EDITORIAL POLICIES

The Journal of Nepal Medical Association (JNMA) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scientific integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing. The journal adheres to internationally recognized guidelines, including those of the Committee on Publication Ethics, International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, World Association of Medical Editors, Council of Science Editors, and DOAJ principles.

1. Editorial Independence

JNMA maintains full editorial independence. Editorial decisions are based solely on scientific merit, methodological rigor, originality, and ethical compliance. The Editor-in-Chief holds final authority over all editorial decisions. Editorial processes are conducted without influence from sponsors, institutions, or funding bodies.

2. Rejection Policy

2.1 Technical Rejection (Initial Screening)

A significant proportion of submissions are rejected during initial screening due to non-compliance with journal requirements. This stage is administrative and does not involve a detailed scientific evaluation.

Common reasons include:

• Incorrect manuscript format
• Incomplete submission documents
• Failure to follow the author guidelines and checklist
• Out-of-scope submissions
• Missing ethical approval documentation

2.2 Editorial Rejection (Post-Screening / Review Stage)

Manuscripts may be rejected after editorial assessment or peer review due to:

• Lack of originality or novelty
• Methodological flaws
• Poor internal or external validity
• Unsupported conclusions or overgeneralization
• Inadequate response to reviewer comments
• Plagiarism or publication misconduct
• Insufficient scientific contribution

Manuscripts that are scientifically sound but require improvement may be invited for revision and resubmission.

2.3 Editorial Communication Principle

While decisions are communicated clearly, a detailed line-by-line critique may not always be provided. Authors are expected to adhere strictly to journal guidelines and ensure methodological rigor before submission.

3. Peer Review Policy (Summary)

JNMA follows a double-blind peer review system.

• Typically, two independent reviewers are assigned.
• A third reviewer is consulted in case of conflicting recommendations.
• Most manuscripts undergo a one-stage review process.
• A two-stage review is used selectively when necessary.
• Reviewers provide recommendations to editors. Final decisions are made by the editorial team under the supervision of the editor-in-chief.

(Full details are available in the “Peer Review Process” section.)

4. Research and Publication Ethics

JNMA is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and ethical publishing. All submissions must adhere to accepted ethical principles in study design, data reporting, and publication practices.

JNMA strictly adheres to the Nepal Health Research Council Act 1991 section 11.1 (Requirement of approval to do health-related research: A person or organization who intends to do research works on health after the commencement of this Act has to obtain permission of the Council). JNMA has been among the early medical journals in Nepal to mandate the submission of an ethical approval letter for all applicable research articles. Maintaining research integrity is a shared responsibility among authors, reviewers, editors, and readers, and the journal takes all necessary measures to uphold these standards.The issues related to publication ethics is seen by JNMA Ethics committee.

The journal addresses, but is not limited to, the following forms of misconduct:

• Plagiarism
• Data fabrication or falsification
• Duplicate or redundant publication
• Authorship disputes
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest

All ethical concerns are evaluated and managed in accordance with the guidelines and flowcharts of the Committee on Publication Ethics.

4.1 Protection of Research Participants and Patient Privacy

JNMA requires all research involving human participants or identifiable patient data to adhere strictly to established ethical standards.

Human Subjects Research

When reporting studies on humans, indicate whether the procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional or regional) and with the WMA Declaration of Helsinki - Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects.

• Authors must clearly state in the manuscript (under the METHODS section) that ethical approval was obtained.
• Authors must clearly state whether informed consent was obtained or waived. If consent was waived, details of the ethical approval for the waiver should be provided. A copy of the consent form must be securely retained and made available by the authors upon request.

Ethical Compliance Requirement

JNMA will not consider manuscripts that fail to meet ethical standards. A clear statement on ethical approval from the ethical review committee and ethical conduct must be included in all applicable research articles. JNMA strictly abides by COPE guidelines.

Patient Privacy and Confidentiality

Authors must ensure strict protection of patient privacy.

• Identifiable information such as names, initials, hospital numbers, or identifiable images must not be included unless essential and accompanied by explicit written consent.
• All patient-related data must be anonymized wherever possible.

Case Reports and Patient Consent

For case reports:

• Written informed consent must be obtained from the patient (or legal guardian).
• Authors must retain the original consent form with the patient record.
• A copy of the consent form must be submitted or provided upon request.
• No identifying patient information should be published unless essential and supported by documented consent.

5. Complaint and Appeal Policy

JNMA provides a mechanism for reporting concerns related to editorial decisions, ethical issues, or publication misconduct.

• Complaints must be submitted with sufficient detail and supporting evidence.
• All complaints are handled confidentially.
• Authors may appeal editorial decisions with justification.
• All ethical concerns must be reported to: jnma.ethicalcommittee@gmail.com

JNMA ensures that all concerns are reviewed systematically and addressed in accordance with ethical guidelines.

6. Conflict of Interest Policy

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the manuscript or its evaluation.

JNMA follows the disclosure standards recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Authors are encouraged to submit a completed ICMJE Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form.

Editors who submit manuscripts to JNMA must declare all potential conflicts of interest. To ensure transparency and avoid bias, such manuscripts are managed independently. The submitting editor will have no role in the editorial handling, peer review process, or decision-making of their manuscript. The manuscript will be assigned to an independent editor or managed by the editorial office under the supervision of the Editor-in-Chief or Deputy Editor-in-Chief.

7. Plagiarism Policy

JNMA maintains a strict policy against plagiarism.

• All submissions may be screened using plagiarism detection tools.
• Manuscripts with evidence of plagiarism will be rejected.
• Confirmed misconduct in published articles may result in retraction.

8. Data Transparency and Sharing Policy

Authors are encouraged to ensure transparency and reproducibility of research.

• A data availability statement should be included where applicable.
• Methods and results must be reported clearly and accurately.
• Authors should be prepared to provide data upon reasonable request.

9. Clinical Trial Registration Policy (Summary)

JNMA follows strict clinical trial registration requirements in line with International Committee of Medical Journal Editors recommendations.

• All clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible registry approved by WHO or ICMJE.
• Registration must be prospective (before participant enrollment).
• Failure to comply may result in rejection.

10. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

JNMA recognizes the role of AI tools but requires responsible and transparent use.

• AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
• Authors must disclose the use of AI in manuscript preparation.
• Responsibility for accuracy, originality, and integrity lies with the authors.
• Editors and reviewers must not upload confidential manuscripts to AI platforms without permission.

11. Correction, Retraction, and Withdrawal Policy

JNMA follows standard practices for maintaining the integrity of the scientific record.

• Erratum: Correction of minor errors.
• Retraction: Issued in cases of serious misconduct or invalid findings.
• Withdrawal: Allowed prior to publication under justified circumstances.

All actions are conducted in accordance with COPE guidelines.

12. Archiving Policy

JNMA ensures long-term preservation of its content through archiving of both print and digital versions. The journal archives its publications through the Nepal Medical Association Library and is actively working toward integration with internationally recognized digital archiving platforms.

13. Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. JNMA allows readers to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of its articles and allows readers to use them for any other lawful purpose, as long as the author and journal are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications.

14. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their work. Upon publication, authors grant JNMA a license to publish and distribute the article in all formats and media. All published content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, allowing unrestricted use with proper attribution.

15. Privacy Policy

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal. They will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party. However, the email and phone number of the corresponding author will be made available in correspondence detail of the article, to make it available in good faith that like-minded people e.g. researchers could contact them.

16. Publication Charge Policy

JNMA does not charge any fees for submission, processing, publication, or access. The journal promotes equitable access to publication, particularly supporting researchers from developing countries. JNMA does not charge any fees for submission, article processing, publication and reading. The priority will be given to the scientifically conducted research by developing countries' authors to help their work visible to the scientific communities.

17. Data Currency Policy

JNMA prioritizes manuscripts based on recent data (generally within the last five years). Older datasets may be considered if scientifically justified and approved by the editorial board.

18. Advertising Policy

JNMA accepts advertisements that are legal, ethical, and relevant to healthcare and medical sciences, subject to editorial approval. The journal maintains strict editorial independence, ensuring that advertising does not influence editorial decisions, peer review, or publication processes. A clear separation is maintained between advertising content and scientific content. Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement by JNMA or the Nepal Medical Association. The journal reserves the right to reject any advertisement that is misleading, unethical, or inconsistent with its standards. Prohibited advertisements include those related to tobacco, recreational drugs, weapons, and other harmful or inappropriate products.