Publication ethics and malpractice statement
Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
Research Ascent Medical Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. All parties involved in the publication process—authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher—are expected to adhere to ethical standards based on the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
1. Duties of Authors
Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals is unethical.
Data Access and Retention
Authors may be asked to provide raw data related to their manuscript for editorial review and should be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.
Authorship of the Manuscript
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
All authors must disclose any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that may influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript.
Ethical Approval
Research involving human participants or animals must include a statement confirming approval from an appropriate ethics committee and informed consent from participants.
Corrections of Errors
When an author discovers a significant error in their published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate in retracting or correcting the paper.
2. Duties of Reviewers
Confidentiality
Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be shared or discussed with others.
Objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate.
Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors.
Conflicts of Interest
Reviewers must not review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.
3. Duties of Editors
Publication Decisions
The editor is responsible for deciding which manuscripts submitted to the journal should be published, based on the validity and importance of the work.
Fair Play
Editors evaluate manuscripts based on intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
Confidentiality
Editors must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and publisher.
Conflicts of Interest
Editors must not use unpublished information in their own research and must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.
4. Peer Review Process
Research Ascent Medical Journal follows a double-blind peer review process. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Editorial decisions are based on reviewer comments, scientific validity, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
5. Plagiarism Screening
All submissions are checked for plagiarism using appropriate software/tools. Manuscripts with significant similarity or suspected misconduct will be rejected.
6. Retraction and Corrections Policy
The journal follows COPE guidelines for handling corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern. Articles may be retracted in cases of proven misconduct, data fabrication, plagiarism, or serious errors.
7. Copyright and Licensing
Authors retain copyright of their work. All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction with proper attribution.
8. Publisher’s Responsibilities
The publisher is committed to ensuring editorial independence, maintaining ethical standards, and supporting the integrity of the scholarly record.
9. Complaints and Appeals
Authors may appeal editorial decisions by contacting the editorial office with a detailed explanation. Complaints regarding publication ethics will be handled according to COPE guidelines.
Contact Information
For any ethical concerns or complaints, please contact:
Email: editor@ramjournal.com
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy
Research Ascent Medical Journal recognizes the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research and publishing. The journal provides the following guidelines to ensure ethical and transparent use.
Use of AI by Authors
AI tools (e.g., language models, writing assistants) may be used for language editing or formatting support only.
AI tools must not be listed as authors.
Authors must disclose any significant use of AI tools in the manuscript (e.g., in Methods or Acknowledgments).
Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the content.
Prohibited Uses
AI-generated data, images, or results presented as real without disclosure
Fabrication or manipulation of research findings using AI
Use of AI to generate peer review reports under author identity
Use of AI by Reviewers
Reviewers must not upload manuscripts into AI tools or external platforms, as this may breach confidentiality.
AI tools should not be used to generate full review reports.
Use of AI by Editors
Editors may use AI tools for administrative tasks (e.g., plagiarism checks, language screening), but final decisions are made by human editors.
Transparency
All AI use must be transparent, ethical, and in compliance with publication standards and COPE recommendations.