns.

4. Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

4.1 Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. Previously published work, including text, data, figures, or interpretations, must be properly cited. All submissions are screened for similarity using iThenticate / Crossref Similarity Check. Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable.

4.2 Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication: Manuscripts must not be under consideration elsewhere while under review by the Journal. Authors must not publish the same research in more than one journal. Secondary publication may be considered only in accordance with ICMJE criteria.

4.3 Authorship: Authorship must be limited to individuals who meet all four ICMJE authorship criteria: substantial contribution to conception, design, acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data; drafting or critically revising the manuscript for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published; and agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work. All contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be listed in the acknowledgments. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring all authors have approved the final version.[1][2][3][4]

4.4 Data Integrity and Reproducibility: Authors must present accurate, honest, and complete reporting of their research. Fabrication, falsification, or selective manipulation of data is considered serious misconduct. Authors should retain raw data for a reasonable period and provide access upon reasonable editorial request.

4.5 Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional interests that could influence the research, interpretation, or presentation of findings. All sources of financial support must be acknowledged.

4.6 Ethical Approval and Consent: Research involving human participants must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and must have been approved by an appropriate institutional ethics committee or review board. Informed consent must be obtained and documented. Patient privacy and confidentiality must be protected. Research involving animals must have been approved by an institutional animal care committee and conducted in accordance with internationally accepted principles for the humane care and use of animals. Clinical trials must be registered in a public registry in accordance with ICMJE policy.

4.7 Acknowledgment of Sources: Authors must appropriately cite all sources and prior work that influenced their research.

5. Handling of Research Misconduct
The Journal takes all allegations of misconduct seriously, including plagiarism, citation manipulation, data falsification, authorship disputes, undisclosed conflicts, and reviewer misconduct. In such cases, the editorial office will follow COPE procedures, gather evidence, seek responses from concerned parties, and take appropriate measures. These measures may include rejection of the manuscript, correction, retraction, notification of the authors' institution, and prohibition from future submissions.

6. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern
Errors that materially affect the interpretation or credibility of the published record will be corrected through errata or corrigenda. Retractions will be issued for invalid findings, serious ethical violations, or proven misconduct, in line with COPE Retraction Guidelines. Retractions will clearly state the reason and will remain linked to the original article. An Expression of Concern may be issued when an investigation is ongoing or inconclusive.

7. Confidentiality and Data Protection
The editorial process is strictly confidential. Editorial staff will not disclose author or reviewer information beyond those directly involved in the publication process. Personal data is handled in compliance with applicable data protection regulations.

8. Appeals and Complaints
Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions with a detailed, evidence-based justification. Appeals will be reviewed by an editor not involved in the original decision, and where appropriate, additional expert opinion will be sought. Complaints regarding ethical matters will be investigated promptly and fairly.

9. Open Access and Archiving
Open access articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY 4.0]. The Journal permits self-archiving in accordance with its archiving policy and ensures long-term digital preservation through recognized archiving systems.