Statement on Publication Ethics and Misconduct

The Journal of Associated Medical Sciences (JAMS) upholds the highest ethical standards and maintains a strict, zero-tolerance policy toward any form of publication malpractice or research misconduct. All allegations of ethical violations are investigated rigorously, and the Editorial Board is fully committed to safeguarding academic integrity at every stage of the publication process. Consequently, submitted manuscripts will be summarily rejected, and published articles will be retracted if they are found to involve any of the following infractions:

1. Plagiarism and text recycling
   Any form of plagiarism—including verbatim copying, inadequate paraphrasing, or self-plagiarism—is strictly prohibited and constitutes a grave academic offense. Authors must meticulously and properly attribute all sources. Every submitted manuscript undergoes mandatory screening using automated plagiarism-detection software. If the similarity index exceeds 25 percent (excluding direct quotations and references), the manuscript will be rejected immediately, and the journal reserves the right to take further disciplinary actions.
2. Data fabrication and falsification
   Authors bear sole responsibility for presenting honest, accurate, and verifiable findings. Any attempt to fabricate data, manipulate images, or deliberately distort and misrepresent research outcomes constitutes a severe violation of scientific integrity. Such practices will result in immediate rejection or retraction, and the matter may be reported to the authors' supervising institutions.
3. Redundant or multiple submissions
   Manuscripts submitted to JAMS must be entirely original and must not be under concurrent consideration by any other journal, book chapter, or conference proceedings. Simultaneous submission of the same or substantially similar work to multiple venues is strictly unethical. Upon identification of duplicate submissions, the manuscript will be rejected without undergoing peer review.
4. Authorship disputes and misattribution
   Authorship must accurately and transparently reflect the substantive intellectual contribution of each collaborator. All authorship configurations, including the designation of the corresponding author, must be fully resolved prior to submission. Should any authorship conflict arise during or post-submission, the evaluation process will be suspended immediately, or the manuscript will be withdrawn, until the dispute is legally settled with conclusive written evidence signed by all parties involved.
5. Peer review manipulation and improper influence
   JAMS strictly prohibits any attempt to compromise the integrity of the peer-review process. This includes, but is not limited to, nominating fictitious reviewers, fabricating peer-review reports, or attempting to exert undue influence over the editorial decision. Any breach of this protocol will result in immediate and permanent rejection of the manuscript.
6. Salami slicing and data fragmentation
   The journal opposes the practice of "salami slicing", wherein a single comprehensive research project is artificially partitioned into multiple slice publications to inflate publication counts. Submitted manuscripts must contain sufficient scientific substance and stand as independent, high-impact contributions. If the Editorial Board detects unauthorized data fragmentation or a lack of distinct intellectual novelty compared to the authors' other current or past works, the manuscript will be rejected.
   
   

Process for Identification of Allegations of Research Misconduct and Dealing 

In the event that errors are identified in a published article - whether they significantly impact the scholarly content (Correction) or are of a minor nature (Erratum) - the author is obligated to formally notify the Editor to initiate the revision process. Such revisions must be submitted to the original peer reviewers for re-assessment and re-certification. The rectified version shall subsequently be published to supersede the original manuscript.

Furthermore, should a published article be found in violation of research integrity or publication ethics, the manuscript will still remain accessible in the public domain; however, it will be prominently watermarked with the designation "Retracted" (Retraction).