Editorial Policies

Commitment to Ethical Standards

The journal is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards by adhering to the principles set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). These guidelines govern ethical practices in the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly articles in medical journals. Additionally, the journal aligns with the GPP3 (Good Publication Practice 3) guidelines for authorship. By submitting their manuscripts, authors confirm that they have thoroughly reviewed the content, accepted responsibility for its accuracy, and ensured compliance with the journal's established ethical policies.

The journal does not accept adverts from third parties.

Affiliations

Authors must provide accurate affiliations to properly acknowledge the institutions where their research or academic work was conducted, approved, or supported.

For non-research articles, authors are required to indicate their current institutional affiliation.

If an author has changed institutions prior to the publication of the article, they should list the affiliation linked to the work and include a note specifying their current affiliation.

Authors who do not have a relevant institutional affiliation should clearly declare their independent status.

Appeals and Complaints

The journal strictly follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) standards for handling appeals against editorial decisions and addressing concerns related to the peer review process.

While appeals to editorial decisions are welcome, they must be substantiated with strong evidence or new data/information that directly responds to the feedback provided by the editor and reviewers.

Acknowledgment

Contributors who played a significant role in the preparation of the manuscript but do not meet the established authorship criteria—such as those outlined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)—should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section. This includes individuals who provided technical assistance, administrative support, or editorial contributions without fulfilling the substantial intellectual or creative input required for authorship.

Additionally, organizations or institutions that provided financial funding, access to facilities, data, or other resources essential to the development of the manuscript should be appropriately credited. Authors should ensure that the acknowledgment section is transparent and comprehensive, clearly specifying the type of support received.

For transparency, authors are encouraged to obtain written consent from individuals mentioned in the acknowledgments to ensure their agreement with being listed. Failure to properly recognize contributors or sponsors could be considered a breach of ethical publication practices.

Authorship

The inclusion of authors’ names on an article serves to appropriately acknowledge individuals who have made substantial contributions to the work and to ensure transparency regarding the responsibility for its accuracy and integrity. To qualify for authorship, individuals must meet the following criteria:

Significant Contribution: Played a pivotal role in the study, including its conception, design, execution, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or a combination of these activities.
Manuscript Development: Actively participated in drafting the manuscript, making substantial revisions, or providing critical reviews.
Submission Agreement: Consented to the journal to which the manuscript is submitted.
Approval of All Versions: Reviewed and approved all versions of the manuscript, from initial submission to final acceptance, including any major changes during the proofing stage.
Responsibility for Content: Accepted accountability for the content and agreed to address any issues related to the accuracy or integrity of the work after publication.

Any alterations to the authorship, whether before or after publication, must be approved by all listed authors, including those being added or removed. The corresponding author is responsible for obtaining consent from all affected authors and providing a detailed explanation for the change.

For changes requested after publication, a post-publication notice will be issued. All modifications must comply with the journal’s authorship criteria. Significant changes to the authorship list after acceptance may be denied if adequate justification and evidence of contributions are not provided.

This policy ensures ethical practices and safeguards the integrity of the research and its contributors.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship is granted exclusively to individuals who make significant contributions to three key aspects of the work:

Conceptualization and Design: Involvement in conceiving the study, designing the methodology, collecting data, or analyzing and interpreting results.
Manuscript Preparation: Active participation in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically to include substantial intellectual content.
Approval of the Final Version: Providing formal consent for the version to be published and accepting accountability for the work's accuracy and integrity.

Activities such as securing funding, gathering data, or supervising the research team, while important, do not qualify for authorship. Every contributor must be directly involved to the extent that they can publicly take responsibility for specific sections of the manuscript.

The order of authors should accurately reflect their relative contributions. Any changes to authorship after submission require written agreement from all contributors. The journal reserves the right to limit the number of authors based on the manuscript's type, scope, or institutional involvement. For exceeding the limit, a detailed justification must be provided.

Contribution Details

Authors are required to specify their roles under predefined categories such as conceptualization, design, data acquisition, analysis, drafting, and manuscript review. These contributions will be published alongside the article for transparency. At least one author must serve as the guarantor, taking overall responsibility for the work's integrity.

Citation Practices

All claims in research and non-research articles must be substantiated with accurate, credible, and verified references, preferably from peer-reviewed sources. Excessive self-citations or coordinated citations among authors are discouraged as they constitute unethical citation manipulation.

For non-research articles, such as reviews or opinion pieces, citations must present an impartial and comprehensive view of the topic, avoiding undue bias toward specific entities or journals. For uncertainties regarding appropriate citations, authors should consult the editorial office.

Conflicts of Interest

All authors and co-authors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest, whether financial or non-financial, that might influence the research or its interpretation.

Financial Conflicts: Monetary relationships, such as funding or employment ties with organizations related to research.
Non-Financial Conflicts: Relationships of a professional, legal, or personal nature that could lead to perceived biases.

A declaration of competing interests must be completed and included in the Disclosure section of the article. If no conflicts exist, the statement “The authors declare that they have no competing interests” will be published.

Sponsorship of Clinical Trials

Authors associated with pharmaceutical companies or clinical trial sponsors must disclose this as a competing interest. Additionally, they are expected to comply with the Good Publication Practice (GPP3) guidelines to maintain ethical standards in publication.

Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Notices

In cases where published articles require updates, the journal adheres to Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines to ensure transparency and maintain the academic record's integrity.

Types of Post-Publication Notices:

Corrections: Address errors that do not compromise the article’s core findings but may affect interpretation, such as mislabeled figures or missing disclosures.
Corrigendum: For errors made by authors.
Erratum: For errors made by the publisher.
Retractions: Issued when major flaws (e.g., methodological errors or misconduct such as plagiarism) invalidate the article’s findings. Retractions are clearly linked to the original article, with explicit reasons provided.
Expressions of Concern: Used when serious issues remain unresolved, pending an investigation.
Removals: Rarely issued, reserved for cases involving defamatory or legally problematic content.

Efforts are made to promptly address inaccuracies to ensure the credibility of the academic record.

Consent for Publication

For manuscripts including identifiable personal data or images, authors must obtain written informed consent from the individuals involved or, for minors, from a parent or legal guardian. If the individual is deceased, consent must be obtained from their next of kin.

The consent form must explicitly state that the details/images will be freely accessible online under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0. Authors may use the journal's consent form or a similar institutional form that meets these requirements.

Confidentiality

All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential and are shared only with individuals directly involved in the editorial process, including:

Editorial staff
Corresponding authors
Reviewers
Editors

In cases of suspected misconduct, manuscripts may be shared with ethics committees or relevant institutions following COPE guidelines. All disclosures are handled with strict confidentiality.

Copyright Policy

The philosophy of the Kut Journal of Medical and Health Sciences (KJMHS) underscores the significance of open access to scientific knowledge while upholding intellectual property rights. All published articles are copyrighted, with the authors retaining full ownership of their work. To ensure broad dissemination of research findings, the journal provides free access to its content under CC BY 4.0. This approach allows research to remain accessible to a global audience while ensuring authors receive proper recognition for their contributions.

Who Can Submit?

The Kut Journal of Medical and Health Sciences (KJMHS) accepts submissions from anyone who holds the copyright to the work or has obtained authorization from the copyright owner(s) to submit it for consideration. In most cases, authors retain the initial copyright to their works prior to publication. However, there may be exceptions, such as when authors transfer their copyright to their employer as part of their employment agreements, particularly in non-academic settings.

User Rights

As an Open Access journal, the Kut Journal of Medical and Health Sciences provides users with the following rights to access and utilize published articles under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY 4.0):

Reading, downloading, and copying articles.
Distributing and printing content.
Searching and linking full-text articles.

This license also permits users to adapt, share, or build upon the material for both non-commercial and commercial purposes, provided proper credit is given to the original authors and source. For comprehensive information, refer to the full license terms under CC BY 4.0.

Open Access Policy

As an Open Access journal, the Kut Journal of Medical and Health Sciences ensures that its content is freely available without restrictions under the CC BY 4.0 license. This policy facilitates the use of articles for various purposes, including adaptation and commercial applications, provided the authors and original source are properly credited. For detailed information, visit the full Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Author Rights

Authors retain the copyright to their work while granting the journal publishing and distribution rights. This arrangement ensures both the protection of intellectual property and the broad dissemination of knowledge.

Data Falsification and Fabrication

Definition and Consequences:

The intentional falsification or fabrication of data is considered a serious breach of academic integrity. Such actions mislead readers, compromise the accuracy of the scholarly record, and may have long-lasting and widespread repercussions.

Author Responsibilities:

Ensure that all data presented is accurate and honestly reflects the research findings.
Retain original data associated with the study to facilitate verification if required during the review process.
Failure to provide raw data upon request may result in the rejection of the manuscript or retraction of the published article.

Data Sharing Policy

The Kut Journal of Medical and Health Sciences promotes transparency, accessibility, and the responsible use of research data by encouraging authors to share their data. Key principles include:

Encouraging Data Sharing: Authors are encouraged to share data early by simplifying submission processes.
Standardized Guidelines: Clear and consistent guidelines help authors store, manage, and share data efficiently.
Improving Data Management: Compliance with data management requirements is supported through the use of clear availability statements.
Developing Tools and Resources: Tools such as persistent identifiers and linking datasets with publications enhance the discoverability and reusability of research data.
Recognition of Data Sharing Efforts: Authors are encouraged to adopt proper citation practices to receive acknowledgment for sharing their data.
Ensuring Validity and Documentation: The journal collaborates with the scientific community to establish rigorous practices for validating and documenting published data.

Through these efforts, the journal aims to foster a culture of responsible data sharing and support researchers in maximizing the value of their work.

Research Data Policy

Authors must include a Data Availability Statement in their manuscript to indicate where data supporting the findings can be accessed or to explain why the data cannot be shared. Examples include:

Public Repository: Datasets generated and/or analyzed are available in [repository name], accessible at [persistent link].
Available on Request: Datasets generated are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.
No Data Available: This study did not involve the generation or analysis of datasets.

Desk Rejection Policy

Manuscripts may be rejected without peer review for the following reasons:

The study’s scope is not relevant to the journal.
Ethical violations, such as plagiarism exceeding 20%.
Insufficient originality or impact in the research.
Flaws in study design or methodology.
Poor organization, writing quality, or missing manuscript components.
Failure to comply with submission guidelines.

Duplicate Submission/Publication

Submitting the same work to multiple journals simultaneously is prohibited. Authors wishing to submit a secondary version (e.g., a translation) must:

Obtain permission from the original publisher.
Inform the receiving journal’s editor.
Clearly indicate the article's translation status and cite the original source.

Ethics Policies

The Kut Journal of Medical and Health Sciences (KJMHS) upholds the highest standards of ethical publishing, following the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure transparency and integrity throughout the editorial and review process.

Editors

Editors are responsible for deciding which submitted articles should be published, guided by the journal's policies and legal considerations, such as libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. Editorial decisions are made without regard to the authors' race, gender, nationality, religion, or political beliefs. All manuscript information is treated confidentially and shared only with relevant parties involved in the editorial process. Editors must not use unpublished materials disclosed in a manuscript for personal research without the explicit consent of the authors. Editors ensure the quality and ethical standards of published content by verifying that manuscripts have received proper ethical approval where required.

Reviewers

Reviewers provide constructive feedback to assist editors in making decisions and authors in improving their work. Manuscripts are treated as confidential documents and should not be shared or discussed with anyone outside the editorial process. Reviews should be objective, focusing on scholarly merit and providing specific, supported recommendations. Reviewers should identify missing citations and inform the editors of any overlap between the manuscript and other works.

Authors

Authors must present accurate and detailed accounts of their research, ensuring that all claims are supported by evidence. Authors are responsible for submitting original work. Proper acknowledgment must be given for borrowed ideas or words, and plagiarism is strictly prohibited. All financial or personal relationships that could influence the work must be disclosed. Authorship is limited to those who have significantly contributed to the research, with all listed authors approving the final manuscript and agreeing to its submission. If significant errors are discovered after publication, authors must promptly notify the editors and cooperate to issue corrections or retractions.

Funding Declaration

Authors must disclose all sources of funding and detail the roles of sponsors in study design, execution, and manuscript preparation. If no funding was received, this should also be explicitly stated.

Images and Figures

Include only images and figures with significant scholarly value.
Obtain permissions for third-party materials and include appropriate credits.
Ensure any modifications are minimal, uniformly applied, and fully disclosed.

Misconduct Policy

The journal adheres to the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for handling misconduct. Examples include:

Plagiarism and self-plagiarism.
Image or data manipulation.
Undisclosed conflicts of interest.
Citation manipulation.

Manuscripts found to breach these ethical standards will be rejected, and published articles may be retracted.

Peer Review Process

The Kut Journal of Medical and Health Sciences (KJMHS) follows a rigorous and structured double-blind peer review process to ensure the quality, validity, and academic integrity of all published research. This process maintains fairness, objectivity, and confidentiality by keeping both the authors and reviewers anonymous throughout the review cycle. The journal adheres to internationally recognized ethical guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) to uphold high publication standards.

Stages of the Peer Review Process

1. Initial Editorial Screening

Upon submission, manuscripts undergo a preliminary assessment by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Office to determine their suitability for the journal. This screening process checks for adherence to formatting guidelines, originality, language clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

Plagiarism Check: All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts with more than 20% similarity index are either returned for revision or rejected outright.
Ethical Compliance: The editorial team ensures that ethical guidelines, such as obtaining proper approvals for human or animal studies, have been followed.
Relevance and Quality: Manuscripts that do not align with the journal’s scope or fail to meet scientific rigor may be desk-rejected at this stage without further review.

2. Assignment to Reviewers

Once the manuscript passes the initial screening, the Editor-in-Chief or Associate Editors assign it to at least two independent reviewers with expertise in the subject area.

Reviewer Selection: Reviewers are chosen based on their academic credentials, expertise, and prior experience in reviewing similar manuscripts.
Conflict of Interest Check: Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest before accepting the review assignment.
Confidentiality Agreement: Reviewers are bound by confidentiality and are prohibited from sharing or discussing the manuscript with others.

3. Double-Blind Peer Review Process

The double-blind peer review ensures impartiality by concealing the identities of both authors and reviewers.

Evaluation Criteria: Reviewers assess the manuscript based on scientific rigor and originality, methodological soundness and research design, clarity, coherence, and logical flow of arguments, relevance to the journal’s scope and contribution to the field, ethical considerations and proper citation practices.
Reviewer Reports: Reviewers provide detailed feedback, constructive criticism, and recommendations for acceptance with minor or major revisions, or rejection based on fundamental flaws or lack of novelty.
Turnaround Time: The standard review timeline is 4–6 weeks, but this may vary depending on reviewer availability.

4. Editorial Decision

After receiving reviewer reports, the Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editors make the final decision based on the feedback provided.

Possible Outcomes: Accept without revisions, minor revisions required, major revisions required, reject.
Editorial Review of Revised Submissions: If revisions are required, authors must submit a revised version with a detailed point-by-point response letter addressing the reviewers’ comments. The revised manuscript is either re-evaluated by the original reviewers or assessed by the editorial team.

5. Final Acceptance and Proofreading

Once a manuscript is accepted, it undergoes final proofreading and formatting before publication.

Copyediting and Formatting: The editorial team checks for grammatical accuracy, consistency, and adherence to journal formatting guidelines.
Author Approval of Proofs: Authors receive final proofs to review before publication and must approve them within 48 hours.

6. Publication and Post-Publication Evaluation

Online Publication: The final version of the manuscript is published on the journal’s website and assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for citation and indexing purposes.

Post-Publication Comments: Readers and researchers can provide post-publication comments and discuss the article through the journal’s platform.
Retractions and Corrections: If errors are identified post-publication, corrections or retractions are issued in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Plagiarism Policy

The Kut Journal of Medical and Health Sciences enforces a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism.

Direct Plagiarism: Copying another's work without acknowledgment.
Self-Plagiarism: Republishing one’s previous work without proper citation.

All manuscripts are screened using advanced plagiarism detection tools, and those with a high similarity index will be rejected.

Preprints Policy

Authors submitting to the Kut Journal of Medical and Health Sciences (KJMHS) have the flexibility to share their preprints on any platform at any time. If the manuscript is accepted for publication in the journal, authors are encouraged to update the preprint with a direct link to the formal publication, including its Digital Object Identifier (DOI). Preprints may also be updated with the accepted version of the manuscript on repositories such as arXiv or RePEc.

Ethical Guidelines for Research

Studies Involving Humans:

Research must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and receive approval from an institutional ethics committee. Informed consent must be obtained from participants.

Studies Involving Animals:

Research must adhere to international guidelines, such as the ARRIVE guidelines or EU Directive 2010/63/EU. Measures to minimize animal suffering must be detailed.

Studies Involving Plants:

Research involving plants must comply with institutional and international regulations, including proper permissions for protected species.

Editorial and Review Process for Special Issues

Special issue submissions follow the same rigorous editorial and review process as regular issues. Manuscripts undergo initial screening, followed by a double-blind peer review, and are approved by the Editor-in-Chief after feedback from guest editors.

Formatting and Technical Guidelines

Figures:

Submit high-quality figures in formats like EPS, JPEG, or TIFF with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.

Tables:

Tables must be clear, concise, and numbered consecutively. Avoid vertical lines.

Language and Proofreading:

Manuscripts must be written in fluent English and free of grammatical errors. Authors are encouraged to use professional editing services if necessary.

After Acceptance

Proofs:

Authors will receive page proofs for review. Corrections must be returned within 48 hours.

Publication Charges:

For the first two years, the journal does not charge Article Processing Charges (APCs) for submissions.

Use of Third-Party Material

Authors submitting to the Kut Journal of Medical and Health Sciences (KJMHS) must secure the necessary permissions to use third-party materials in their manuscripts, such as text, images, tables, data, or audiovisual content.

Obtain Permission: Authors must provide written permission for third-party materials unless covered under exceptions like fair use or limited critique.
Acknowledgment and Attribution: Proper acknowledgment of sources must be included, and permissions must be cited explicitly in the manuscript.
Avoid Overuse: Use of third-party content should be minimal, focusing on enhancing the manuscript’s academic value.

Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

Authors may use generative AI tools for language and readability improvements but must adhere to the following principles:

Disclosure: Any use of AI tools in the preparation of the manuscript must be disclosed, specifying the tasks performed.
Accountability: Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy and originality of the content. AI-generated text must not replace core academic tasks like generating hypotheses or interpreting data.
Authorship Restrictions: AI tools cannot be listed as authors, as they cannot fulfill authorship responsibilities such as ensuring originality or addressing post-publication issues.

The Kut Journal of Medical and Health Sciences prohibits the use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies (e.g., ChatGPT) in the peer review process due to concerns about protecting authors’ rights and maintaining the confidentiality of submitted research.

The journal is actively investigating AI tools that comply with ethical standards and confidentiality requirements. Policy updates may be implemented as technology evolves and more reliable solutions become available.