Peer Reviewed • Open Access • Scientific Publishing ISSN 1234-5678 / eISSN 8765-4321

Journal of Otorhinolaryngology, Airway, and Facial Surgery

Ethical Principles

Publication Ethics

1. General Principles

The Journal of Otorhinolaryngology, Airway and Facial Plastic Surgery (JOAFPS) is committed to the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. All editorial processes comply with internationally accepted ethical guidelines.

The journal adheres to the principles established by:

2. Research Ethics

2.1 Human Subjects

All studies involving human participants must:

  • Be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki
  • Receive prior approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee
  • Include a statement confirming informed consent

Patient confidentiality must be strictly protected. Identifiable information should not be published without explicit written consent.

2.2 Animal Studies

Research involving animals must:

  • Comply with international and institutional animal care guidelines
  • Be approved by an Animal Ethics Committee
  • Follow humane treatment standards

2.3 Clinical Trials

  • Must be registered in a recognized registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov)
  • The registration number must be provided in the manuscript

3. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship must meet the criteria defined by:

All authors must:

  • Make substantial contributions
  • Participate in drafting or revising the manuscript
  • Approve the final version
  • Accept accountability for all aspects of the work

Guest, honorary, or ghost authorship is strictly prohibited.

4. Conflict of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any:

  • Financial relationships
  • Personal affiliations
  • Academic conflicts

Conflicts must be clearly stated in the manuscript.

5. Data Integrity and Transparency

Authors are responsible for:

  • Accuracy and reliability of data
  • Proper data analysis and reporting
  • Retention of original data upon request

Fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting is considered scientific misconduct.

6. Plagiarism and Originality

JOAFPS maintains a strict anti-plagiarism policy:

  • All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software (e.g., iThenticate)
  • Manuscripts must be original and unpublished

Types of misconduct include:

  • Plagiarism
  • Self-plagiarism
  • Duplicate submission

7. Peer Review Ethics

The journal employs a double-blind peer review system.

Reviewers must:

  • Maintain confidentiality
  • Provide objective and constructive feedback
  • Declare conflicts of interest

Editors must:

  • Ensure impartial decision-making
  • Avoid conflicts of interest
  • Maintain confidentiality

8. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently of:

  • Commercial interests
  • Sponsorship
  • Institutional influence

9. Corrections, Retractions, and Misconduct

In cases of ethical concerns, JOAFPS follows procedures recommended by:

Possible actions include:

  • Correction (Erratum)
  • Expression of Concern
  • Retraction

10. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • AI tools must be transparently disclosed
  • AI cannot be listed as an author
  • Authors remain fully responsible for content

11. Patient Rights and Privacy

  • Written consent required for identifiable patient data
  • Images must be anonymized unless consent is obtained

12. Ethical Oversight

The journal reserves the right to:

  • Request ethics approval documents
  • Reject manuscripts lacking ethical compliance

13. Complaints and Appeals

Complaints and appeals are handled in accordance with:

14. Post-Publication Responsibilities

Authors must:

  • Report errors promptly
  • Cooperate in correction or retraction processes