Journal Policies

Open Access Policy

International Journal of Health and Medical Science (IJHMS) operates under a full open access model, providing immediate and unrestricted access to all published articles. Readers can freely access, download, and share research without subscription barriers, ensuring maximum global visibility and dissemination of scholarly work.

  • All articles are freely available immediately upon publication.
  • No subscription or pay-per-view fees are required.
  • Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, and link to full texts.
  • Proper citation and attribution to the original authors are mandatory.

Guidelines:

Open access ensures that research outputs are accessible to a wider audience without financial barriers. This enhances citation impact, promotes knowledge sharing, and supports academic collaboration globally. Authors publishing in IJHMS agree to make their work publicly accessible while ensuring proper attribution and ethical usage.

Archiving Policy (PKP PN)

The journal ensures long-term preservation of its content through the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN). This distributed archiving system safeguards articles across multiple secure locations, ensuring continuous accessibility even in cases of technical failure or website unavailability.

  • Decentralized storage across multiple preservation nodes.
  • Protection against data loss, cyber threats, and server failure.
  • Long-term availability of the Version of Record.
  • Continuous monitoring and integrity validation of archived content.

Guidelines:

All published articles are securely archived using reliable preservation systems. Backup copies are maintained across multiple platforms to ensure long-term accessibility. The journal preserves content in stable formats such as PDF, ensuring compatibility with future technologies and maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their work. Articles are published under the Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND) License, allowing sharing and reuse with proper attribution, while maintaining full author ownership. The journal adheres to ethical publishing standards recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

  • Authors maintain full ownership of their work.
  • Articles can be shared with proper credit to the authors.
  • Commercial use is restricted under the license.
  • No modifications or derivative works are permitted.

Guidelines:

The licensing policy ensures that authors receive proper recognition for their work while allowing controlled dissemination. Users must credit the original source and are not permitted to alter the content or use it for commercial purposes without permission.

Plagiarism Policy

The journal follows a strict policy against plagiarism, including duplication, self-plagiarism, and data manipulation. All manuscripts are screened using professional similarity detection tools prior to peer review to ensure originality and ethical compliance.

  • Use of plagiarism detection software before review.
  • Immediate rejection of plagiarized manuscripts.
  • Investigation of ethical misconduct cases.
  • Notification to institutions in severe cases.

Guidelines:

Authors are expected to submit only original work. Proper citation of sources is mandatory. Any form of plagiarism, including reuse of one's own previously published work without citation, is strictly prohibited and may lead to rejection or retraction.

Correction and Retraction Policy

The journal allows authors to request corrections to published content when necessary. Minor corrections, such as updates to author names or affiliations, may be considered upon formal request. In cases where significant issues affect the validity of the research, retraction or withdrawal may be carried out to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

  • Publication of correction notices (erratum).
  • Retraction of flawed or unethical research.
  • Withdrawal of articles prior to publication if necessary.
  • Maintaining transparency in all editorial decisions.

Guidelines:

The journal follows transparent editorial practices. Corrections are issued when errors are identified, and retractions are applied in cases of serious ethical concerns or invalid findings to maintain the credibility of the publication.