International Council for Medical Education Research and Development (ICMERD) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and research integrity. We adhere to globally recognized guidelines, including those set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).
Our ethical policies ensure that all research published in ICMERD journals is honest, transparent, and free from misconduct.
1. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
Authors submitting to ICMERD journals must adhere to the following ethical principles:
1.1. Originality and Plagiarism
✔ All submitted manuscripts must be original and not plagiarized.
✔ Authors must properly cite and reference all sources.
✔ ICMERD screens all manuscripts for plagiarism using advanced detection software.
❖ Plagiarism in any form (direct copying, self-plagiarism, paraphrasing without citation) will result in immediate rejection.
1.2. Data Integrity and Fabrication
✔ Authors must present accurate, honest, and verifiable data.
✔ Fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting of data is strictly prohibited.
✔ Authors should provide raw data upon request for verification.
1.3. Authorship and Contributions
✔ All listed authors must have substantially contributed to the research.
✔ Ghostwriting, honorary authorship, or misleading author attribution is unethical.
✔ Changes in authorship (addition/removal) must be approved by all authors before submission.
1.4. Conflict of Interest Disclosure
✔ Authors must declare any financial, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence the research.
✔ Failure to disclose conflicts of interest may lead to rejection or retraction.
1.5. Ethical Approval for Research Involving Humans or Animals
✔ Studies involving human participants must obtain approval from an institutional ethics committee and comply with the Declaration of Helsinki.
✔ Research involving animals must follow internationally accepted guidelines, such as the ARRIVE and IACUC standards.
✔ Authors must provide informed consent statements where applicable.
2. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers
ICMERD follows a double-blind peer-review process where reviewers play a critical role in ensuring research quality. Reviewers must:
✔ Provide constructive, unbiased, and timely feedback.
✔ Maintain confidentiality and not disclose or use any unpublished information.
✔ Declare conflicts of interest and recuse themselves if they cannot review fairly.
✔ Report ethical concerns such as plagiarism, duplicate submission, or research misconduct.
❖Reviewers who fail to follow ethical guidelines may be removed from the ICMERD reviewer panel.
3. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors
ICMERD editors are responsible for ensuring integrity, fairness, and confidentiality throughout the publication process. Editors must:
✔ Make objective, merit-based decisions, free from personal or financial bias.
✔ Ensure fair peer-review by selecting qualified and impartial reviewers.
✔ Maintain confidentiality regarding submissions and review discussions.
✔ Actively investigate and respond to ethical violations or research misconduct.
✔ Issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary.
❖Editors are prohibited from using unpublished research for personal gain.
4. Research Misconduct and Violations
ICMERD takes allegations of research misconduct seriously. The following violations will result in immediate action:
✔ Plagiarism – Direct copying or paraphrasing without proper citation.
✔ Data Fabrication & Falsification – Altering or making up research data.
✔ Duplicate Submission – Submitting the same research to multiple journals.
✔ Authorship Disputes – Listing unqualified authors or omitting key contributors.
✔ Ethical Violations in Human/Animal Research – Conducting studies without ethical approval.
Handling Misconduct Cases
- Investigation – The Editorial Board will conduct a detailed review of allegations.
- Author Notification – Authors will be given an opportunity to respond.
- Decision & Action – Depending on the severity, actions may include:
- Correction or Retraction of the article.
- Notification to authors’ institutions or funding bodies.
- Temporary or permanent bans on future submissions.
❖ Serious violations may be reported to COPE or legal authorities.
5. Post-Publication Corrections and Retractions
ICMERD is committed to correcting scientific records when errors or misconduct are identified after publication.
✔ Erratum – Minor errors (e.g., typos, formatting) corrected without affecting research conclusions.
✔ Corrigendum – Author-requested corrections for factual errors.
✔ Retraction – Removal of articles with serious flaws or ethical violations.
For more details, refer to our Retraction and Post-Publication Corrections Policy.
6. Compliance with International Ethical Guidelines
ICMERD follows ethical publishing guidelines established by:
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) – www.publicationethics.org
- International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) – www.icmje.org
- World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) – www.wame.org
❖ Authors, reviewers, and editors must adhere to these standards to maintain research credibility.
7. Complaints and Appeals
Authors, reviewers, or readers with ethical concerns can submit formal complaints to the ICMERD Editorial Office.
✔ Complaints regarding editorial decisions, peer review, or ethical issues will be investigated by an independent ethics committee.
✔ Appeals on rejections must provide valid justifications and supporting evidence.
For complaints and appeals, contact:
Email: editor.icmerd@gmail.com / editor@icmerd.com
Conclusion
ICMERD is dedicated to promoting research integrity, transparency, and fairness. By adhering to strict ethical guidelines, we ensure that scientific advancements published in our journals meet the highest standards of credibility and impact.
❖ For submission guidelines, visit: ICMERD Journals
❖ For APC details, visit: ICMERD APC
