Annals of King Edward Medical University (Ann King Edw Med Univ) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, editorial integrity, transparency, and scientific excellence. The Journal follows the recommendations and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), wherever applicable.

This policy outlines the ethical responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and the publisher.

1. Journal Governance

Ann King Edw Med Univ is the official peer-reviewed biomedical journal of King Edward Medical University. The Journal maintains a transparent editorial structure, clearly identifies its Editorial Board and Editorial Office, and ensures that editorial decisions remain independent of institutional, commercial, or financial influence.

The Journal website provides accurate information regarding its aims and scope, editorial policies, peer-review process, publication schedule, copyright, licensing, publication charges, indexing, archiving, and contact details.

2. Peer Review

All manuscripts undergo an independent peer-review process. Editorial decisions are based solely on scientific merit, originality, methodological quality, ethical conduct, and relevance to the Journal's scope. Acceptance of a manuscript is never guaranteed, and requests for expedited review cannot influence editorial decisions.

3. Research Ethics

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all research involving humans or animals has been conducted ethically and in accordance with applicable national and international guidelines.

Human Research

Research involving human participants must:

• Receive prior approval or exemption from a recognized Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Review Committee before commencement of the study.
• State the name of the approving ethics committee and approval/reference number within the manuscript.
• Comply with the latest version of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki and relevant national regulations.
• Obtain written informed consent from all adult participants or from parents/legal guardians for participants who are minors or unable to provide consent.
• Ensure additional safeguards when involving vulnerable populations.
• Protect participant privacy by avoiding disclosure of identifiable information unless essential and accompanied by written consent for publication.

For case reports, clinical images, and other identifiable patient information, written informed consent for publication is mandatory.

Where ethics approval or informed consent has been waived (e.g., certain retrospective studies using anonymized data), authors must provide justification together with documentation of the waiver from the relevant ethics committee.

The Editorial Board reserves the right to request copies of ethics approval letters or informed consent documentation at any stage of the review or publication process.

Animal Research

Annals of King Edward Medical University publishes animal research only when it has clear and direct relevance to human health, biomedical science, or clinical practice. Studies conducted solely for veterinary, agricultural, or basic animal science purposes, without a demonstrable link to health outcomes, are generally not considered for publication.

Research involving animals must:

• Receive approval from the relevant institutional animal ethics committee.
• Comply with applicable institutional, national, and international regulations governing animal welfare.
• Adhere to internationally accepted principles of humane animal research, including the 3Rs:
• Replacement
• Reduction
• Refinement
• Describe measures taken to minimize animal pain, distress, and suffering.
• Follow recognized reporting standards such as
  • WMA statement on animal use in biomedical research
  • ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) Guidelines To ensure transparent and comprehensive reporting of animal research.

4. Authorship

Authorship should accurately reflect individual contributions.

All authors must satisfy the four authorship criteria recommended by the ICMJE, namely:

• Substantial contribution to the conception or design of the work, or acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data;
• Participation in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content;
• Final approval of the version to be published; and
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Acquisition of funding, administrative supervision, or data collection alone does not qualify for authorship.

All authors should approve the submitted manuscript and disclose their specific contributions. Any authorship disputes, including ghost, guest, or gift authorship, will be managed according to COPE guidance.

5. Publication Ethics and Research Misconduct

Annals Of King Edward Medical University follow best practice guidance on the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals issued by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and adhere to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. Add  links to both

• ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals 

• COPE Core Practices  

Concerns about scientific misconduct are very important to us at Annals of King Edward Medical University. Every possible instance of scientific misconduct is different, and the main duty of journals and editors in these situations is to protect the validity and integrity of the scientific record.
Editors will specifically ask reviewers if they have any issues regarding publication ethics or research integrity regarding the paper they are examining during the peer review process. Our editors will notify the authors and their institutions for additional inquiry if a severe issue is brought up during peer review, even if the manuscript is not published.

Scientific misconduct may include, but is not limited to, data fabrication, data falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, unethical research practices, authorship manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and attempts to compromise the peer-review process.

Authors are expected to read and comply with the journal’s instructions for authors and ethical policies before submission. Although authors may suggest potential reviewers, the journal independently evaluates the qualifications, suitability, and potential conflicts of interest of all reviewers before invitation.

Any allegation of research or publication misconduct relating to a manuscript under review or a published article should be submitted to the editorial office with clear details and supporting evidence. For example, in cases of suspected plagiarism, the complainant should identify the overlapping text and provide references to both the original and suspected sources.

Upon receipt of a complaint, the editorial office will conduct a preliminary assessment and may contact the corresponding author(s) for an explanation, along with any relevant factual statements or supporting documents. The matter will be handled sensitively, confidentially, and with due process.

If the explanation provided by the author(s) is satisfactory and the concern can be resolved through correction or clarification, the editorial office may proceed accordingly. If misconduct is confirmed in a manuscript under review, the manuscript may be rejected or the review process may continue only after appropriate corrections, depending on the nature and seriousness of the issue. If misconduct is identified in a published article, the journal may issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, as appropriate.

In cases of non-response within the stipulated time, an unsatisfactory explanation, or serious concerns such as fabrication, falsification, or unethical research conduct, the matter may be referred to the author’s institution or relevant regulatory/oversight body for independent investigation. As institutions usually have access to the original data and research records, they are often best placed to conduct a full inquiry.

The Editor-in-Chief, with support from the editorial board, will ordinarily oversee the handling of such cases. Where necessary, external experts, institutions, or other relevant authorities may be consulted before a final decision is made. Depending on the severity of the violation, the Journal may:

• Request clarification or correction;
• Reject the manuscript;
• Retract or correct a published article;
• Notify relevant institutions, regulatory authorities, or funding agencies where appropriate; and
• Restrict future submissions from the authors for an appropriate period.

The complainant may be informed of the outcome once the matter is concluded, subject to confidentiality and legal or institutional limitations. The decision of the journal regarding correction, rejection, retraction, or other editorial action will be final.

This policy applies to both submitted manuscripts and published articles and is intended to safeguard the integrity of the scientific record.

6. Conflicts of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, academic, personal, or institutional relationships that could influence the conduct, review, or publication of the research.

Editorial decisions will be managed to avoid actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

7. Data Integrity and Transparency

Authors are expected to maintain accurate research records and retain original data. Editors may request access to supporting data during editorial evaluation.

Clinical trials should be prospectively registered in a publicly accessible registry whenever registration is required by international standards.

8. Copyright, Licensing and Access

The Journal clearly states its copyright, licensing, author rights, and reuse policies. Publication fees, if applicable, are disclosed before manuscript submission.

The Journal maintains long-term digital preservation and archiving of published content using recognized preservation mechanisms.

9. Corrections, Retractions and Appeals

The Journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.

Where necessary, corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions will be published following COPE recommendations.

Authors may appeal editorial decisions or submit complaints, which will be handled fairly, confidentially, and without undue delay.

10. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to:

• Submit original work that has not been published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere.
• Obtain all required ethical approvals before conducting research.
• Obtain informed consent whenever required.
• Report research honestly and accurately.
• Disclose conflicts of interest and funding sources.
• Register clinical trials where applicable.
• Cooperate during editorial investigations.
• Promptly notify the Journal if significant errors are identified after publication.

11. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers should:

• Maintain confidentiality.
• Declare conflicts of interest.
• Provide objective, constructive, and timely reviews.
• Evaluate manuscripts solely on scientific merit.
• Report suspected ethical concerns or misconduct to the editors.

12. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors shall:

• Make fair, independent, and unbiased editorial decisions.
• Preserve confidentiality throughout the review process.
• Manage conflicts of interest appropriately.
• Investigate allegations of misconduct in accordance with COPE guidance.
• Publish corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when necessary.
• Safeguard the integrity of the scholarly record.

13. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Authors remain fully responsible for all submitted work.

The use of artificial intelligence tools must be transparently disclosed and must not replace human authorship, accountability, or responsibility. AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Further guidance is available in the Journal's separate AI Use Policy.

14. Advertising, Revenue and Marketing

Editorial decisions are independent of financial considerations.

Revenue sources, publication charges, institutional support, or other funding mechanisms are transparently declared.

Ann King Edw Med Univ does not publish pharmaceutical advertisements or advertisements that could compromise editorial independence.

Any marketing or promotional activities undertaken by the Journal are accurate, transparent, and ethical.

Final Statement

Submission of a manuscript to Annals of King Edward Medical University constitutes acceptance of this Publication Ethics and Research Integrity Policy. The Journal expects authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and the publisher to uphold the highest standards of honesty, transparency, accountability, and professionalism throughout the publication process.