Publication Ethics

Upholding the highest standards of research integrity and ethical publishing practices

Our Ethical Commitments

Research Integrity

Ensuring all published research meets the highest standards of scientific rigor and ethical conduct.

Peer Review

Fair, unbiased, and transparent peer review process with qualified reviewers in relevant fields.

  • 31. Independence DayCreated by Lars Meiertoberensfrom the Noun Project

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions based solely on scientific merit, free from commercial or personal interests.

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)

IJMMS follows the guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for handling ethical issues in publishing.

Ethical Guidelines

Author Responsibilities

Originality and Plagiarism

  • Authors must submit only original work
  • Proper citation of all sources is required
  • Self-plagiarism and duplicate submission are prohibited
  • Use of AI tools must be disclosed and acknowledged

Authorship Criteria

  • Substantial contribution to conception or design
  • • Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data
  • Drafting or critical revision of manuscript
  • Final approval of version to be published
  • Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of work

Conflict of Interest

  • Disclose all financial and personal relationships
  • Include funding sources and sponsor roles
  • Declare any competing interests
  • Update disclosures if circumstances change
Reviewer Responsibilities

Review Process

  • Provide objective, constructive feedback
  • Complete reviews in a timely manner
  • Maintain confidentiality of manuscript content
  •   Disclose any conflicts of interest
  • Decline review if not qualified in the subject area

Ethical Obligations

  • Report suspected misconduct to editors
  • Do not use unpublished information for personal gain
  • Avoid personal attacks or inappropriate language
  • Respect authors’ intellectual property
Editorial Responsibilities

Editorial Decisions

  • Base decisions solely on scientific merit
  • Ensure fair and unbiased peer review
  • Maintain confidentiality of submissions
  • Handle appeals and complaints appropriately
  • Disclose any conflicts of interest

Quality Assurance

  • Select qualified reviewers
  • Monitor review process for fairness
  • Ensure adherence to publication standards
  • Investigate allegations of misconduct
  • Issue corrections and retractions when necessary
Research Ethics Requirements

Human Subjects Research

  • Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval required
  • Informed consent from all participants
  • Protection of participant privacy and confidentiality
  • Adherence to Declaration of Helsinki principles
  • Registration in appropriate clinical trial databases

Animal Research

  • Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approval
  • Follow national and international guidelines
  • Minimize animal suffering and use
  • Justify use of animals and number used
  • Consider alternatives to animal testing
Research Misconduct and Handling

Types of Misconduct

  • Fabrication or falsification of data
  • Plagiarism and duplicate publication
  • • Inappropriate authorship practices
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest
  • Violation of research ethics guidelines

Investigation Process

  1. Initial assessment of allegations
  2. Formal investigation if warranted
  3. Notification of relevant parties
  4. Opportunity for response from accused
  5. Decision and appropriate sanctions
  6. Corrections, retractions, or other remedies
Appeals and Complaints

Appeal Process

  • Authors may appeal editorial decisions
  • Appeals must be based on substantive grounds
  • Independent review of appeal cases
  • Timely response to all appeals
  • Final decisions are binding

Complaint Handling

  • All complaints investigated thoroughly
  • Confidential and fair investigation process
  • Appropriate remedial actions taken
  • Feedback provided to complainants

Report Ethical Concerns

We take all ethical concerns seriously and investigate them thoroughly

To report suspected research misconduct or ethical violations:

Email: ijmmslth@yahoo.com

Phone: +234 802 416 5579

All reports are treated confidentially and investigated according to established procedures. established

containers.forEach(function(container){ var items = container.querySelectorAll('.post-grid-item, .pgs-item, .elementor-post, .grid-item, .jeg_post, .post'); applyEqualize(items); }); }function applyEqualize(items) { if (!items || items.length === 0) return; var titles = []; items.forEach(function(item){ // try common title selectors inside each item var title = item.querySelector('h1, h2, h3, .entry-title, .post-title, .pg-title, .elementor-post__title, .jeg_post_title, .post-title a'); if (title) titles.push(title); }); if (titles.length === 0) return; // reset first titles.forEach(function(t){ t.style.minHeight = ''; t.style.removeProperty('min-height'); }); var max = 0; titles.forEach(function(t){ var h = t.getBoundingClientRect().height; if (h > max) max = h; }); if (max > 0) { titles.forEach(function(t){ // set with important to override inline CSS from theme if needed t.style.setProperty('min-height', Math.ceil(max) + 'px', 'important'); }); } }// run on DOM ready and again on load (images) and on resize document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', equalizeGridTitles); window.addEventListener('load', equalizeGridTitles); window.addEventListener('resize', function(){ setTimeout(equalizeGridTitles, 150); }); })();