Publication Policy

PUBLICATION POLICY OF PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH

 

1.0 Objectives:

• To create a comprehensive framework that promotes and supports academic publishing across diverse disciplines.
• To safeguard the intellectual property rights of authors, reviewers, and editors involved in the publication process.
• To implement a clear and transparent policy for transferring manuscript copyrights to Pakistan Journal of Health upon submission.
• To develop and enforce ethical guidelines that ensure consistent and rigorous ethical reviews in the publication process.
• To guarantee the protection of research participants, prioritizing their safety, privacy, confidentiality, and informed consent throughout the study.
• To establish standardized procedures for conducting blind peer reviews, ensuring high-quality and unbiased evaluations.
• To create a clear policy addressing conflicts of interest and the full disclosure of funding sources in research and publication.
• To set criteria for selecting editorial team members, ensuring editorial independence, and establishing accountability measures for a fixed duration.
• To preserve the integrity of the institution, ensuring proper and accurate representation of the institution's name and insignias, while ensuring recognition for all published research attributed to the institution.

1.1 Definitions:

Research: creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way to generate new concepts, methodologies and understandings. This could include synthesis and analysis of previous research to the extent that it leads to new and creative outcomes.

Institute: means Institute of Public Health

Institute Personnel: includes all full-time and part-time employees of the institute, fellows and trainees, interns, volunteers and any non-employees who receive Institute Support, including visiting faculty, reviewers, editorial board members, advisory board members, researchers, in respect of their work at the Institute.

Students: includes all registered students of any College/ Institute/ Allied Health Sciences, including visiting students.

Institute Support: includes financial or any other support including but not limited to salaries, personnel facilities, equipment, data, materials or technological information, regardless of origin, which is used in the discovery or development of Intellectual Property and is provided through Institute channels.

Work(s): a purposeful, directed activity or effort aiming to achieve a specific goal or outcome, often including the production of knowledge, research findings, or creative outputs within a particular field of study.

Invention(s): a new, original, and useful device, process, or idea that is created through a creative process

Author: is the person who does a Work or Invention or Innovation and submit it to Pakistan Journal of Health for publication.

Patent: is an intellectual property right to protect inventions, granted by a country's government as a territorial right for a limited period. Patent rights make it illegal for anyone except the owner or someone with the owner's permission to make, use, import or sell the invention in the country where the patent was granted.

Trademark: a distinctive word, phrase, symbol, design, or combination of elements that identifies the source or origin of a product or service, legally protecting a company's brand and preventing others from using similar marks

Copyright: is a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression

Computer programme/software: is a sequence or set of instructions in a programming language for a computer to execute

Contract: is an agreement that specifies certain legally enforceable rights and obligations pertaining to two or more parties.

Tangible Research Property (TRP): Any physical objects created during research projects, whether with institute support or outside sponsors, are referred to as tangible research property (TRP). Examples of TRP include biological materials, cell lines, data sets, computer software, databases, prototype devices, and equipment.

Net Income: is the amount of money left over after all expenses related to the Institute's acquisition, safeguarding, promotion, and licensing of its intellectual property have been subtracted.

Scholarly Work: Any copyrightable work produced by institute staff as proof of academic progress or achievement is referred to as a "scholarly work." This includes books, journal articles, research-based bulletins, monographs, and scholarly publications (but not case studies, textbooks, or other works).

Scholarly Publications: These are academic journals that provide scholarships and research based on editorial and peer review to determine whether a work is suitable for publication.

Original Research Articles: are defined as those that use a combination of formal data gathering and analysis, participant observation, interviews, surveys, fieldwork, and independent data collecting. When the goal and hypothesis are explained, the article is deemed to be an original research article. The findings of the study are provided, and the research methodologies are thoroughly explained. The results are interpreted by the researcher, who also discusses potential ramifications.

Case reports: is a thorough account of a patient's symptoms, indicators, diagnosis, course of treatment, and follow-up. In addition to describing an uncommon or novel event, case reports may provide the patient's demographic data.

Case series: is a comprehensive study that covers a number of related cases and answers the research question and purpose.

Short Communications: are brief scientific publications that discuss novel concepts, contentious viewpoints, inventions, unfavorable outcomes, or intriguing discoveries made during a project.

Systematic Reviews: are reviews that gather and evaluate several studies or published papers based on the goals, topics, and techniques of the research as well as predefined criteria for discussing and interpreting the findings.

Clinical Practice Articles: Articles that reflect experiences in healthcare science that assess the efficacy and safety of drugs, equipment, diagnostic tools, and treatment plans meant for use in clinical settings are referred to as clinical practice articles. These include preventing, diagnosing, treating, or alleviating the symptoms of illnesses or other health-related problems.

Evidence based Clinical Reviews: are evaluations that have been methodically created to help patients and practitioners make decisions about the best medical care for certain clinical situations.

Medical Humanities: The interdisciplinary discipline of medicine known as "medical humanities" encompasses the arts, social sciences, and humanities as well as how they are applied to medical practice and teaching.

Letter to editor: is one that is meant to be published and contains thoughts, a critical analysis of previously published work, novel concepts, fresh findings, and suggestions that could inspire more research.

Editorial: are brief articles that provide data from subject-matter experts or express opinions on current health-related issues or novel ideas in specialized research.

 

2.0 Applicability

2.1 All publications made while working or studying at the institute with institute support or submitted to the institute's research journal from outside the institute are covered by this policy. This policy covers all institute of public health employees and students.

3.0 Ethics and consent

All ethical clearances and approvals for publications made during research or study at the institute, with institute support, or outside the institute with the intention of publication are covered by this policy. For publishing, the study project has to be sent to the research journal.

3.1 ethical approval

Research involving human subjects, human material, or human data must have been authorized by an appropriate ethical committee and conducted in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

All articles describing such research must include a statement explaining this, together with the name of the ethical commission and the reference number, if applicable.

The article should also specify if a research has been exempted from ethics approval requirements, together with the name of the ethics committee that approved the exemption.

The Editor should have access to additional data and supporting documents upon request. If the editor determines that the study has not been conducted in a manner that is proper for ethics, the manuscript may be rejected.

For more details on unique situations, the editor can get in touch with the ethics committee.

3.2 retroactive ethics permission

In situations when a project has not received ethical committee approval before it starts, it is typically impossible to gain retroactive ethics clearance and the paper may not be eligible for peer review. In these situations, the Editor has the final say over whether to move forward with peer review.

3.3 Ethical approval for new clinical tools and procedures

When authors report the use of a new procedure or tool in a clinical setting, such as as a case report or technical advance, they must provide ethical approval statements and a clear explanation in the manuscript as to why the new procedure or tool was judged more appropriate than standard clinical practice to meet the patient's clinical need.

If the new technique is already authorized for clinical use at the authors' institution, ethical approval and justification are not needed for new clinical equipment and procedures. For any experimental use of a novel method or technology where a clear therapeutic advantage based on clinical necessity was not evident prior to treatment, authors would be required to have secured ethics committee permission and informed patient consent.

A letter of permission for re-publication should be received from the author or authors and the editor of the journal where the previously published tables, drawings, or pictures are included.

The eyes will be blackened out if the manuscript is delivered without written consent to publish patient images whose identities are not concealed. When using a medication, the generic name ought to be utilized.

When it comes to a medication, gadget, or other item mentioned in the text, the author or authors should declare that they have not received any payment from the product's producer or importer. The hospital's ethics committee should be consulted before beginning any experimental procedures. Every interventional study that is submitted for publication has to have a permission letter from the Institutional Ethical C Research Committee.

Ethical considerations should be addressed with regard to the intervention, the additional cost of the test, and in particular the management of control in case-control comparisons of trials: permission letters from ethical boards or the heads of involved institutes may be required to authenticate the affiliation of multicentric authors.

3.4 Research involving humans in special situations

Informed consent must be obtained from participants (or their parent or legal guardian in the case of children under 18) for all research involving human subjects in special circumstances. A statement to this effect should be included in the manuscript. Legal custodians or the state should grant special consent for vulnerable groups, such as inmates, the crazy, and internally displaced people (IDP).

3.5 Research Studies Registration

has to have been authorised by the proper ethical committee and adhere to institutional, national, or international regulations. The manuscript and authorship form must include a declaration attesting to the author's compliance with pertinent rules, any approvals, and the trial registration number.

4.0 Consent for publication

All publications made while working or studying at the Institute with Institute support or submitted to the Institute's research journal are covered by this policy.

Written informed consent from the participants (or their parent or legal guardian in the case of children under 18) for the publication of any manuscript containing information, photos, or videos pertaining to specific participants must be obtained, and a statement to this effect should be included in the manuscript.

The participant's next of kin must be contacted to obtain approval for publishing if the participant has passed away.

Authors may utilize a consent form from their native language, institution, or location.

This material will be kept private and must be provided to the Editor upon request.

Consent for the publishing of photographs may not be necessary if the photos are completely unidentified and the text contains no information about the persons.

The Chief Editor has the last say on whether permission to publish is necessary.

5.0 Publication of Clinical Trial

This policy adheres to the standards set out by the International Committee of Medical Journals Editors (ICMJE). According to ICMJE, a clinical trial is any research endeavour that aims to investigate the causal link between a medical intervention and a health result by prospectively assigning human participants to intervention or comparison groups. Exemption would be granted to studies intended for other objectives, such as the investigation of pharmacokinetics or significant toxicity (e.g., phase 1 trials).

Although Pakistan Journal of Health will mandate that authors register their trials with an international trial registration system that satisfies a number of requirements, the ICMJE does not support any specific registry.

The public must have free access to the registry. It has to be run by an organization and accessible to all potential registrants.

The registry should be searchable online and a system should be in place to guarantee the accuracy of the registration information.

A unique identifying number, a description of the intervention (or interventions) and comparison (or comparisons) under study, a statement of the study hypothesis, definitions of the primary and secondary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, key trial dates (registration date, anticipated or actual start date, anticipated or actual last follow-up date, planned or actual date of closure to data entry, and date trial data considered complete), target number of subjects, funding source, and the principal investigator's contact details are all minimum requirements for an acceptable registry.

Complete transparency about the conduct and reporting of clinical trials is the goal, and registration is only one of the ways to that aim.

It is important for patients who voluntarily take part in clinical trials to know that their input will be used to guide medical choices. Everyone must have access to the information that their combined generosity has made possible. This objective will be furthered by mandatory trial registration. The article should be published and include a clear reference to the Clinical Trial Registration number.

 

6.0 Availability of data and materials

All data and research materials used during work or study at the Institute with Institute support or submitted to the Institute's research journal are covered by this policy.

When an article is submitted to Pakistan Journal of Health, it is assumed that all of the raw data and resources specified in the publication will be freely accessible to any scientist who wants to utilize them for non-commercial reasons without violating participant confidentiality.

The authors are urged to make sure that their datasets are either presented in the main manuscript or other supporting files in machine-readable format (e.g., spreadsheets instead of PDFs) or deposited in publicly accessible repositories (where appropriate and available).

The editor may request the availability and deposition of the data that the manuscript's findings rely on, and it is the corresponding author's primary duty to provide it promptly.

A section titled "Availability of Data and Materials" should be provided at the conclusion of the publication, outlining the sources of the data used to support the findings. If an author does not want their data shared, they must explain why and specify that the data will not be shared.

Data and material availability statements can be made in one of the following formats (or a mix of various formats if necessary for numerous datasets):

• The [NAME] repository, [PERSISTENT WEB LINK TO DATASETS], contains the datasets created and/or analyzed during the present study.
• Upon reasonable request, the corresponding author will provide the datasets used and/or analyzed in the current work.
• This published paper [and its additional information files] contains all of the data created or analyzed during this investigation.
• The datasets created and/or examined in this work are not publically accessible because of [REASON WHY DATA ARE NOT PUBLIC], but they can be obtained from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
• Since no datasets were created or examined for this paper, data sharing is not applicable.
• The data supporting the research's conclusions can be obtained from [third party name], but there are limitations on their accessibility because they were utilized for the current study under a license and are thus not publicly accessible. However, the writers can provide the data upon reasonable request and with [third party name]'s consent.
• Not relevant. If there are no data in your work, please indicate 'Not applicable' in this box.

All publicly accessible datasets must be completely cited in the reference list of the Pakistan Journal of Health using an accession number or other unique identifier, such as a digital object identifier (DOI).

Authors of datasets including clinical data are obligated by law and ethics to preserve participants' identities and to respect their right to privacy. At the time of trial enrolment, writers should ideally get participants' informed consent before publishing the data set. In the event that this is not feasible, authors must show that publishing the data set does not violate local data protection regulations or jeopardise anonymity or confidentiality.

When submitting their work, authors are required to indicate if informed consent was acquired before publishing patient data. The authors must explain why informed permission was not sought and whose body was contacted throughout the dataset's creation.

Reviewers should be allowed to evaluate any custom code or previously unreported software applications mentioned in the text while maintaining their anonymity.

How the reviewers can access the unreported software program or custom code should be explained in the manuscript's Availability of Data and Materials section. Both the most recent software or code version and the archived version cited in the book should be linked in this section. The code or software should have a DOI or other unique identification and be stored in the proper repository.

7.0 Standards of reporting

7.1 This policy applies to the checklists submitted to the PJOH. The journal promotes thorough and transparent reporting of biomedical and biological research in line with established standards, and therefore, checklists must be submitted for various study designs, including:

• Randomized controlled trials (CONSORT) and protocols (SPIRIT)
• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) and protocols (PRISMA-P)
• Observational studies (STROBE)
• Case reports (CARE)
• Qualitative research (COREQ)Diagnostic/prognostic studies (STARD and TRIPOD)
• Economic evaluations (CHEERS)
• Pre-clinical animal studies (ARRIVE)

8.0 Describing new taxonomy/ nomenclature

This policy applies to bacterial names. According to the International Code of Nomenclature  of Prokaryotes (ICNP), the publication of new prokaryotic names in electronic journals is allowed. To comply with the rules set by the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP), authors must submit the final version of the article, along with certificates of deposition of the type strain (for unrestricted distribution), to at least two internationally recognized, publicly accessible culture collections in different countries. The submission should be made to the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (IJSEM) editorial office. After review by the List Editor, effectively published names that meet the ICNP rules will be included in a subsequent Validation List and become validly published.

This policy applies to virus names. Proposals for new virus names must follow the guidelines of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) as outlined in the International Code of Virus Classification and Nomenclature. Proposals for new virus taxa should be submitted to the appropriate ICTV Study Group for review.

This policy applies to all publications that include new taxon names or other nomenclatural acts, which must adhere to the guidelines of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. Authors describing new fungal taxa must register the names with a recognized repository, such as Mycobank, and request a unique digital identifier to be included in the published article.

This policy applies to zoological names. Manuscripts with new taxon names or other nomenclatural acts must follow the guidelines of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. The new taxon name should be italicized, and the article must be registered with ZooBank. The unique identifier provided by ZooBank must be included in the published article. Authors can update ZooBank with the final citation after publication.

9.0 Disclosure / Conflict of interests

Authors must declare all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest in the manuscript and in the letter of authorship. If there are no conflicts, the statement should read, "The author(s) declare(s) that they have no competing interests."

Editors and reviewers must also disclose conflicts of interest and may be excluded from the review process if a conflict exists.

Competing interests include financial and non-financial factors that could influence the interpretation or presentation of research. Authors should disclose all relevant interests, including those that might cause embarrassment if revealed later.

Financial conflicts include receiving funding, fees, or salary from organizations that may benefit or lose from the manuscript's publication, holding shares or patents related to the content, or connections to pharmaceutical companies involved in clinical trials.

Non-financial conflicts, such as political, personal, or ideological interests, must also be disclosed, as transparency ensures the credibility of the research and public trust in the scientific process.

 

10.0 Authorship

PJOH requires a signed letter of authorship from the corresponding author, authors, and co-authors for publication. Authorship carries significant academic, social, and financial responsibilities.

Authorship also signifies responsibility and accountability for the published work.

The journal requires detailed information on the contributions of each author, as authorship alone does not clarify individual contributions.

PJOH follows ICMJE criteria for authorship and encourages adherence to its contributor ship policy to remove ambiguity about contributions.

To be listed as an author, individuals must meet four criteria: substantial contributions to the work's conception or data interpretation, drafting or revising the manuscript critically, final approval of the version to be published, and accountability for the integrity of the work.

If an author is added or removed after submission or publication, the journal will seek a signed statement of agreement from all authors involved.

The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal, ensuring administrative requirements (authorship details, ethics approval, etc.) are met, and responding to editorial queries. They should remain available after publication for any additional information requests.

For large multi-author projects, authorship should be decided before starting the work, with all contributors meeting the four authorship criteria and being able to take responsibility for the work's accuracy and integrity.

In multi-author submissions, PJOH allows group authorship, where the group name is provided, and individual contributors are clearly identified as authors or non- authors.

Contributors who do not meet all four authorship criteria should not be listed as authors but may be acknowledged. Those whose contributions do not justify authorship may be recognized for their specific roles, such as technical editing, data collection, or providing patient care.

11.0 Editorial board

This policy outlines the composition, roles, responsibilities, functions, and ongoing monitoring criteria for the Editorial Board. The Editorial Board is responsible for overseeing the publication process and ensuring the implementation of relevant policies.

The Editorial Board shall comprise the Chief Editor, Editor, Associate Editors, Assistant Editors, National and International Members, Online Assistant Editor, Editorial Assistant, Bibliographer, and Statisticians. All members will be appointed by the Dean of the Institute of Public Health for a specified term and are required to submit annual performance reports. The criteria for their appointments, responsibilities, and functions are as follows:

The Editor-in-Chief is directly accountable for the management and publication of the Pakistan Journal of Health.

Editors are responsible for assisting the Editor-in-Chief in the evaluation of manuscripts, providing support in decision-making, and facilitating communication with other Board members.

The Editorial Board includes both national and international members, each of whom is expected to contribute regularly to the journal in the form of editorial pieces or manuscripts within agreed-upon timelines.

The Editorial Assistant will maintain records of correspondence, similarity index reports, plagiarism reports, statistical reports, bibliographic reports, financial documentation, consent forms for Editorial Board members and reviewers, reviewers' reports, authorship letters, corrections, modifications, and manuscript rejections. They will also maintain records related to indexing, archiving services, regulatory authorities, official meetings, publication timelines, and ethical permissions, including trial registration forms, conflict-of-interest statements, and funding sources.

PJOH must have qualified statisticians with expertise in health-related biostatistics to evaluate all statistical analyses submitted to the journal. Similarly, the journal must employ bibliographers with relevant qualifications and experience in various citation styles.

12.1 Functions of the Chief Editor (including but not limited to):

• Identify new topics and themes for special editions and provide guidance on the journal's direction, including feedback on past issues and recommendations for subject matter and potential authors.
• Contribute content by writing editorials and articles. All Editorial Board members are expected to contribute editorials to the Pakistan Journal of Health.
• Approach potential contributors to improve the quality of publications.
• Assist in identifying peer reviewers and provide second opinions on manuscripts, particularly in cases of conflicting reviews.
• Identify relevant conferences for editors to attend and present at various academic forums.
• Promote the journal to authors, readers, and subscribers, encouraging colleagues to submit high-quality work.
• Strive to enhance the quality and impact of published articles, ensuring their relevance to the target community.
• Take overall responsibility for the journal, ensuring familiarity with the subject literature, research design, statistics, publication ethics, and standards. Also accountable for managing the journal's budget and financial records.
• Drive the journal's development, suggesting improvements and additional policies to the publisher.
• Oversee the selection and rotation of Editorial Board members, ensuring their engagement in the review process and the overall quality of the journal.
• Conduct regular meetings to update the Editorial Board on new policies and developments.
• Set annual objectives for the Board, assigning responsibilities for the peer review process, and ensuring the timely completion of tasks.
• Monitor the performance of Board members and take appropriate actions to address unmet objectives, ensuring timely progress on peer review and publication processes.
• Provide timely guidance on manuscript acceptance or rejection, considering the scope, readability, significance of the study, and broader accessibility of the research.
• Make the final decision on article acceptance or rejection, ensuring the quality, structure, grammar, data presentation, and overall clarity of the manuscript.
• Ensure that manuscripts are free from plagiarism and have not been published elsewhere. If a manuscript is found to be plagiarized or infringes copyright, the Editor-in- Chief has the authority to reject the article.
• Oversee and support the editorial team in addressing complaints and appeals, ensuring ethical standards are upheld in cases of duplicate or fraudulent work.

12.2 Functions of the Editor (including but not limited to):

• Assist the Editor-in-Chief and participate in the peer review process.
• Ensure the quality of journal content and the published articles.
• Encourage the submission of high-quality papers.
• Provide constructive and fair feedback to contributors, editors, and reviewers.
• Contribute editorials on current health issues, new technologies, and the introduction of new policies.
• Support the Editor-in-Chief in conducting regular meetings and updating the Editorial Board on new policies and developments.
• Help the Editor-in-Chief in setting annual objectives for the peer review process and ensuring timely task completion.
• Ensure that manuscripts are original and free from plagiarism, with an acceptable similarity report from plagiarism detection software.
• Assist in managing ethical issues, complaints, and appeals related to publication standards.
• Suggest new policies for the development of the journal.
• Foster relationships with other Board members and organize workshops on plagiarism, medical writing, and publications.
• Ensure communication with reviewers and authors regarding new policies and guidelines.
• Safeguard the integrity of published work and ensure confidentiality.
• Ensure that every Editorial Board member submits at least one editorial or manuscript annually.
• Provide constructive, fair, and timely feedback to authors for their submissions.
• Enhance the journal's reputation within the academic community.
• Represent and promote the journal at academic meetings and conferences.
• Submit an annual performance report detailing objectives met, tasks completed, and progress made.

12.3 Functions of the Assistant Editor (including but not limited to):

• Assist authors, editors, and reviewers by providing guidance based on the journal's website guidelines.
• Encourage the submission of high-quality articles and support senior editors in maintaining content quality.
• Participate in meetings to update the Editorial Board on new policies and developments.
• Ensure that manuscripts meet the journal's writing, language, and presentation standards.
• Support the peer review process and ensure timely publication.
• Ensure the integrity and quality of the content published in the journal.
• Verify that manuscripts are not plagiarized and use plagiarism detection tools for similarity reports.
• Suggest new policies for the journal's development to the editor.
• Recommend suitable reviewers during the peer review process.
• Submit an annual performance report detailing objectives met, tasks completed, and progress to the editor for further reporting.

13.0 Advisory Board

This Policy describes the establishment of Advisory board that consists of professors and eminent scholars from broad array of medical specialties. They should be nominated by Editorial board and approved by the Dean Institute of Public Health. They should help the editorial board to establish and maintain editorial policy and should be nominated for three years term. Editorial board seeks input from advisory board especially on controversial issues raised during publications and invites them in meetings.

14.0 Editorial Freedom

The Pakistan Journal of Health adheres to the World Association of Medical Editors' definition of editorial freedom, which asserts that the editors-in-chief hold full authority over the editorial content of the journal and the timing of its publication. Owners of the journal must not interfere in the evaluation, selection, scheduling, or editing of individual articles, either directly or by fostering an environment that could unduly influence editorial decisions.

Editorial decisions should be made based on the scientific validity and relevance of the work to the journal's readership, rather than the commercial interests of the journal. Editors must be free to express critical, yet responsible, opinions on all aspects of medicine, without fear of retribution, even if such opinions may contradict the goals of the publisher or administration.

Editors-in-chief retain the final authority in decisions regarding advertisements, sponsored content, and supplements, as well as the use of the journal's brand. They should also have full control over the overall policy concerning the commercial use of the journal's content.

Editors are encouraged to establish an independent editorial advisory board to assist the editor-in-chief in formulating and upholding editorial policy. Editors should seek guidance from a wide range of advisers, including reviewers, editorial staff, board members, and readers, to support editorial decisions, especially in cases involving potentially controversial opinions. The administration should ensure that appropriate insurance is in place to protect editors from legal actions and that legal counsel is available when required.

Editors must uphold the confidentiality of authors and peer reviewers, including their identities and reviewer comments. Editors should make reasonable efforts to verify the facts in journal commentary, including content posted on social media, and ensure that staff adhere to the highest standards of journalistic integrity. This includes taking contemporaneous notes and seeking responses from all relevant parties when possible before publication. Such practices are essential for safeguarding truth and public interest, particularly in defending against potential legal challenges such as defamation.

To ensure editorial independence, the editor must have direct access to the highest level of the institute administration, rather than to a subordinate manager or administrative officer.

15.0 Types of Manuscripts and subsections

This policy applies uniformly to all types of manuscripts, including Editorials, Original Research Articles, Case Reports, Case Series, Short Communications, Clinical Practice Articles, Systematic Reviews, Critical Reviews, Medical Humanities, and Letters to the Editor. All manuscripts should include 3 to 10 key words in the abstract, based on the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) classification.

Submissions may include various types of content, such as Original Research (e.g., Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT), Meta-analysis of RCTs, Quasi-experimental Studies, Case-Control Studies, Cohort Studies, Observational Studies with statistical analysis), Review Articles, Commentaries, Case Reports, Recent Advances, New Techniques, Debates, Adverse Drug Reports, Current Practices, Clinical Practice Articles, Short Articles, KAP (Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices) Studies, Audit Reports, Evidence-Based Reports, Short Communications, or Letters to the Editor. Innovations and modifications to existing techniques or the development of new techniques or instruments may also be reported.

A simple description of a technique, without practical experience or innovation, will be considered an update rather than an original article. Any study conducted more than three years prior to submission will be assessed by the Editorial Board for relevance, as significant changes may have occurred during that time, depending on the study area.

PJOH does not accept multiple studies or publications derived from a single research project or dataset, whether wholly or partially, a practice known as "salami slicing."

Original Articles should present original research pertinent to clinical medicine. These articles should be between 2,000 and 2,500 words, excluding the abstract and references, with a structured abstract of 250 to 300 words. A minimum of 3 and a maximum of 10 keywords should be included, according to MeSH. The article should contain no more than three tables or illustrations and should cite 20 to 25 references, including both local references from the past 10 years and international references from the last five years.

Clinical Practice Articles encompass simple observational case series and should be between 1,500 and 1,600 words, with 15 to 20 references. These articles should follow the format of Original Articles. KAP Studies, Audit Reports, Current Practices, Survey Reports, and Short Articles should also adhere to this format.

Evidence-Based Reports must include at least 10 cases and be between 1,000 and 1,200 words, with 10 to 12 references and a maximum of two tables or illustrations. These reports should have a non-structured abstract of approximately 150 words.

Short Communications should be between 1,000 and 1,200 words, with a non- structured abstract of about 150 words, two tables or illustrations, and no more than 10 references.

Clinical Case Reports must offer academic and educational value, with an emphasis on unusual or rare diseases. Brief or negative research findings may also be included in this section. The word count should be around 800 words, with a minimum of three keywords. The case report should feature a non-structured abstract of 100 to 150 words and include no more than five to six references, with a maximum of two figures.

Systematic Review Articles should provide a critical analysis of a specific, narrowly defined topic, including background information and recent developments, with references to original literature. The review should integrate the author's original work on the subject. The article should be between 2,500 and 3,000 words, with 40 to 60 references, and include a structured abstract of 150 words with at least three keywords.

Letters to the Editor should generally not exceed 400 words, with no more than five references, and must be signed by all authors (up to a maximum of three). Preference is given to letters addressing points raised in recent journal contributions. Letters may be published with responses from the authors of the articles being discussed. Further discussions beyond the initial letter and response will not be published. Letters reporting scientific data may be subject to peer review.

Guest Editorials are written only by invitation.

16.0 Processing and publication charges

Processing Fee:

No charges for processing the manuscript on submission.

Publication Fee:

No charges for publication

17.0 Citations

This policy applies to all publications produced during work or study that include citations in the institute's research journal.

Research and non-research articles (such as Editorials, Opinions, Reviews, and Commentaries) must follow the Vancouver citation style. Excessive self-citation is discouraged and should not exceed 20%.

Any statement within the manuscript that is based on external sources (i.e., not the author's original ideas, findings, or general knowledge) must be properly cited.

Authors should prioritize citing original research rather than secondary sources like review articles that reference the original work.

Citations must be accurate, ensuring they correctly support the claims made in the manuscript and do not misrepresent the original source.

Authors should only cite sources they have personally read.

Citations should be impartial and not favor the author's own work, their colleagues', or their institution's publications.

Authors should ensure citation diversity and avoid referencing work exclusively from a single country

 

18.0 Duplicate publication

This policy applies to all materials submitted for publication.

Institute evaluates potentially overlapping or redundant publications on a case-by- case basis. Manuscripts that have already been published, submitted, or accepted elsewhere should not be submitted.

Submitting the same work to multiple journals simultaneously is considered publication fraud and may lead to disciplinary action, including reporting to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

A full report based on a preliminary abstract or a paper presented at a scientific meeting may be submitted, provided it has not been published in full in conference proceedings or similar publications. Press reports of meetings do not violate this rule, but additional data, tables, or illustrations should not expand upon such reports. If there is any uncertainty, authors should submit a copy of the previously published material for editorial review.

Manuscripts submitted to Institute must be original and should not be under review by another journal. Authors must declare any potential overlap with previously published work upon submission. Any overlapping publications should be cited, and unpublished or "in press" manuscripts relevant to the review process should be made available upon request. Generally, manuscripts should not have been formally published in any journal or other citable format. Exceptions to this rule may apply if justified and clearly stated at the time of submission.

19.0 Accountability

19.1 Applicability and Accountability

This policy applies to authors, editors, and reviewers involved in the publication process. Manuscripts submitted to the journal are privileged communications and remain the confidential property of the authors. Premature disclosure of any details may be detrimental to the authors.

 

19.2 Authors' Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for:

• The accuracy of research findings, conclusions, and data collection/storage used for publication.
• Disclosing financial and personal relationships that may cause bias or appear to influence their work.
• Since manuscripts are confidential, authors should be protected from unauthorized disclosure before publication.

19.3 Reviewers' Responsibilities

Reviewers must:

• Treat manuscripts and related materials as strictly confidential.
• Disclose any conflicts of interest that may compromise their review.
• Recuse themselves if they believe bias could affect their judgment, even in blind peer review.
• Reviewers must not use unpublished research findings to advance their own interests.
• Reviewers must not discuss or share an author's work publicly or appropriate ideas before publication.
• Reviewers should respond promptly to review requests and submit their evaluations within the agreed time frame. They must not retain manuscripts for personal use and should destroy copies after submitting their review.
• Reviewers must not contact authors or organizations regarding a manuscript's approval or rejection. Breaching confidentiality will make them accountable for misconduct.

19.4 Editors' and Editorial Team's Responsibilities

Editors and editorial team members must:

• Treat submitted manuscripts and data as confidential.
• Recuse themselves from editorial decisions if they have potential conflicts of interest.
• Editorial team members involved in decision-making must disclose any financial or professional conflicts of interest.
• Editors and team members must not exploit privileged information obtained through manuscript handling for personal gain.
• Editors should regularly disclose potential conflicts of interest related to their editorial commitments.
• Assistant Editors, editorial members, or guest editors must not contact authors or organizations regarding manuscript approval or rejection. Any breach of confidentiality will hold them accountable.

19.5 Editorial Appointments and Dismissals

Under justified circumstances, including:

• Scientific misconduct or ethical violations.
• Disagreements on the long-term editorial direction of the journal.
• Failure to meet performance metrics as agreed upon.
• Unprofessional behavior that compromises trust in the role.

 

20.0 Blind Peer Review Policy

This Policy is applicable to all publications submitted to the research journal of the University and they must undergo blind peer review involving internal and external reviewers. This involves review by two independent peer reviewers.

All submissions to PJOH are assessed by the Editor, who will decide whether they are suitable for in house editing and further process.

Where an Editor is on the author list or has any other conflict of interest regarding a specific manuscript, another member of the Editorial Board will be assigned to assume responsibility for overseeing peer review.

Manuscripts after satisfactory reports from plagiarism check, bibliography report and statistical check will be sent for two or more peer reviews to appropriate independent experts preferably from technologically advanced countries. The manuscript will be returned to author if reports are unsatisfactory and will be informed.

Editors will make a decision based on the reviewers' reports. The approval for publication is based on approval from two independent blind peer reviews. Rejection is also based on two independent blind peer reviews.

Authors should remove the concerns raised by reviewers within given time. Failure to respond in time or corrections not accepted by reviewers may result in the manuscript being rejected. The modifications from authors need final approval from the reviewers prior to publication.

PJOH operates a closed peer review process. Reviewers will be treated anonymously and the pre-publication history of each article will not be made available online. However, names of all reviewers for Pakistan Journal of Health are published in every issue.

Authors may suggest potential reviewers; however, whether or not to consider these reviewers is at the Editor's discretion. Authors should not suggest recent collaborators or colleagues who work in the same institution as themselves. Authors who wish to suggest peer reviewers can do so in the cover letter and should provide institutional email addresses where possible, or information which will help the Editor to verify the identity of the reviewer.

Authors may request exclusion of individuals as peer reviewers, but they should explain the reasons in their cover letter on submission and conflicts of interest statement. Editor may choose to invite excluded peer reviewers if satisfactory statements are not provided.

Intentionally falsifying information, for example, authors or reviewers with a false name or email address, will result in rejection of the manuscript and may lead to penalty according to misconduct policy

 

21.0 Publication Frequency:

PJOH is a scholarly peer reviewed journal and published on quarterly basis in a year.

It is electronically published via journal website (https://pjoh.org) as well as also available in print version.

 

22.0 Instructions to the Authors / Guidelines for Submission of Research Article

22.1 Minimum Requirements for Manuscript Writing and Editing for Biomedical Journals (Based on ICMJE Guidelines)

Introduction

The Editorial Board of the PJOH follows the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publications" by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). This document summarizes the essential requirements for authors, reviewers, and editors. The complete guidelines are available at www.icmje.org.

General Guidelines

Title Page

The title page must include:

• A concise and informative article title suitable for electronic retrieval.
• Names and affiliations of all authors.
• Institutional details.
• Any necessary disclaimers.
• Contact information for the corresponding author.
• Details of the Supervisor/Co-Supervisor.
• Information on funding sources (grants, equipment, etc.).
• Word count (excluding abstract, references, tables, and figures).
• Number of tables and figures included.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

A separate page following the title page should list any potential conflicts of interest.

Abstract and Keywords

The abstract should be structured (length varies by journal) and include the study's objectives, methods, results, and conclusions. Authors must provide 3 to 10 keywords selected from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) list for indexing purposes.

Introduction

The introduction should provide relevant background information, the study's significance, and clearly state its objectives or hypotheses.

 

Patients and Methods

This section must include:

• Selection and Description of Participants: Eligibility criteria, exclusion criteria, source population, and rationale for methodology.
• Technical Details: Clear descriptions of methods, equipment (including manufacturer details), and procedures to allow reproducibility.
• Statistical Analysis: Detailed explanation of statistical methods, including software used and confidence intervals where applicable.

Results

Results should be logically presented in the text, tables, and figures, emphasizing key findings without unnecessary repetition.

Discussion

The discussion should highlight new findings, compare them with existing literature, acknowledge study limitations, and suggest future research directions.

Conclusions

Conclusions should align with the study objectives, avoiding unwarranted claims.

References

• References should be recent (preferably within five years for international journals and ten years for national journals).
• Abstracts, personal communications, and unpublished work should be avoided as references.
• Use Index Medicus journal abbreviations.
• References must be numbered in the order they appear in the text.

Tables

Tables should be numbered sequentially, double-spaced, and referenced in the text. Avoid internal horizontal or vertical lines and include explanatory footnotes.

Figures (Illustrations)

• Figures should be high-resolution, properly labeled, and self-explanatory.
• Photomicrographs should include scale markers.
• Images featuring identifiable individuals require written consent.

Figure Legends

Figure legends should be double-spaced on a separate page, clearly describing symbols, arrows, and other identifiers.

 

Units of Measurement

Use metric units (e.g., meters, kilograms, liters), degrees Celsius for temperature, and mmHg for blood pressure.

Abbreviations and Symbols

Use only standard abbreviations. The full term must precede the first use unless it is a standard unit of measurement.

The manuscript should be accompanied with the Letter of Authorship. It is available in downloads section.

LETTER OF AUTHORSHIP

Dear Editor,

This is to confirm that the manuscript titled submitted for publication in the journal Pakistan Journal of Health has been read and approved by all authors. We, the authors, confirm that:

• The article has not been published in any other journal;
• Is being submitted exclusively to Pakistan Journal Of Health; and
• If accepted for publication, it will not be published in any other national or international medical journal.

We transfer the copyrights of this manuscript to the Pakistan Journal of Health.

We have disclosed the conflict of interests, funding source and ethical permission.

The Submitted article is □ Original Research Article □ Case Report □ Other (Specify)

Electronic signatures will be considered valid for all articles submitted using the online article submission services.

Authorship Criteria (Based on ICMJE Guidelines)

To qualify as an author, individuals must meet all four criteria:

• Significant contribution to the study's conception, design, data collection, or analysis.
• Involvement in drafting or critically revising the manuscript.
• Approval of the final manuscript before submission.
• Responsibility for all aspects of the work.

Contributors who do not meet these criteria should be acknowledged separately.

Submission Format

Abstract: (250–300 words for original research articles)

• Objectives
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusions
• Keywords

Main Body:

• Introduction
• Patients and Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References (maximum of 25 references)

By submitting, the corresponding author confirms adherence to these guidelines.

Principal/Corresponding Author Name:

Signature:

23.0 Confidentiality/Privacy Policy:

The confidentiality policy applies to all publications that are part of work or study at the Institute, or those supported by the Institute and submitted to its research journal.

The Editorial Board and all members of the editorial team at Pakistan Journal of Health treat all submitted manuscripts confidentially, in adherence to ICMJE criteria.

Reviewers and editorial board members are required to maintain confidentiality throughout and after the peer review process.

If reviewers wish to involve others in the review, they must obtain prior approval from the journal, and the editor must be informed of any experts involved.

24.0 Misconduct Policy:

This policy applies to authors, reviewers, and all members of the editorial and advisory boards at Pakistan Journal of Health.

Allegations of misconduct are taken very seriously, and in cases of suspected research or publication misconduct, the editor may share manuscripts with the Dean for further investigation.

Relevant authorities, such as the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC), and ethics committees, may also be informed.

Misconduct, including unethical research involving humans or animals, may lead to the rejection of a manuscript or retraction of a published article.

If objections are raised during the peer-review process, the editor may request the original data for comparison. If the data cannot be produced, the manuscript may be rejected or retracted.

 

25.0 Plagiarism Policy:

25.1: The Pakistan Journal of Health follows the COPE, ICMJE, and HEC guidelines for plagiarism.

25.2: Research submissions are checked for plagiarism using 'Turnitin'. Submissions with a similarity index above 40% are declined. A similarity index of up to 40% requires revisions, and the acceptable limit for similarity is below 19%, with no more than 5% from a single source.

25.3: Allegations of plagiarism must be submitted in writing, including specific details of the original and plagiarized work including citations and author information. Upon receiving a complaint, the office of the journal will request an investigation by the Dean.

25.4: Upon receiving an allegation, the Dean will have an obligation to:

• Plagiarism Standing Committee consisted of faculty members, a subject specialist in that particular field is to be coopted, and a nominee of the HEC.
• Plagiarism Standing Committee investigation.

25.5 The Plagiarism Standing Committee shall conduct the investigation, which may include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Confidentiality: Committee members must maintain strict confidentiality and not disclose any personal information such as the author's name, paper titles, referees, or the names of the committee members during the investigation.
• Opportunity for Defense: Authors under investigation will be given the opportunity to justify their work's originality. Similarly, the complainant and the alleged plagiarized author will have the chance to present their case.
• Investigative Methods: The committee must use all foreseeable means, including software for content similarity checks, determining the extent of plagiarism, and consulting relevant parties such as referees, editors, legal counsel, and witnesses.

25.6 Investigation Process

Tools and Methods: The committee will utilize software for content similarity checks, assess the extent of plagiarism, consult with the Editor-in-Chief, Program Chair, and referees, and may contact witnesses or past employers.

The Plagiarism Standing Committee will submit its report with findings and recommendations to the Vice Chancellor within 60 days. The Vice Chancellor can implement recommendations or refer them to HEC for further action if necessary.

25.7 Penalties for Plagiarism

• Major Penalty: Dismissal from service and possible public naming of the offender.
• Moderate Penalty: Demotion and potential publicizing of the offense.
• Minor Penalty: Warning, freezing of research grants, or suspension of promotions.

 

25.8 Actions against Students

• Plagiarism in Thesis: The student, not the supervisor, will be held responsible.
• Possible Penalties: Expulsion, failure in the subject, fines, or written warnings for first-time minor offenses.
• Degree Withdrawal: If plagiarism is found in an MS, MPhil, or PhD dissertation, the degree may be revoked.

25.9 Co-Authors Responsibility

All co-authors are responsible for plagiarism in published works and must sign a declaration ensuring the work is not plagiarized.

25.10 Additional Actions

• Removal of Plagiarized Paper: The plagiarized paper will be removed from the web and kept for future reference.
• Apology: Offending authors may be required to issue an apology to the original authors.

25.11 Appeal for Review

Affected individuals can appeal the findings within 30 days, and appeals will be reviewed within 60 days.

25.12 False Allegations

If plagiarism is not proven and a false allegation is lodged, the complainant will face strict disciplinary action.

26.0 Corrections and Retractions Policy:

Pakistan Journal of Health acknowledges that honest errors are part of scientific work. Corrections will be published for factual errors, and in cases where the research results or conclusions are invalidated by errors, a retraction may occur. If serious research or publication misconduct is proven, the journal may retract the article. A correction notice will be published promptly, and the corrected version will be made available, along with previous versions archived for reference.

27.0 Timelines of Manuscript Publication:

Each manuscript submitted to Pakistan Journal of Health undergoes a plagiarism check, section review, peer review (internal and external), statistical review, and references check. This process typically takes a minimum of three months to determine whether a manuscript will be accepted or rejected after its official submission.

28.0 Appeals and Complaints:

All appeals and complaints regarding misconduct, authorship conflicts, or plagiarism related to publications in Pakistan Journal of Health are directed to the Dean Institute of Public Health, who serves as the competent authority for resolving such issues.