Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Introduction

The International Journal of Clinical Virology (IJCV) upholds rigorous ethical standards in scientific publishing. This Ethics and Malpractice Statement establishes the principles guiding all editorial and research activities, ensuring fairness, integrity, and accountability. IJCV strictly follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

Editorial Integrity

Editors maintain full independence and transparency in decision-making. The evaluation of manuscripts depends solely on academic merit, originality, and relevance—not on the author’s nationality, gender, or institutional affiliation. The publisher exerts no influence on editorial outcomes.

“Editorial freedom is fundamental to scientific credibility and the advancement of knowledge.”

Responsibilities of Authors

• Ensure originality and proper citation of sources; plagiarism is strictly prohibited.
• Declare conflicts of interest and all funding sources.
• Obtain necessary ethical approvals for studies involving humans or animals.
• Include informed consent statements for identifiable participants or images.
• Refrain from data fabrication, falsification, or duplicate publication.

Authors must respond promptly to editorial queries and cooperate in peer review and correction processes. All co-authors share collective responsibility for the content of their work.

Responsibilities of Editors

• Conduct fair, unbiased peer review ensuring confidentiality and academic rigor.
• Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist.
• Maintain confidentiality of author identities and manuscript content.
• Take responsive action upon suspicion or evidence of research misconduct.

Editors must ensure corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern are issued when necessary to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

• Provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback on submitted work.
• Respect confidentiality; manuscripts should not be shared or discussed externally.
• Disclose any potential conflict of interest prior to accepting a review assignment.
• Alert editors to ethical or methodological concerns identified during review.

Publication Ethics and Misconduct

IJCV defines research misconduct as fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, redundant publication, or unethical experimentation. Suspected cases are investigated following COPE flowcharts and may result in rejection, retraction, or reporting to institutional authorities. Correspondence records of such cases are preserved for transparency.

Human and Animal Rights

• Studies involving humans must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and national ethical laws.
• Animal research must follow institutional and international standards for humane care and use.
• Authors must include ethics approval reference numbers in their manuscripts.

Informed Consent and Privacy

Authors must obtain informed consent from participants for publication of identifiable data, photographs, or case details. Personal information should be anonymized wherever possible. Editors may request supporting consent documentation prior to publication.

Conflict of Interest

All participants in the publication process—authors, reviewers, and editors—must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence their work. IJCV publishes such statements transparently in the article metadata.

Data Sharing and Transparency

Authors should make underlying data available upon reasonable request or deposit in recognized repositories, supporting reproducibility and verification. Editors encourage compliance with FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

• Corrections – For unintentional errors not altering results.
• Retractions – For major ethical or scientific issues invalidating findings.
• Expressions of Concern – For pending investigations of possible misconduct.

All actions follow COPE Retraction Guidelines and are permanently linked to the original article.

Handling Complaints and Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions within 30 days of notification by providing detailed justification. Complaints about ethical breaches or editorial conduct are investigated impartially by the Editor-in-Chief or designated ombudsperson, ensuring fair resolution.

Advertising and Sponsorship Independence

Advertisements or sponsorships (if accepted) are clearly distinguished from editorial content. The presence of advertisements does not influence editorial decisions or peer review.

Research Integrity and Reproducibility

IJCV encourages transparency in reporting research methods and results. Authors must provide sufficient detail for replication. Raw data, statistical code, or supplementary materials may be requested by editors to verify authenticity.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

• Support editorial independence and ethical publishing operations.
• Ensure digital preservation, DOI registration, and indexing services remain active.
• Investigate and address any unethical behavior reported against the journal.

Peer Review Confidentiality

Manuscripts and reviewer comments are confidential. Reviewers are instructed not to contact authors directly. Editors maintain records of reviewer communications to guarantee transparency and accountability.

Plagiarism Detection

All submissions undergo similarity screening using industry-standard software. Overlap exceeding 15 % without citation is reviewed manually. Proven plagiarism leads to rejection or retraction and notification of the author’s institution.

Archiving and Data Preservation

All published articles are archived through Portico and mirrored via the OAI-PMH protocol to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility, aligning with IJCV’s Preservation and Archiving Policy.

Ethical Oversight for Special Issues and Supplements

Guest editors must adhere to the same ethical standards as the main editorial board. All sponsored content or supplements undergo standard peer review and transparency checks before acceptance.

Malpractice Prevention Measures

• Mandatory author declarations and signed ethical statements during submission.
• Cross-checking of authorship details and affiliations.
• Random post-publication audits of data integrity.
• Immediate corrective actions for identified breaches.

Ethical Guidelines Sources

• COPE Core Practices
• ICMJE Recommendations
• DOAJ Best Practice Principles
• World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)

Contact and Reporting Misconduct

Editorial Office – International Journal of Clinical Virology (IJCV)
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.clinvirologyjournal.com/

Report Ethical Concern