Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Times Journal of Health and Social Science (TJHSS)

The Times Journal of Health and Social Science (TJHSS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and research integrity in accordance with the guidelines of COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics), ICMJE, and the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan.

1. Duties of Authors

Authors submitting to TJHSS are expected to:

  • Ensure that their work is original and has not been published elsewhere.

  • Accurately report research findings and avoid data fabrication or falsification.

  • Properly cite and reference all sources, including figures, tables, and ideas.

  • Declare all conflicts of interest that may influence the results or interpretation.

  • Obtain ethical approval for research involving human participants or animals.

2. Duties of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

  • Making decisions independently based solely on scholarly merit.

  • Maintaining confidentiality of submitted manuscripts.

  • Avoiding any personal, financial, or professional conflicts of interest.

  • Acting promptly to correct or retract any published work found to violate ethics.

3. Duties of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Conduct objective, fair, and timely reviews.

  • Maintain confidentiality of the manuscripts.

  • Declare any conflicts of interest before reviewing.

  • Avoid using any information gained from the review process for personal advantage.

4. Handling Misconduct

TJHSS follows strict procedures for handling research or publication misconduct, including:

  • Plagiarism (text, data, or idea duplication)

  • Data fabrication or falsification

  • Duplicate submissions or redundant publication

  • Improper authorship (gift or ghost authorship)

  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

Actions may include:

  • Rejection of the manuscript

  • Retraction or correction of published articles

  • Notification to authors’ institutions or funding agencies

  • Blacklisting authors for repeated violations

5. Transparency and Accountability

  • TJHSS ensures transparency in editorial and peer review processes.

  • Editors, reviewers, and authors are expected to adhere to ethical standards to maintain the integrity of scholarly publishing.

  • Any suspected misconduct is investigated thoroughly according to COPE flowcharts and guidelines.