Journal Policies

Open Access Policy

All articles published in Pakistan Journal of Medical and Biological Sciences are openly available without any delay period. Readers can access, download, and share all articles free of charge upon publication. All current/previous issues and complete articles can be viewed or downloaded from pjmbs website

Policy for Editor

  1. Editorial Integrity and Independence
  1. Editors should handle submissions with integrity and adhere strictly to the journal's ethical guidelines.
  2. Editorial decisions should be based solely on the manuscript's scholarly merit, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal's scope, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, nationality, or institutional affiliation.
  3. Editors must avoid any conflicts of interest with the authors, institutions, or funding sources associated with submitted papers.
  1. Confidentiality
  1. Editors must ensure the confidentiality of all submissions, including the content, authors, and reviewers.
  2. Information about a manuscript should not be disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and other editorial staff as necessary.
  3. Editors should not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for personal gain or research purposes without the author’s consent.
  1. Peer Review Process
  1. Manuscripts must undergo a rigorous peer review process, typically involving at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise.
  2. Editors should strive to select unbiased and qualified reviewers and ensure a fair and timely review process.
  3. Editors should facilitate constructive feedback to authors and mediate any disagreements or concerns raised during peer review.
  1. Conflict of Interest
  1. Editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to the manuscripts they handle and recuse themselves from handling such manuscripts when necessary.
  2. If an editor has contributed to a manuscript (e.g., as an author), they should delegate the editorial decision-making to another editor to avoid bias.
  1. Transparency in Decision-Making
  1. Editorial decisions and policies should be transparent, clearly communicated, and consistently applied.
  2. Editors should provide authors with clear, constructive, and timely feedback on their manuscript submissions, regardless of the decision.

 

  1. Handling Ethical Concerns
  1. Editors should take all ethical concerns related to research and publication misconduct seriously, such as plagiarism, data falsification, and undisclosed conflicts of interest.
  2. If an ethical breach is identified, editors should follow the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines to address the issue, which may include correcting, retracting, or issuing an expression of concern for the affected publication.
  3. Editors are responsible for ensuring that any retracted or corrected articles are clearly marked in the journal’s archives.
  1. Correction and Retraction Policy
  1. Editors should have a clear policy on handling corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern and be responsible for implementing these in cases of error or misconduct.
  2. Minor errors that do not affect the research’s integrity may be corrected through errata, while substantial errors may require retraction with a clear explanation of the reason.
  1. Timeliness and Efficiency
  1. Editors should work to ensure timely processing of manuscripts at each stage of review, revision, and publication.
  2. They should set realistic deadlines for authors, reviewers, and editorial tasks and provide clear timelines for each stage of the editorial process.
  1. Respect for Authors' Rights
  • Editors must respect the authors' intellectual property rights and not delay publication unnecessarily.
  • They should communicate all editorial and peer-review comments clearly and provide guidance on any required changes without imposing unnecessary burdens on the authors.

Plagiarism Policy

Resesarch Journal strictly follow Plagiarism Policy described by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

Peer Review Policy & Process

Pakistan Journal of Medical and Biological Sciences is committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality and integrity in the publication of scientific research.

Peer Review Model

  • Our journal employs a double-blind peer review process. In this model, both the reviewers and the authors remain anonymous to each other, ensuring impartiality and minimizing potential biases.

Initial Manuscript Evaluation

  • Upon submission, the editorial team conducts an initial screening to assess whether the manuscript aligns with the journal's scope, adheres to submission guidelines, and meets basic quality standards. Manuscripts that pass this stage proceed to the peer review stage; those that do not may be rejected outright or returned to authors for revision.

Reviewer Selection

  • Based on the manuscript's subject area, the editorial team selects National and International reviewer one who are experts in the relevant field. Reviewers are chosen for their subject matter expertise, familiarity with the latest research trends, and ability to provide fair, constructive, and critical feedback.

Review Process

  • Reviewers are given 2-4 weeks to evaluate the manuscript, during which they assess:
    • Originality and significance of the research.
    • Methodological rigor and the validity of results.
    • Quality of writing and clarity of presentation.
    • Relevance to the journal’s audience and field.
    • Proper citation and ethical standards, checking for potential plagiarism and ethical issues.
  • Reviewers provide detailed feedback and make one of the following recommendations:
    • Accept without revisions
    • Accept with minor revisions
    • Revise and resubmit (for significant changes)
    • Reject

Revision Process

  • If revisions are recommended, the manuscript is returned to the authors with reviewers' comments. Authors are typically given 2-3 weeks to revise and resubmit. The revised manuscript may be reviewed again by the same reviewers to ensure that their feedback has been adequately addressed.

Final Decision

  • The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief, taking into consideration the reviewers' recommendations and any revisions made by the authors. The Editor-in-Chief may:
    • Accept the manuscript for publication
    • Request further minor revisions
    • Reject the manuscript

Ethical Considerations

  • Our journal follows established ethical guidelines to maintain the integrity of the peer review process:
    • Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
    • Reviewers must treat all information about submitted manuscripts as confidential.
    • Authors are encouraged to avoid attempts to identify or contact reviewers during the review process.

Appeals and Complaints

  • Authors who disagree with the editorial decision can submit a written appeal. The editorial team will review the appeal, consider additional expert input if necessary, and ensure a fair resolution.

Publication Charge Policy

There is no process/publication fee.