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.    Scope of Ethical Concerns

This section governs alleged breaches by any participant in the publication process. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  1. Misconduct in research reporting or publication: plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate or concurrent submission, paper-mill activity, undisclosed re-use of text or figures
  2. Peer review or editorial manipulation: fake reviewers, coercive citation requests, undisclosed assistance, breach of confidentiality
  3. Authorship misrepresentation or undisclosed competing interests
  4. Non-compliance with human, animal, or clinical requirements, or with privacy and data protection.

2.    Reporting Concerns

  1. Each journal site provides a dedicated contact route for ethics concerns. Reports may come from readers, reviewers, editors, or institutions. Anonymous reports are considered when sufficiently evidenced.

3.     Intake and Initial Assessment

  1. Acknowledge receipt within five business days.
  2. Secure all relevant records in Open Journal Systems and preserve evidence.
  3. Conduct a preliminary assessment to determine if the issue is a misunderstanding, a matter for correction, or a potential breach that warrants a formal investigation.

4.    Formal Investigation Procedure

TIMES University, Multan applies the logic of COPE flowcharts and documents each step.

  1. Case lead and scope. Assign an uninvolved editor as case lead; define the questions to answer.
  2. Notify respondents. Inform the corresponding author (and, if needed, coauthors) of the concerns and invite a response with supporting evidence by a set deadline.
  3. Evidence gathering. Request original data or images, ethics approvals, and permissions; consult independent experts where needed.
  4. Institutional liaison. When the matter plausibly involves research misconduct, contact the author’s institution or funder to coordinate fact-finding.
  5. Assessment. Compare the evidence to policy requirements and relevant community standards.
  6. Decision. Determine the remedy.

5.    Principles Guiding Investigations

  1. Fairness. Give respondents the right to be heard and time to supply evidence.
  2. Confidentiality. Share information only on a need-to-know basis and store it securely within OJS
  3. Impartiality. Use editors without conflicts and independent experts when appropriate.
  4. Proportionality. Match the outcome to the severity, intent, and impact on the record.
  5. Timeliness. Proceed without undue delay and keep parties informed of material steps.

6.    Collaboration with Institutions and Funders

We cooperate with institutional investigations and may defer final decisions pending their findings when appropriate. If institutional findings conflict with clear evidence impacting the publication record, TIMES University, Multan will act to correct the record independently.

7.    Outcomes and Remedies

Possible outcomes include: no action, author clarification, editorial note, minor or major correction, expression of concern, retraction, reviewer or editor removal from roles, submission or reviewer bans, and notification to institutions or funders.

8.    Whistleblowing and Protections

TIMES University, Multan protects good-faith whistleblowers from retaliation and keeps identities confidential when legally and practically possible.

9.    Documentation and Record Retention

  1. Maintain a complete, auditable case file in OJS: report, correspondence, evidence, decisions, and rationale.
  2. Retain ethics case files for at least seven years after case closure or for the life of the article, whichever is longer.

10.  Transparency and Learning

Where feasible, TIMES University, Multan may publish periodic anonymized summaries of resolved ethics cases to improve community understanding. Editors receive regular training based on case trends.