Publication Ethics

The Journal of Clinical Pharmacy in Community Practice (JCPCP) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, transparency, research integrity, and professional publishing practices. The journal expects all participants in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, editorial staff, and the publisher—to adhere to internationally accepted ethical principles.

JCPCP follows the ethical guidelines and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and supports responsible scholarly publishing that promotes honesty, accountability, transparency, and scientific credibility.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are original and free from plagiarism. All sources, references, figures, and borrowed materials must be properly cited and acknowledged.
  • Multiple or Duplicate Submission: Manuscripts submitted to JCPCP must not be simultaneously submitted to another journal or previously published elsewhere in any language or format.
  • Authorship Criteria: Only individuals who have made significant intellectual or scientific contributions to the research should be listed as authors. All co-authors must approve the final manuscript before submission.
  • Data Integrity and Accuracy: Authors are responsible for ensuring that all data presented are accurate, authentic, and ethically obtained. Fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or selective reporting of data is strictly prohibited.
  • Availability of Data: Authors may be requested to provide raw data, supporting files, or research materials for editorial review and verification.
  • Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Any financial, institutional, personal, or professional conflicts of interest that could influence the research or interpretation of findings must be clearly disclosed.
  • Ethical Approval: Research involving human participants, animals, clinical data, or sensitive information must include approval from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB).

2. Responsibilities of Editors

  • Fair and Independent Evaluation: Editorial decisions are based solely on academic merit, originality, relevance, scientific quality, and clarity without discrimination based on nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs.
  • Confidentiality: Editors must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and related communications throughout the review and publication process.
  • Editorial Integrity: Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, unbiased, and transparent peer review process.
  • Ethical Oversight: Editors will take appropriate action in cases involving ethical concerns, corrections, expressions of concern, or article retractions when necessary.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

  • Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and must not share or discuss them with unauthorized individuals.
  • Objectivity and Professionalism: Reviews should be objective, constructive, evidence-based, and aimed at improving the quality of the manuscript.
  • Identification of Relevant Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work not cited by the authors and notify editors of any substantial similarity or ethical concern.
  • Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must decline review invitations if any conflict of interest exists that could affect impartial judgment.
  • Timely Review: Reviewers are expected to complete reviews within the requested timeframe to support efficient editorial processing.

4. Responsibilities of the Publisher

  • Ethical Publishing Support: The publisher supports ethical editorial practices and ensures that all publishing operations follow recognized scholarly standards.
  • Long-Term Preservation: The journal ensures permanent accessibility and digital preservation of published articles through secure archiving systems and backup procedures.
  • Corrections and Retractions: Where necessary, the journal will publish corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

5. Handling Research Misconduct

JCPCP takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously. Cases involving plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated data, falsified findings, unethical experimentation, citation manipulation, or inappropriate authorship practices will be investigated thoroughly.

Depending on the severity of the issue, the journal may:

  • Request clarification or supporting documentation from authors
  • Conduct an internal ethical investigation
  • Consult reviewers, institutions, or ethics committees
  • Reject the manuscript
  • Publish corrections or retractions
  • Temporarily or permanently restrict future submissions

6. Ethical Compliance Statement

Authors may be required to submit an Ethical Compliance Declaration confirming that:

  • The research complies with ethical publishing standards
  • Necessary approvals and participant consents were obtained
  • The work is original and accurately reported
  • All authors agree with the submission and publication process

7. Commitment to Research Integrity

JCPCP is dedicated to promoting responsible research practices, transparency in scientific communication, and the dissemination of trustworthy scholarly knowledge. The journal continuously works to uphold ethical standards that strengthen confidence in academic publishing and healthcare research.