Publication Ethics

TJMPS is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics. The journal follows the guidelines and best practice recommendations established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

Duties of the Editor

•         Evaluate manuscripts solely on the basis of their intellectual and scientific merit, without discrimination based on the authors' gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

•         Ensure fair, unbiased, and timely peer review.

•         Maintain confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities.

•         Declare and manage conflicts of interest, recusing themselves from editorial decisions when necessary.

•         Investigate allegations of misconduct thoroughly and take appropriate corrective action.

Duties of Reviewers

•         Provide objective, constructive evaluations and decline reviews where a conflict of interest exists.

•         Maintain confidentiality of the manuscript content.

•         Alert the editor to any ethical concerns, including suspected plagiarism, data fabrication, or undisclosed conflicts of interest.

•         Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe or notify the editor if unable to do so.

Duties of Authors

•         Submit only original work that has not been published elsewhere and is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

•         Accurately represent the methods, data, and findings; data fabrication and falsification are serious violations.

•         Ensure that authorship reflects genuine intellectual contribution, consistent with ICMJE criteria. All listed authors must have contributed substantially to conception or design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation; drafting or critical revision; and final approval. Ghost authorship, gift authorship, and the inclusion of generative AI tools as co-authors are not permitted.

•         Disclose all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation of results.

•         Acknowledge all sources of funding and material support.

•         Disclose any use of generative AI tools and assume full responsibility for the accuracy and originality of all content.

•         Promptly notify the editor of any significant errors discovered in the published work.

Plagiarism and Redundant Publication

All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software (iThenticate or equivalent). Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 15% (excluding references and quotations) will be returned to the authors for revision prior to review. Confirmed plagiarism at any stage will result in immediate rejection or retraction.

Use of Generative AI: Detailed Policy

TJMPS recognises that generative AI tools are becoming increasingly prevalent in academic work. The journal adopts the following position:

•         AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Grammarly AI) may be used for language polishing, grammar correction, literature search assistance, and code generation, provided the author critically reviews and takes responsibility for all output.

•         AI tools must NOT be used to fabricate data, generate fictitious references, or produce substantive text that the author has not independently verified and revised.

•         All uses must be declared in a dedicated 'AI Disclosure Statement' placed immediately before the reference list.

•         AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors under any circumstances.

•         The editorial team reserves the right to use AI-detection tools as part of the screening process.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

TJMPS follows COPE guidelines for post-publication corrections. Errata are published for honest errors that affect the scientific record. Retractions are issued when there is clear evidence of misconduct, unreliable data, or ethical violations. Expressions of concern may be issued while an investigation is ongoing.