Publication Ethics

The International Medical Research Journal (IMRJ) is the official journal of the Institute for Medical Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia. The Journal wishes to select and publish, through double-blind peer-review, quality articles on all aspects of biomedical research. The Journal welcomes articles of interest in the form of original papers, reviews and case studies. The views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the Institute for Medical Research. The Journal is distributed free to selected managers of the Ministry of Health, medical libraries and principal authors of published articles.

The Editorial Board will make the utmost effort to ensure that the peer-review and publication process is thorough, objective and fair. The Journal's publication code of ethics is largely based upon the principles upheld by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). COPE outlines standards for good behaviour and solutions to ethical issues faced by Authors, Editors and Reviewers.

The Journal's publication code of ethics has been designed to safeguard the integrity of the Journal and to ascertain that all published materials are of the highest scientific and ethical standard. Authors, Editors and Reviewers can use these guidelines when discharging their tasks and duties. Any ethical issue or question concerning The Journal can be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief. These policies and code of ethics apply to manuscripts submitted to The Journal and the Editorial Board revises them from time to time.

The Journal maintains clear policies regarding authorship and contributorship to ensure transparency about who contributed to the work and in what capacity. Authors are expected to agree on authorship order and contributions prior to submission.

All individuals listed as authors must have made a meaningful contribution to the research and manuscript preparation. Contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately.

The Journal may request clarification regarding contributions and may investigate authorship disputes when concerns arise. Clear policies help prevent issues such as guest, gift, or ghost authorship and promote accountability in scholarly publishing.

The Journal provides a clearly defined mechanism for handling complaints and appeals relating to editorial decisions, peer review processes, or journal management. Complaints may be submitted by authors, reviewers, or readers and will be assessed fairly and objectively.

All complaints are evaluated based on their merits and supporting evidence. The Journal will investigate concerns thoroughly and communicate decisions transparently. Appeals against editorial decisions will be reviewed by the editorial leadership, and additional independent review may be sought when appropriate.

The Journal takes allegations of research misconduct seriously and follows established procedures for investigating such concerns. Allegations may include plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, unethical research practices, or inappropriate authorship.

When concerns are raised, the Journal will review the evidence and may contact authors, reviewers, or relevant institutions as appropriate. Investigations are conducted according to COPE guidelines and flowcharts, and appropriate actions will be taken where misconduct is confirmed.

The Journal requires transparent disclosure of any conflicts of interest that may influence the interpretation or evaluation of a manuscript. Conflicts of interest may arise for authors, reviewers, editors, or publishers.

All parties involved in the editorial process must declare potential competing interests. The Journal has procedures for identifying, disclosing, and managing conflicts of interest before or after publication to maintain impartiality in editorial decision-making and peer review.

The Journal supports transparency and reproducibility in research. Authors are encouraged to make data available where possible and to follow recognized reporting standards and research transparency practices.

Policies on data availability aim to promote trust in published findings by enabling verification and replication of research results. Where applicable, authors should follow appropriate reporting guidelines and ensure that study designs such as clinical trials are properly registered.

The Journal expects that research involving humans, animals, or sensitive data has received appropriate ethical approval from relevant institutional or regulatory bodies. Authors must provide information on ethical approval and informed consent where required.

Editors may request additional documentation if ethical concerns arise. The Journal may consult institutions or ethics committees when investigating potential ethical issues related to research conduct.

The Journal recognizes the importance of protecting intellectual property rights. Authors retain responsibility for ensuring that submitted work is original and does not infringe on the rights of others.

Proper citation and acknowledgement of previously published work must be maintained. The Journal addresses copyright and licensing issues transparently and ensures that authors understand their rights and responsibilities regarding intellectual property.

The Journal actively safeguards the integrity of the scholarly literature. Editorial policies address issues such as plagiarism, citation manipulation, duplicate publication, and fabrication or falsification of data.

Manuscripts may be evaluated for potential ethical concerns during submission, peer review, or post-publication stages. When such issues are detected, the Journal will investigate in accordance with COPE recommendations and implement appropriate actions to protect the scholarly record.

The Journal recognizes that emerging technologies such as generative artificial intelligence may be used in research and writing. Authors must ensure transparency regarding the use of such tools and remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the content submitted.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors and must not replace the accountability of human researchers. Any use of AI-assisted tools in manuscript preparation should be disclosed where relevant to maintain transparency and integrity in scholarly communication.

Changes can be requested by the Authors of the publication due to a variety of reasons. These amendments may fall into one of four categories as below:

Erratum Corrigendum Retraction Addendum

Readers who wish to draw attention to published work requiring retraction should write to The Editor-in-Chief who will seek advice from reviewers if they judge that the information is likely to draw into question the main conclusions of the published article. The author of the article will be given a chance to give an explanation regarding the query.

The Journal encourages scholarly debate and constructive discussion after publication. Readers may submit comments, letters to the editor, or critiques of published work.

Post-publication discussions may occur on the Journal platform or through moderated scholarly forums. These discussions contribute to scientific dialogue and allow clarification or further interpretation of published findings.