Journal Policies & Editorial Governance
FJMRI operates under an uncompromising ethical framework committed to intellectual integrity, double-blind peer evaluation, immediate Gold Open Access, and transparent publishing standards. Explore our 21 regulatory frameworks below.
Publication Ethics & Malpractice Policy
Comprehensive ethical standards safeguarding against research misconduct, data fabrication, falsification, and citation manipulation.
- ✓ Strict alignment with COPE Core Practices & WAME guidelines
- ✓ Zero tolerance for data manipulation or artificial citation stacking
- ✓ Mandatory institutional investigation referral for suspected fraud
Peer Review Policy & Workflow
Double-blind evaluation protocol, independent referee matching, strict confidentiality, and transparent review timelines.
- ✓ Mutual double-blind anonymity between authors and referees
- ✓ Minimum of 2 independent domain doctoral referees assigned
- ✓ Desk decision within 2 business days; peer review typically in 7–14 days
Author Guidelines & Manuscript Specifications
Detailed submission requirements: single-column layout, Times New Roman typography, 1.0 spacing, and 30-page cap.
- ✓ A4 portrait, 2.54 cm margins, editable Microsoft Word (.docx)
- ✓ Strict 30-page maximum ceiling; raw unformatted theses filtered
- ✓ Downloadable Word template and pre-submission checklist
Authorship & Contributorship Policy
ICMJE 4-point criteria defining qualified authorship, CRediT contributor role classification, and author change protocols.
- ✓ Strict ban on gift, honorary, or ghost authorship
- ✓ CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) disclosure for all co-authors
- ✓ Formal written consent from all authors required for any authorship changes
Plagiarism & Text Similarity Policy
Automated plagiarism and similarity screening, strict 15% overlap ceiling, self-plagiarism rules, and duplicate submission bans.
- ✓ Similarity threshold must remain under 15% (no single source >3%)
- ✓ Automated pre-screening via iThenticate / Turnitin during desk review
- ✓ Prohibitions on redundant publication and uncredited text recycling
Generative AI & Large Language Models Policy
Guidelines governing AI-assisted research drafting, mandatory disclosure declarations, and strict prohibition of AI as co-author.
- ✓ AI systems and LLMs cannot be listed as authors or co-authors
- ✓ Transparent disclosure required in Methods or Declarations section
- ✓ Reviewers strictly forbidden from uploading manuscripts into AI tools
Conflict of Interest & Competing Interests
Mandatory disclosure protocols for authors, independent reviewers, and handling editors to eliminate commercial bias.
- ✓ Authors must disclose all funding sponsors, patents, and commercial ties
- ✓ Immediate reviewer recusal for institutional or co-authorship relationships
- ✓ Editor recusal and blinded delegation for staff/editorial submissions
Research Ethics & Human/Animal Subjects
Ethical compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals, informed consent, and ARRIVE animal care.
- ✓ Mandatory formal IRB/Ethics Committee approval letter citation
- ✓ Written informed consent documented for all human participants
- ✓ Humane care compliance with ARRIVE guidelines for animal studies
Data Sharing & Reproducibility Policy
Data Availability Statement (DAS) mandates, FAIR data principles, open repository deposition, and code transparency.
- ✓ Mandatory Data Availability Statement in every published manuscript
- ✓ Encouraged deposit into public FAIR repositories (Zenodo, Dryad, Figshare)
- ✓ Open source code and algorithm access to ensure scientific verification
Copyright Ownership & Author Rights Policy
Authors retain full copyright ownership of their scholarly works without transfer or alienation to the journal publisher.
- ✓ Authors retain undivided copyright under Creative Commons licensing
- ✓ Non-exclusive publishing rights granted to FJMRI for global distribution
- ✓ Right to reuse, adapt, and compile in future monographs and teaching
Licensing & Open Access Policy (CC BY 4.0)
Gold Open Access under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license with unrestricted sharing and self-archiving.
- ✓ CC BY 4.0 license permits unrestricted redistribution and adaptation
- ✓ Immediate open access release worldwide with zero subscription paywalls
- ✓ Green Open Access self-archiving permitted in institutional repositories
Article Processing Charge (APC) Policy
Zero submission or review fees, transparent APC payable strictly upon formal acceptance, and low-income waiver programs.
- ✓ 100% Free submission, desk screening, and peer review process
- ✓ Payment strictly required only after formal editorial acceptance
- ✓ Hardship discounts and Research4Life developing country fee waivers
Corrections, Retractions & Withdrawal Policy
Protocol for errata, corrigenda, expressions of concern, formal COPE retractions, and post-acceptance manuscript withdrawal.
- ✓ Corrigenda/Errata published for honest scientific typographical errors
- ✓ Formal retractions compliant with COPE guidelines with watermarked PDFs
- ✓ Permanent DOI link preservation to protect the scholarly record
Complaints & Editorial Appeals Procedure
Structured, transparent procedure for author appeals against editorial rejections and complaints against editorial conduct.
- ✓ Formal appeal window within 14 business days of decision notification
- ✓ Re-evaluation by independent Advisory Editor not involved in original decision
- ✓ Escalation pathway to Editorial Ombudsman for unresolved procedural grievances
Post-Publication Discussion & Critique Policy
Mechanism for constructive reader debate, scientific commentary, matters arising, and peer-scrutinized post-publication dialogue.
- ✓ Letters to the Editor invited for substantive scientific critiques
- ✓ Original authors given right of reply published alongside critique
- ✓ Whistleblower protection for substantiated research integrity reports
Reviewer Guidelines & Code of Conduct
Expectations for peer reviewers: objective rubric evaluation, constructive tone, 4–5 day turnaround, and strict confidentiality.
- ✓ 7-point evaluation rubric spanning novelty, rigor, and reproducibility
- ✓ 4–5 day review turnaround commitment to respect author timelines
- ✓ Absolute confidentiality with prohibition on data retention or sharing
Editorial Policy & Editorial Independence
Clear separation of editorial judgment from commercial publisher influence and principles governing editorial leadership.
- ✓ Uncompromised editorial autonomy held by the Editor-in-Chief
- ✓ Commercial revenues and APCs have zero bearing on editorial verdicts
- ✓ Transparent board appointment guidelines and term oversight
Privacy & Data Protection Policy
Collection, secure processing, and retention of author and reviewer information in compliance with international privacy laws.
- ✓ Strict GDPR and data protection compliance for all registered accounts
- ✓ Never sold, rented, or commercialized to third-party marketing entities
- ✓ Full author rights to data access, rectification, and account erasure
Terms & Conditions / Terms of Use
Legal governing agreement for using the FJMRI website, online manuscript submission portal, and digital resources.
- ✓ Lawful, non-infringing usage guidelines for portal access
- ✓ Account security and author identity warranty representations
- ✓ Warranty disclaimers, liability limitations, and applicable jurisdiction
Cookie & Tracking Technologies Policy
Transparent explanation of essential security cookies, portal session management, and privacy-preserving analytics.
- ✓ Essential technical cookies utilized strictly for portal authentication
- ✓ Zero invasive third-party cross-site advertising trackers
- ✓ Simple browser instructions for managing and clearing cookies
Digital Archiving & Preservation Policy
Long-term digital deposition via Zenodo open research repository with persistent DataCite DOIs; library preservation in planning.
- ✓ Permanent open-access deposition in CERN-backed Zenodo repository
- ✓ Persistent DOI allocation and perpetual resolution guarantees
- ✓ Unrestricted Open Access repository self-archiving rights (CC BY 4.0)
Inquiries & Ethical Reporting
Questions Regarding Journal Governance?
For inquiries regarding our publication ethics, appeals, licensing permissions, or to report potential scientific misconduct confidentially, contact the FJMRI Editorial Office.