Publication Ethics and Duties

Ethics and Duties of Editors

The Ramathibodi Medical Journal (RMJ) upholds the integrity of medical research publishing by following the Committee of Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. Key responsibilities include:

1) Submission and Peer Review: Manuscripts undergo initial screening and a double-blinded peer review by at least 3 reviewers. Decisions are based on reviewer feedback and editor judgment. Submissions can be rejected for reasons like plagiarism, poor methodology, or irrelevance. Accepted articles proceed to production.

2) Ethical Standards: The journal enforces strict rules against plagiarism, self-plagiarism, salami slicing, and multiple submissions, utilizing software like Turnitin for detection. Violations may lead to rejection or retraction of articles.

3) Research Fraud: Incidents of data falsification or fabrication are investigated thoroughly, potentially leading to manuscript rejection, retraction, or notification of the authors' institutions.

4) Authorship Disputes: Resolved by adhering to criteria from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), ensuring fair authorship representation.

5) Privacy: Personal data is strictly used for journal purposes and not shared, except as required by law.

Ethics and Duties of Reviewers

The journal's peer review process is underpinned by a double-blinded system involving at least 3 reviewers with the necessary expertise selected from institutions different from the authors. While authors can suggest or oppose up to 5 potential reviewers, the final decision lies with the editor. Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest, adhere to confidentiality agreements, and commit to providing constructive, timely feedback to maintain the integrity and efficiency of the review process.

Ethics and Duties of Authors

Authors are expected to adhere to specific guidelines to maintain the integrity and quality of their manuscripts. These include ensuring the work is original and free from plagiarism, not submitting the manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously, disclosing any potential conflicts of interest or funding sources, and accurately describing the methodology and results without falsification. Authors must also secure permissions for any copyrighted material used, sign a contribution form validating their significant input to the work, and be accountable for the content. In multicenter studies, one author should be designated as the responsible correspondent. Contributors not qualifying for authorship should be acknowledged separately, following ICMJE guidelines.

Ethics of Research Involving Humans and Animals

Research involving human subjects must adhere to the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki, and animal studies require ethics committee approval. Manuscripts must declare Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board approval, including the committee's full name, institution, and approval number. Conformity with the ICMJE Recommendations and the inclusion of informed consent details are mandatory.