Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Biomedical Sciences and Clinical Medicine (BSCM) is a peer-reviewed journal that is dedicated to upholding the most stringent standards of publication ethics. Our editorial policies and publication ethics conform to the core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Manuscripts are evaluated based on their relevance to the journal, originality, quality, and the extent to which they contribute to the body of evidence surrounding significant issues. Our editorial decisions are never influenced by commercial interests, personal relationships, personal agendas, or findings that challenge established beliefs in a credible way.

Allegations of Research Misconduct

Ensuring the integrity of research and scholarly communication is of paramount importance at the BSCM Journal. We maintain rigorous standards in all aspects of our publication process, including citation practices, plagiarism prevention, consent for publication, and confidentiality. Our commitment to upholding ethical conduct is reflected in the following guidelines:

  • Citations: Authors must ensure citations are accurate, appropriate, and relevant. Citation manipulation, excessive self-citation, and copying references without reading the cited work are considered misconduct.
  • Plagiarism: Plagiarism (using others’ ideas/words without attribution) is strictly prohibited. Manuscripts may be rejected if the similarity percentage is higher than 25% (screened using Turnitin). Post-publication plagiarism may lead to correction or retraction.
  • Data Fabrication/Falsification: Making up data (fabrication) or manipulating research processes/results (falsification) is unethical. Image manipulation is permissible only for improving the entire image (e.g., contrast/brightness) and must be notified. Removal or introduction of elements into an image is incorrect manipulation.
  • Consent for Publication: Written informed consent must be obtained from individuals (or guardians) for the publication of their details, images, or videos.
  • Confidentiality: All manuscripts and communications are strictly confidential. Reviewers must respect this and cannot reveal manuscript details or their identity (double-blind review).

Authorship and Contribution

  • Author Qualifications: An author must meet all four ICMJE criteria: 1) Substantial contribution to conception/design, acquisition, analysis, or interpretation; 2) Drafting or critically revising the work; 3) Final approval of the published version; AND 4) Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
  • Author Contribution: Authors are encouraged to specify individual contributions using initials (e.g., A.B.: Conceptualization, Methodology).
  • Authorship Changes: Changes after submission (additions, deletions, reordering) must be agreed upon by all authors, approved by the journal (following COPE guidelines), and requested by the corresponding author with an explanation.

Before Publication

  • Clinical Trials Registration: All clinical trials (defined by ICMJE/WHO) should be registered with a primary national (e.g., https://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/) or WHO-accredited site before subject recruitment. The registration number must be included.
  • Preprints: BSCM does not accept manuscripts previously published as preprints or made publicly available on preprint servers.
  • Copyrighted Materials: Authors are responsible for obtaining permission and licenses for the use of copyrighted materials from other sources.
  • Standards of Reporting: Authors are encouraged to use relevant EQUATOR Network guidelines (e.g., CONSORT for RCTs, PRISMA for Systematic Reviews, STROBE for Observational Studies, ARRIVE for Animal Studies).
  • Responsible Reporting of Research Involving Humans or Animals: Appropriate ethical approval, licensing, or registration (e.g., IRB/Ethics Committee) must be obtained before research begins, and details must be provided in the “Materials and Methods” section. Human research must align with the latest Helsinki Declaration.
  • Conflict of Interests (COI): Authors must disclose all relationships/activities/interests related to the work (no time limit) and those not related but occurring in the past 36 months. Reviewers/Editors must also disclose COI.
  • Data Sharing: Authors are encouraged to share data (or a statement explaining why not) as a supplementary file or in a public repository.

After Publication (Open Access and Post-Publication Measures)

  • Open Access, Copyright, and Licensing: All articles are fully Open Access under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Authors retain copyright.
  • Archiving: Publications are permanently archived at https://osf.io/kzrfx/ for digital preservation.
  • Post-Publication Discussions, Correction, Retraction, and Expressions of Concern: COPE guidelines are followed. Amendments (Correction, Retraction, Expression of Concern) are published for scientifically relevant errors or misconduct.
    • Addenda: Amendment of crucial information for reader's understanding.
    • Erratum (Publisher correction): Correction of important errors introduced by the publisher (e.g., missing figures, proofreading errors).
    • Corrigendum (Author correction): Correction of a significant error made by the authors.
    • **Article Retraction:** Issued for misconduct (e.g., fabricated data, plagiarism, duplicate publication) or major errors that invalidate conclusions. Retracted articles are watermarked but remain online.
    • Article Removal: Rare cases (defamatory, legal order, serious health risk), where text is replaced with a removal screen.
    • Article Withdrawal: Only in the pre-publication step, strongly discouraged, requires signed statement and editor's acceptance.
    • Expression of Concern: Issued if suspicion of issues exists but conclusive evidence is lacking, or if investigation is lengthy.
  • Return Manuscript: Manuscripts that fail initial screening (e.g., format issues, plagiarism > 25%, missing figures/tables, non-English language) will be returned for revision and resubmission.

Appeals and Complaints Policy

  • Appeals against an editorial decision: Authors can appeal a rejection within two months by emailing bscm@cmu.ac.th with an appeal letter, strong evidence, and a highlighted revised manuscript. The editor's final decision is non-appealable.
  • Complaints: Authors can complain about policy compliance or process failure (not simple disagreement with decisions) by submitting a letter to bscm@cmu.ac.th.

Duties of Editors, Authors, and Reviewers

  • Duties of Editors: Make publication decisions based on merit (guided by peer review), practice Fair Play (no discrimination based on race, gender, etc.), maintain Confidentiality, and manage Disclosure and Conflict of Interest (recusing themselves when conflicts arise).
  • Duties of Authors: Uphold Reporting Standards (accurate and objective), ensure Originality and Plagiarism avoidance, provide Data Access Retention**, avoid Multiple/Redundant Publications, ensure proper Authorship, provide Acknowledgment of Sources, report ethical approvals, disclose Hazards, disclose Conflicts of Interest, and notify of Fundamental Errors in published works.
  • Duties of Reviewers: Contribute to editorial decisions, maintain Promptness (notify editor if unable to review timely), maintain Confidentiality, uphold Standards of Objectivity (no personal criticism/bias), provide Acknowledgment of Sources (cite missed relevant work), and declare Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest (recuse themselves if COI exists).