Ethical statements

The Nexus Global Research Journal of Medical Sciences (NGRJMS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, scientific integrity, and responsible scholarly publishing. The journal expects authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher to uphold ethical principles throughout the manuscript submission, peer-review, editorial decision-making, and publication processes. NGRJMS follows relevant guidance and recommendations from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and other recognized publication ethics organizations, where applicable.

Responsibilities of Authors
Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts represent original research or scholarly work, accurately report scientific and clinical findings, acknowledge all sources, and comply with accepted standards of academic integrity. Plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, duplicate submission, and redundant publication are unacceptable.

Authors must disclose all relevant funding sources, conflicts of interest, institutional support, and author contributions. Research involving human participants, patients, biological samples, animals, or identifiable medical information must include appropriate ethical approval and informed consent statements, where required. All listed authors must have made substantial scholarly contributions, approved the final manuscript, and agreed to its submission to NGRJMS.

Responsibilities of Editors
Editors must evaluate submitted manuscripts fairly, objectively, and confidentially, considering their scientific merit, originality, methodological quality, ethical compliance, clinical or academic relevance, and suitability for the journal's scope.

Editorial decisions must remain independent of personal, institutional, financial, and commercial interests. Editors must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, manage potential conflicts of interest appropriately, and ensure that manuscripts receive an impartial double-blind peer-review assessment. They must also take appropriate action when ethical concerns or suspected research misconduct arise.

Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers must provide objective, constructive, scientifically sound, and timely assessments of submitted manuscripts. Their evaluations should focus on research quality, methodological validity, originality, ethical compliance, interpretation of findings, and relevance to medical and health sciences.

Reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality and must not use unpublished information obtained through the review process for personal or professional advantage. They must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and inform the editorial team if they identify suspected plagiarism, data manipulation, ethical violations, or other forms of research misconduct.

Research Ethics
Research involving human participants, patients, identifiable medical records, biological specimens, or animals must comply with applicable national and international ethical standards and institutional requirements.

Authors must provide the name of the relevant Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC), Institutional Review Board (IRB), or other competent ethics committee, together with the approval reference number and date, where applicable. Informed consent must be obtained from participants or their legally authorized representatives whenever required.

For clinical trials, authors should provide the appropriate trial registration details in accordance with recognized clinical research requirements. Patient confidentiality must be protected, and identifiable clinical photographs, diagnostic images, medical records, and personal information must not be published without the necessary consent and permissions. Research involving animals must comply with applicable institutional and national animal welfare guidelines.

Handling Ethical Misconduct
NGRJMS takes allegations of plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, undisclosed conflicts of interest, unethical research practices, and other forms of publication misconduct seriously.

When an ethical concern is identified, the editorial team may request explanations or supporting documents from the authors and conduct an appropriate investigation in accordance with relevant publication ethics guidance. Depending on the seriousness and circumstances of the case, possible actions may include:

  • Rejection of the submitted manuscript.
  • Request for clarification, additional documentation, or correction.
  • Withdrawal of an accepted manuscript.
  • Notification to the authors' affiliated institutions or relevant authorities, where appropriate.
  • Publication of a correction, expression of concern, or retraction for an already published article.

    All cases will be assessed carefully to ensure fairness, confidentiality, and the integrity of the scholarly record.
    Corrections and Retractions

    The Nexus Global Research Journal of Medical Sciences (NGRJMS) is committed to preserving the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of the published scholarly record. Errors, inaccuracies, or ethical violations identified after publication will be evaluated by the editorial team.

    Where necessary, the journal may publish corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern, or retraction notices, depending on the nature and significance of the issue. Such actions will be undertaken in accordance with the journal's editorial policies and relevant publication ethics guidance. Appropriate notices will clearly identify the affected article and explain the reason for the corrective action.

    The journal expects all participants in the publication process to uphold transparency, accountability, fairness, confidentiality, and responsible research practices. Through these principles, NGRJMS aims to promote trustworthy medical research and maintain the credibility of academic and scientific publishing.

    PEER REVIEW POLICY
    The Nexus Global Research Journal of Medical Sciences (NGRJMS) is committed to maintaining high standards of academic quality, scientific integrity, and transparency through a rigorous double-blind peer-review process. All manuscripts are evaluated based on their originality, scientific and scholarly merit, methodological quality, ethical compliance, clinical or academic relevance, and suitability for the journal's aims and scope.

    Editorial Screening
    All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial assessment to determine their suitability for NGRJMS. The screening process considers the manuscript's relevance to medical and health sciences, originality, scientific quality, methodological soundness, ethical compliance, language, presentation, and adherence to the journal's submission guidelines.

    Manuscripts that fall outside the journal's scope, fail to meet essential submission requirements, demonstrate insufficient scholarly quality, or raise significant ethical concerns may be rejected without external peer review.

    Double-Blind Peer Review
    Manuscripts that successfully pass the initial editorial screening are forwarded to at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise in the subject area. NGRJMS follows a double-blind review model in which the identities of authors and reviewers are kept confidential throughout the review process.
    Reviewers assess manuscripts according to relevant criteria, including:

  • Originality and contribution to medical and health sciences.
  • Scientific validity and research methodology.
  • Accuracy and reliability of clinical, laboratory, or experimental findings.
  • Appropriateness of statistical analysis and interpretation of results.
  • Relevance and quality of the literature review and references.
  • Ethical approval, informed consent, and protection of patient confidentiality, where applicable.
  • Clarity, organization, and overall scholarly presentation.

    Authors may be requested to revise their manuscripts in response to reviewers' comments and recommendations. Revised submissions may be returned to the original reviewers for further assessment, where necessary.

    Editorial Decisions
    Based on the reviewers' reports, the editor's assessment, and the overall quality of the manuscript, one of the following editorial decisions may be issued:
  • Accepted: The manuscript is considered suitable for publication without further substantive revision.
  • Minor Revision: The manuscript requires limited corrections, clarifications, or improvements before acceptance.
  • Major Revision: The manuscript requires substantial modifications, additional explanations, or further analysis and may undergo another round of review.
  • Rejected: The manuscript does not meet the journal's scientific, ethical, methodological, or editorial publication standards.

    The final editorial decision rests with the responsible editor. Reviewers provide recommendations, but the editor retains authority over the final decision. Submission or completion of peer review does not guarantee acceptance or publication.

    Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest
    Editors and reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial discussions, and unpublished research findings. Manuscripts and associated materials must not be shared with unauthorized individuals or used for personal, academic, or professional advantage.

    Editors and reviewers are required to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could affect their impartiality. Individuals with significant conflicts may be excluded from the evaluation process or replaced by independent experts to ensure fairness and objectivity.

    Authors must also disclose relevant financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence their research or its interpretation.

    Review Timelines
    NGRJMS aims to process submissions efficiently while allowing sufficient time for independent, careful, and scientifically rigorous evaluation. The duration of the review process may vary depending on manuscript complexity, subject specialization, reviewer availability, the nature of reviewer comments, and the extent of revisions required.

    Authors are expected to respond to editorial and reviewer comments within the specified period communicated by the editorial office. Any extension request should be submitted to the editorial team for consideration.

    Publication Ethics
    NGRJMS follows recognized publication ethics principles and relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other established scholarly publishing organizations, where applicable.

    Suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, unethical research practices, or other forms of publication misconduct identified during the editorial or peer-review process will be investigated in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies.

    Research involving human participants, patients, identifiable medical information, or animals must comply with applicable ethical standards and institutional requirements. Authors must provide relevant ethics approval, informed consent, and clinical trial registration details, where applicable.

    The Nexus Global Research Journal of Medical Sciences (NGRJMS) is committed to ensuring a fair, independent, confidential, transparent, and academically rigorous peer-review process that supports the publication of reliable and ethically conducted research in medical and health sciences.