Publication Ethics

Iranian Journal of Health Research and Development (Iran J Health Res Dev) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, transparency, and scholarly publishing. The journal expects authors, reviewers, editors, and publisher representatives to adhere to internationally accepted ethical standards throughout the submission, peer review, publication, and post-publication processes.

The journal follows the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.

1. Research Integrity

The journal publishes only original, reliable, and ethically conducted scholarly work. Authors are expected to ensure that submitted manuscripts accurately represent the work performed and that all reported data are genuine, complete, and honestly presented.

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

• fabrication of data;
• falsification or manipulation of data or images;
• plagiarism;
• duplicate or redundant publication;
• inappropriate authorship;
• citation manipulation;
• unethical research practices;
• undisclosed conflicts of interest; and
• deliberate misrepresentation of research findings.

The journal reserves the right to investigate suspected misconduct before or after publication.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Iran J Health Res Dev are expected to:

• submit only original work that has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal;
• ensure that all listed authors meet accepted authorship criteria and have approved the submitted manuscript;
• accurately report research methods, results, and interpretations;
• retain original research data and provide supporting information if requested by the editors;
• appropriately acknowledge the work of others through accurate citation;
• disclose all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest;
• disclose all funding sources;
• notify the journal promptly if a significant error is identified after submission or publication; and
• cooperate fully with editorial investigations where necessary.

3. Authorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the work.

Each author should have contributed significantly to:

• conception or design of the study, or acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data;
• drafting or critically revising the manuscript;
• approval of the final version; and
• accountability for the integrity of the work.

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

Gift authorship, honorary authorship, and ghost authorship are considered unethical.

4. Originality and Plagiarism

Submitted manuscripts must be original.

The journal does not tolerate plagiarism in any form, including:

• direct plagiarism;
• mosaic plagiarism;
• self-plagiarism without appropriate disclosure;
• unattributed reproduction of text, tables, or figures.

All manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software during editorial assessment.

Where significant plagiarism is identified, the manuscript may be rejected or appropriate editorial action may be taken in accordance with COPE recommendations.

5. Duplicate Submission and Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal.

Manuscripts that substantially overlap with previously published or simultaneously submitted work must be disclosed during submission.

Redundant publication without appropriate editorial disclosure is considered publication misconduct.

6. Data Availability and Reproducibility

Authors should maintain accurate records of research data and retain supporting materials after publication.

Where appropriate, authors are encouraged to:

• share research data through trusted repositories;
• provide data availability statements;
• make materials and protocols available to facilitate reproducibility.

The journal may request access to supporting data during editorial assessment.

7. Human Research Ethics

Research involving human participants must comply with internationally accepted ethical principles, including the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable institutional and national regulations.

Authors should provide:

• the name of the approving ethics committee or institutional review board;
• ethics approval number where available;
• confirmation that informed consent was obtained from participants when applicable.

For studies involving identifiable information or images, explicit participant consent should be obtained.

8. Animal Research

Research involving animals must comply with relevant institutional, national, and international guidelines for animal welfare.

Authors should describe ethical approval and measures taken to minimize animal suffering.

9. Clinical Trials

Clinical trials should be registered in a publicly accessible registry before participant enrollment whenever registration is required by applicable regulations or international recommendations.

Authors should provide the registration number within the manuscript.
 

10. Anonymisation, Confidentiality, and Informed Consent

The Iranian Journal of Health Research and Development (Iran J Health Res Dev) requires authors to protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants. All personally identifiable information must be removed or appropriately anonymized before submission and publication. Any disclosure of identifiable information requires explicit written consent from the participant or an authorized representative.
For research involving human participants, authors must obtain informed consent for participation in the study in accordance with ethical standards and applicable regulations.
When manuscripts include identifiable information, photographs, images, videos, audio recordings, case details, or other personal data that may reveal an individual's identity, authors must obtain written informed consent for publication from the participant or an authorized representative.
Authors should confirm in the manuscript that informed consent was obtained where applicable. The journal reserves the right to request documentation of consent when necessary.

11. Conflicts of Interest

Transparency regarding competing interests is essential.

Authors, reviewers, and editors should disclose any financial, professional, institutional, academic, or personal relationships that could influence—or reasonably be perceived to influence—their judgment.

Where conflicts exist, appropriate editorial management procedures will be followed.

12. Funding Disclosure

Authors should disclose all sources of financial support, grants, sponsorship, or institutional funding related to the submitted work.

The role of the funding organization in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and publication decisions should also be described where applicable.

13. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring fair, objective, timely, and confidential editorial evaluation.

Editors are expected to:

• evaluate manuscripts solely on scholarly merit;
• maintain editorial independence;
• avoid conflicts of interest;
• preserve reviewer confidentiality;
• manage allegations of misconduct fairly;
• follow established editorial policies and ethical standards; and
• make publication decisions free from commercial or institutional influence.

Editors who have conflicts of interest must recuse themselves from handling affected manuscripts.

14. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers contribute significantly to maintaining scientific quality.

Reviewers are expected to:

• provide objective and constructive evaluations;
• maintain confidentiality;
• disclose conflicts of interest;
• identify relevant published literature;
• report suspected ethical concerns;
• complete reviews within the agreed timeframe.

Reviewers should not use confidential manuscript information for personal or professional advantage.

15. Confidentiality

Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents.

Information obtained during peer review must not be disclosed or used outside the editorial process without authorization.

16. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence tools may assist authors in language editing or manuscript preparation; however:

• AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
• Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and content of their manuscripts.
• Authors should disclose significant use of AI tools when appropriate.

Editors and reviewers must not upload confidential manuscript content into AI systems that could compromise confidentiality or intellectual property.

17. Corrections and Retractions

The journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.

Where necessary, the journal may publish:

• Corrections (Errata)
• Corrigenda
• Expressions of Concern
• Retractions

Editorial actions are undertaken when significant errors, unreliable findings, ethical concerns, or research misconduct are identified.

18. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions or submit complaints regarding editorial processes.

Appeals should:

• be submitted in writing;
• clearly explain the academic or procedural basis;
• provide supporting evidence where appropriate.

Appeals are reviewed independently by the Editor-in-Chief and/or another appropriate editor. Complaints can be submitted to the editorial office at ijhrdtrjums.ac.ir . All complaints are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or an independent senior editor in accordance with COPE Core Practices and relevant COPE guidance.

19. Allegations of Misconduct

The journal investigates allegations involving:

• plagiarism;
• data fabrication;
• data falsification;
• duplicate publication;
• unethical research;
• authorship disputes;
• peer review manipulation;
• citation manipulation;
• undisclosed conflicts of interest; and
• any other breach of publication ethics.

Investigations are conducted fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with internationally recognized ethical guidance. Where appropriate, the journal may contact authors, reviewers, institutions, or funding bodies.

20. Post-Publication Discussions

The journal welcomes scientifically justified comments regarding published articles.

When credible concerns arise after publication, the editorial office will evaluate the evidence and take appropriate action to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

21. Commitment to Ethical Publishing

Iran J Health Res Dev is committed to promoting ethical research, editorial independence, transparency, fairness, and scientific integrity. The journal continually reviews and improves its editorial and publication practices in accordance with internationally recognized standards of responsible scholarly publishing.