Editorial, Review & Publication Ethics Policy
FJMRI is committed to upholding international standards of publication ethics aligned with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).
Editorial Independence & Publisher Separation
Governance StandardFJMRI maintains complete, uncompromised editorial independence from its publishers, sponsors, and commercial entities. The Editor-in-Chief, handling editors, and peer reviewers make all acceptance and rejection decisions based strictly on the scholarly merit, original contribution, and scientific validity of the submitted research.
- No Commercial Influence: Article processing charge payments, sponsorship agreements, or advertising revenues have zero bearing on editorial evaluations.
- Autonomous Peer Review: Neither publishers nor commercial partners have the authority to alter, reverse, or expedite peer-review verdicts.
- Editorial Recusal: If an editor submits their own research to FJMRI, the entire review process is managed independently by an unconflicted Advisory Editor with complete blinding.
Double-Blind Peer Review & Confidentiality Policy
Review ProtocolAll submitted manuscripts are subjected to rigorous double-blind peer review by at least two independent expert referees:
- Mutual Anonymity: The reviewers do not know the identities, nationalities, or institutional affiliations of the authors; authors never learn the identities of the reviewers.
- Confidential Privilege: Submitted manuscripts are strictly privileged documents. Reviewers and editors may not share, discuss, duplicate, or quote from unpublished submissions.
- Constructive Tone: Reviewers must provide respectful, constructive criticism. Defamatory, derogatory, or personally insulting remarks are strictly prohibited and will be excised by editors.
- Review Turnaround: Referees agree to complete assigned evaluations typically within 7 to 14 days of accepting an assignment.
Conflict of Interest & Competing Financial Interests
Disclosure MandateTransparency regarding potential biases is fundamental to research integrity. FJMRI mandates full disclosure from all parties:
For Authors
Must disclose all funding sources, grant sponsors, commercial relationships, patent applications, or consultant roles in the mandatory Declarations section.
For Reviewers
Must immediately recuse themselves if they have collaborated, co-authored papers, shared a department, or had advisory relationships with the author within the preceding 3 years.
For Editors
Must delegate manuscript stewardship to another Advisory Editor if the manuscript involves their current students, departmental colleagues, or recent grant collaborators.
Generative Artificial Intelligence & Large Language Models
WAME & COPE Aligned- Mandatory Disclosure: If generative AI tools were utilized to assist with coding, language translation, drafting, or data visualization, authors must explicitly disclose this in the Methods or Acknowledgments section specifying the model name, version, and exact nature of assistance.
- Human Accountability: Authors bear complete, undivided responsibility for the factual accuracy, citation integrity, and freedom from plagiarism in all text generated or refined by AI tools.
- AI in Peer Review Prohibited: Reviewers may not upload confidential manuscripts into public generative AI tools or commercial LLMs, as this violates strict confidentiality agreements and intellectual property rights.
Plagiarism, Data Fabrication & Image Integrity
Scientific IntegrityFJMRI enforces zero tolerance for academic dishonesty and scientific malpractice:
- Similarity & Plagiarism Screening: Manuscripts are audited using automated similarity detection software during desk pre-screening. Overlap must remain below 15% with no single source exceeding 3%.
- Text Recycling (Self-Plagiarism): Extensive verbatim copying of author's own previously published papers without citation and quotation is strictly disallowed.
- Data Fabrication & Falsification: Deliberate invention or manipulation of empirical data points, graphs, or statistical results constitutes severe scientific misconduct.
- Image Integrity: Figures and microscopic micrographs must not be selectively altered, spliced, or digitally enhanced to obscure or misrepresent scientific evidence.
Corrections, Retractions & Post-Publication Editorial Actions
COPE Sanction StandardsWhen errors or ethical breaches come to light post-publication, FJMRI acts swiftly in compliance with COPE Retraction Guidelines:
Corrigendum / Erratum
Published for honest academic errors (typos in equations, missing co-author affiliations) that do not compromise the fundamental findings or conclusions of the paper.
Expression of Concern
Issued by the Editor-in-Chief when an institutional investigation into suspected misconduct is pending, alerting readers to potential unreliability.
Formal Retraction
Mandatory when findings are ungrounded due to misconduct, fabricated data, severe copyright infringement, or pervasive plagiarism. The original PDF is watermarked "RETRACTED" with an explanatory notice.
Have Policy Inquiries?
Contact the FJMRI Editorial Office
For questions regarding ethical compliance, dispute resolution, or licensing, our editorial office is ready to assist.