Publication Ethics

The International Journal of Public Health Asia Pacific (IJPHAP) is dedicated to upholding the highest ethical standards in publishing and takes rigorous measures to prevent publication malpractice. This statement presents our ethical guidelines for all involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

 Responsibilities of Authors

  • Authors are expected to submit only original work that has neither been previously published nor is under review elsewhere.
  • Research involving human subjects must adhere to the Declaration of Helsinki, and all required ethical approvals must be obtained.
  • Authors should present their findings clearly and truthfully, without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation of data.
  • Sufficient methodological detail should be provided to enable replication of the study by other researchers.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editorial Decisions

  • Editorial decisions should be based on the academic quality, originality, clarity, and relevance of submitted manuscripts.
  • Editors must ensure a fair, unbiased double-blind peer review process while maintaining reviewer anonymity.
  • Editors should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have a conflict of interest.

 Confidentiality

  • Editors must keep information regarding submitted manuscripts confidential, sharing details only with the authors, reviewers, or editorial staff as necessary.
  • Unpublished materials disclosed in a submission may not be used in an editor’s own research without the author’s explicit consent.

Final Publication Decisions

  • The Editor-in-Chief holds the responsibility for making final publication decisions, guided by recommendations from the editorial board and journal policies, as well as legal standards concerning libel, copyright, and plagiarism.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

 Contribution to Editorial Decisions

  • Reviewers provide essential feedback to editors, contributing to editorial decisions, and are expected to provide constructive, objective, and timely evaluations that help improve the manuscript.

 Objectivity Standards

  • Reviews should be conducted impartially, without personal criticism of the author, and all opinions must be supported with clear arguments.

 Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest

  • Manuscripts under review should be treated as confidential documents.
  • Reviewers must avoid using unpublished material in their own research and should recuse themselves from reviewing if a conflict of interest exists.

 Addressing Ethical Concerns

 Responding to Unethical Behavior

  • All allegations of misconduct are investigated thoroughly and fairly.
  • The Editor-in-Chief will determine appropriate actions to address ethical concerns, allowing authors an opportunity to respond to any claims.
  • Steps such as retraction or correction of articles may be taken if ethical issues are identified post-publication.

 Procedures for Addressing Misconduct

  1. Minor misconduct may be addressed internally without involving third parties.
  2. Serious misconduct may necessitate notifying the author’s institution, employer, or funding organization.
  3. Articles may need to be retracted or corrected as required.
  4. A record of all allegations, investigations, and correspondence will be maintained.

 Consequences of Misconduct

  • Misconduct may result in the retraction of published work and potential prohibition from future submissions.
  • In cases of severe ethical breaches, notification may be sent to the author’s employer or funding agency.

 Policy Review

 This publication ethics policy will undergo annual review by the journal’s Ethics Committee and be updated as necessary to maintain alignment with international ethical standards and best practices in academic publishing.