Policy Statement

The Journal of Maternal and Child Health Sciences (JMCHS) is committed to maintaining the integrity, credibility, transparency, and ethical standards of scholarly research and publication.

JMCHS takes all allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously, whether they concern submitted manuscripts, published articles, or activities conducted during the editorial and peer review processes.

The journal follows the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) when addressing allegations of misconduct.

All concerns will be assessed fairly, confidentially, and objectively, with appropriate consideration of the available evidence and the rights of all parties involved.

2. Definition of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct refers to serious violations of accepted ethical and scientific standards in the design, conduct, reporting, review, or publication of research.

Research misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

1. Fabrication of Data

Inventing research data, clinical observations, participant responses, or study results that were not obtained through actual research procedures.

1. Falsification of Data

Manipulating research materials, methodologies, statistical analyses, images, or study findings to produce misleading results.

1. Plagiarism

Using another person's words, ideas, research findings, data, or intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgment or attribution.

1. Duplicate or Redundant Publication

Submitting or publishing substantially overlapping research findings without appropriate disclosure, justification, or editorial authorization.

1. Authorship Misconduct

Including individuals who do not meet authorship criteria, excluding eligible contributors, submitting manuscripts without the knowledge of legitimate authors, or misrepresenting individual contributions.

1. Peer Review Manipulation

Providing false reviewer identities, influencing the review process inappropriately, creating fraudulent peer review reports, or interfering with independent editorial assessment.

1. Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

Failing to disclose financial, professional, institutional, or personal interests that could materially influence the research or publication process.

1. Research Ethics Violations

Conducting research involving human participants without required ethical approval, informed consent, or appropriate safeguards.

1. Misuse of Research Data

Unauthorized access, use, disclosure, or manipulation of confidential research information, medical records, or patient data.

1. Citation Manipulation

Inappropriately adding or requesting citations primarily to increase citation metrics rather than to support the scientific content of a manuscript.

Honest errors, legitimate scientific disagreements, and differences in interpretation are not automatically considered research misconduct. Each concern will be evaluated according to its specific circumstances and supporting evidence.

3. Scope of the Policy

This policy applies to:

1. Manuscripts submitted to JMCHS.
2. Articles previously published in JMCHS.
3. Authors and research contributors.
4. Editors and editorial board members.
5. Peer reviewers.
6. Other individuals involved in the journal's editorial and publication activities.

Allegations may be raised before, during, or after manuscript publication.

4. Reporting Allegations of Research Misconduct

JMCHS encourages authors, reviewers, readers, researchers, healthcare professionals, and other concerned individuals to report suspected research or publication misconduct.

Reports should be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief through the journal's official editorial communication channel.

A report should include:

• The title and identifying information of the manuscript or published article.
• A clear description of the suspected misconduct.
• Supporting evidence, documents, or references where available.
• Relevant information regarding the individuals or research activities involved.
• Contact information for further clarification, when the complainant is willing to provide it.

Anonymous reports may be considered when they contain sufficiently specific and verifiable evidence.

The journal will not dismiss a credible allegation solely because it is submitted anonymously.

5. Procedures for Handling Allegations

JMCHS follows a structured process to assess and respond to allegations of research misconduct.

Step 1: Receipt of the Allegation

The Editor-in-Chief or designated editor receives the report and records the relevant information.

Step 2: Preliminary Assessment

The editorial team evaluates whether the allegation falls within the journal's responsibilities and whether sufficient information is available to justify further examination.

Step 3: Collection of Evidence

Relevant materials may be reviewed, including submitted manuscripts, published articles, similarity reports, research documentation, editorial correspondence, and peer review records.

Step 4: Author or Responsible Party Clarification

Individuals directly involved in the allegation will ordinarily be given an opportunity to provide explanations, supporting documents, or responses to the concerns raised.

Step 5: Further Investigation

Where appropriate, the editorial team may seek advice from independent experts, research ethics committees, institutional research integrity officers, or other relevant authorities.

Step 6: Editorial Evaluation

The Editor-in-Chief and relevant editorial representatives evaluate the available evidence, responses, and findings from any institutional investigation.

Step 7: Editorial Decision

Based on the outcome, the journal determines whether corrective, administrative, or publication-related action is necessary.

Step 8: Documentation and Follow-Up

The journal maintains appropriate records of the allegation, correspondence, evidence, and resulting editorial decisions.

The duration of the assessment depends on the complexity of the allegation, availability of evidence, and the involvement of external institutions.

6. Responsibilities of the Editorial Board

The Editor-in-Chief and editorial board are responsible for responding appropriately to credible allegations of misconduct.

Their responsibilities include:

1. Assessing allegations objectively and without discrimination.
2. Maintaining appropriate confidentiality during investigations.
3. Providing affected individuals with a fair opportunity to respond.
4. Avoiding conflicts of interest in the assessment process.
5. Consulting independent experts where necessary.
6. Cooperating with relevant research institutions and ethics committees.
7. Implementing appropriate editorial actions.
8. Protecting the integrity and reliability of the published scholarly record.

Editors involved in an allegation or having a relevant conflict of interest must not participate in decisions concerning that case.

7. Research Misconduct in Midwifery and Maternal and Child Health Research

JMCHS recognizes that research involving pregnant women, postpartum mothers, newborns, infants, adolescents, and other potentially vulnerable populations requires particular ethical attention.

Potential misconduct in midwifery and maternal and child health research may include:

• Conducting clinical research without required ethical approval.
• Recruiting research participants without appropriate informed consent.
• Misrepresenting maternal, neonatal, or reproductive health outcomes.
• Fabricating antenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, or neonatal clinical data.
• Manipulating findings concerning the safety or effectiveness of midwifery interventions.
• Disclosing identifiable patient information without appropriate authorization.
• Inappropriately using clinical photographs, medical records, or confidential reproductive health data.
• Misreporting adverse events or withholding important safety-related findings.

JMCHS will evaluate these concerns carefully, considering research integrity, participant protection, and the potential implications for clinical practice.

When a reported concern indicates an immediate and credible risk to research participants or patient safety, the journal may promptly refer the matter to the responsible institution or relevant authority.

8. Cooperation with Research Institutions

JMCHS recognizes that research institutions and appropriate authorities generally have primary responsibility for investigating allegations involving the conduct of research.

The journal may contact the authors' institutions, research ethics committees, or relevant research integrity authorities when allegations require access to information or investigative powers beyond the journal's editorial responsibilities.

JMCHS will cooperate with legitimate institutional investigations and may request information regarding their outcomes.

The journal retains responsibility for determining appropriate editorial actions concerning submitted or published articles.

9. Possible Editorial Actions

Depending on the nature and seriousness of the findings, JMCHS may take one or more of the following actions:

1. No Further Action

When an allegation is unsupported or sufficiently resolved, the case may be closed without corrective action.

1. Request for Clarification or Revision

Authors may be requested to provide additional explanations, supporting data, or manuscript revisions.

1. Suspension of Editorial Processing

The review or publication process may be temporarily suspended while serious unresolved concerns are assessed.

1. Manuscript Rejection

A submitted manuscript may be rejected when substantial ethical violations or scientific integrity problems are established.

1. Publication of a Correction

A correction may be issued when a published article contains significant errors that do not invalidate its principal findings.

1. Expression of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be published when serious questions regarding the reliability or integrity of an article remain unresolved.

1. Article Retraction

A retraction may be issued when the findings are unreliable or serious publication ethics violations warrant withdrawal of the article from the reliable scientific record.

1. Institutional Notification

Relevant institutions, research ethics committees, or other appropriate authorities may be informed when supported by the circumstances and evidence.

Any editorial action will be proportionate to the identified problem and consistent with the journal's established publication ethics policies.

10. Confidentiality and Protection of Complainants

JMCHS is committed to maintaining confidentiality throughout the handling of research misconduct allegations, to the extent reasonably possible.

Information concerning allegations will be shared only with individuals or institutions whose involvement is necessary for proper assessment, investigation, or resolution.

The journal will seek to protect the identity of complainants where possible and will not tolerate retaliation by journal personnel against individuals who report concerns in good faith.

Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed where disclosure is required by applicable law, institutional investigation procedures, or the need for a fair assessment.

11. Fair Treatment and Right to Respond

JMCHS recognizes the importance of procedural fairness in handling allegations of misconduct.

Individuals accused of misconduct will be treated fairly and will ordinarily have an opportunity to respond to the allegations before a final adverse editorial decision is reached.

The journal will not regard an allegation as proven solely because it has been reported.

Decisions will be based on the available evidence and relevant publication ethics standards.

12. Allegations Involving Editors or Reviewers

Allegations concerning editorial board members, reviewers, or journal personnel will be handled with the same attention to fairness and research integrity as allegations involving authors.

When an allegation concerns the Editor-in-Chief, responsibility for assessing the matter should be transferred to an appropriate independent editor or the publishing institution.

Potential misconduct by reviewers may include breaches of confidentiality, misuse of unpublished manuscript information, plagiarism, manipulation of reviewer recommendations, or undisclosed conflicts of interest.

Where serious misconduct is substantiated, the journal may discontinue the individual's editorial or reviewing responsibilities and notify relevant institutions when appropriate.

13. Appeals and Reconsideration

Individuals directly affected by an editorial decision concerning alleged misconduct may submit a written appeal.

Appeals should clearly identify the contested decision and provide relevant explanations or additional evidence.

Where practicable, appeals will be assessed by an editor or qualified individual who was not directly involved in the original decision.

The journal may uphold, revise, or reconsider the original decision following evaluation.

An appeal does not automatically suspend necessary actions intended to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

14. Post-Publication Actions

When research misconduct concerns arise after publication, JMCHS will assess their implications for the validity and reliability of the published article.

Any necessary corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions will be managed in accordance with the journal's Correction and Retraction Policy.

Relevant notices will be publicly accessible and clearly linked to the affected publication.

The journal will normally preserve the original publication record while indicating any changes to the article's status.

15. Commitment to Research Integrity

JMCHS is committed to promoting responsible research practices and maintaining public trust in scientific publications concerning midwifery, maternal and child health, and reproductive healthcare.

The journal encourages researchers, authors, editors, reviewers, and readers to uphold scientific honesty, ethical responsibility, and professional accountability.

All credible allegations of research misconduct will be considered seriously and addressed through appropriate procedures consistent with internationally recognized publication ethics guidance.

16. References

1. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Core Practices. https://publicationethics.org/core-practices
2. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Cooperation Between Research Institutions and Journals on Research Integrity and Publication Misconduct Cases. https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2018.1.3
3. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Scientific Misconduct, Expressions of Concern, and Retraction. https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorial-issues/scientific-misconduct-expressions-of-concern-and-retraction.html
4. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing. https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.1.12