Publication Ethics And Malpractice Policy

“The Tamil Psychiatry Journal upholds integrity, transparency, and accountability in scientific publishing, and strictly follows the COPE Core Practices, ICMJE Recommendations, and ethical principles of biomedical research.”

Introduction

The Tamil Psychiatry Journal (TPJ) is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, transparency, and scientific integrity.

This policy is guided by international best practices established by:

COPE – Committee on Publication Ethics
ICMJE – International Committee of Medical Journal Editors
WAME – World Association of Medical Editors

All participants in the publication process — editors, authors, reviewers, and publishers — share a collective responsibility to ensure the accuracy, credibility, and ethical soundness of the scholarly record.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors play a central role in safeguarding the journal’s ethical standards and ensuring a fair, unbiased, and transparent editorial process.

Evaluate manuscripts solely based on academic merit, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
Ensure confidentiality throughout the review and decision-making process.
Avoid and disclose any conflicts of interest related to manuscripts under consideration.
Make editorial decisions independently, free from influence by sponsors, institutions, or personal relationships.
Not use unpublished data or ideas from submitted manuscripts for their own research.
The Editor-in-Chief retains final responsibility for all editorial and publication decisions, guided by reviewer recommendations and ethical considerations.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to uphold the principles of honesty, transparency, and research integrity in all submissions.

Ensure the manuscript represents original, accurate, and authentic work, free from plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification.
Confirm that all listed authors have made substantial contributions to the research design, execution, or interpretation.
The corresponding author must verify that all co-authors approve the final version and consent to its submission.
Properly cite all relevant literature and acknowledge financial or institutional support.
For studies involving human participants, include a statement confirming Institutional Ethics Committee approval and informed consent.
Duplicate or simultaneous submissions to other journals are prohibited.
Disclose all financial or personal conflicts of interest at the time of submission.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers assist the editorial team in maintaining the quality and integrity of published research.

Treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and use them solely for the purpose of peer review.
Provide constructive, objective, and unbiased evaluations.
Disclose any potential conflicts of interest (financial, academic, or personal).
Identify any relevant uncited literature or evidence of research or publication misconduct.
Maintain anonymity under TPJ’s double-blind peer review system.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher of TPJ ensures the journal’s independence, editorial integrity, and adherence to global publishing ethics.

Uphold editorial freedom and prevent external influence over editorial decisions.
Support editors in handling ethical issues such as plagiarism, authorship disputes, and data integrity.
Guarantee long-term digital preservation and access to published content.

Handling of Misconduct

TPJ follows the COPE flowcharts for investigating and resolving cases of research or publication misconduct, including plagiarism, data falsification, and unethical research.

Steps include:

Initial inquiry by the Editorial Office and request for author clarification.
If confirmed, appropriate actions may include:

Rejection or retraction of the article.
Publication of a correction or editorial expression of concern.
Notification to the authors’ institutions, ethics committees, or funding agencies.

All retractions and corrections are handled transparently, following COPE Retraction Guidelines.

Conflict of Interest and Funding Disclosure

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence their work.
Funding sources must be clearly identified in the Acknowledgements section, along with a statement describing the role (if any) of the funder in study design, data collection, or analysis.

Retraction and Correction Policy

TPJ follows COPE’s Retraction Guidelines in cases of proven ethical breaches or significant publication errors.

Minor errors (e.g., typographical or formatting issues) may be corrected via an Erratum.
Major issues (e.g., data fabrication, ethical noncompliance) require formal retraction and clear labeling in the journal archive.
Retractions and corrections remain permanently accessible to ensure scholarly transparency.

Data Availability and Research Transparency

Authors are encouraged to ensure data transparency and reproducibility.

Make raw or anonymized data available upon request, where ethically permissible.
Register clinical trials in recognized databases such as the Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI) or ClinicalTrials.gov.
Include data availability statements in the published article, where applicable.

Copyright and Open Access Policy

TPJ is an open-access journal. All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing users to share and adapt content with proper attribution.

Authors retain full copyright ownership of their work while granting TPJ the right to publish and distribute it.

Ethical Oversight

All research involving human participants must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki (2013 revision).
Manuscripts must include details of ethical approval (committee name, approval number).
For case reports, authors must obtain and document written informed consent from patients or their legal guardians prior to submission.

Compliance Statement

The Tamil Psychiatry Journal strictly adheres to the COPE Core Practices and international ethical standards.

All parties involved in the publication process are expected to promote honesty, accountability, and respect in psychiatric research and publishing.

“TPJ fosters a culture of ethical scholarship, ensuring that every published work contributes with integrity to the advancement of mental health sciences.”