Journal Policy - Medical Journal IMJ Health
Our Policy Commitment
Medical Journal IMJ Health maintains comprehensive policies covering publication ethics, peer review practices, author guidelines, copyright, and editorial duties to ensure academic integrity and quality in all published research.
Policy Contents
1. Policy Overview
Medical Journal IMJ Health believes medical research should be conducted and published with the highest standards of integrity. Our policy framework is designed to ensure fairness, transparency, and quality in all aspects of the publication process.
Policy Principles
- Academic Integrity: Uphold highest standards of research ethics
- Transparency: Clear and open publication processes
- Fairness: Equitable treatment of all stakeholders
- Quality: Rigorous peer review and editorial standards
- Accessibility: Open access to published research
- Accountability: Clear responsibility and accountability
Policy Review Schedule
Regular policy review cycle:
- Annual comprehensive review
- Biannual stakeholder consultation
- Quarterly editorial board review
- Continuous monitoring and updates
Last review: February 22, 2026
2. Core Publication Policies
Essential Policies
These fundamental policies govern manuscript submission, review, and publication processes at IMJ Health.
Peer Review Policy
Double-Blind Peer Review:
- Comprehensive double-blind review process
- Minimum two independent reviewers
- Reviewer selection based on expertise
- Transparent review criteria
- Timely review completion
- Constructive feedback to authors
Plagiarism Policy
Originality Requirements:
- Mandatory plagiarism checking
- Maximum 15% similarity index
- Proper citation and attribution
- Consequences for plagiarism
- Self-plagiarism guidelines
- Text recycling policies
Publication Ethics Policy
- COPE guidelines compliance
- Authorship criteria and contributions
- Conflict of interest disclosure
- Research misconduct handling
- Data fabrication prevention
- Ethical approval requirements
Open Access Policy
- Gold open access model
- Creative Commons licensing
- Author copyright retention
- Immediate online publication
- No subscription barriers
- Global accessibility
3. Editorial Board Policies
Editorial Responsibilities
- Editorial Independence: Decisions based on academic merit
- Confidentiality: Protect author and reviewer identities
- Timeliness: Efficient manuscript handling
- Transparency: Clear decision-making processes
- Fairness: Equitable treatment of all submissions
- Quality Control: Maintain publication standards
Reviewer Policies
- Expertise: Review within area of competence
- Constructive Feedback: Provide helpful comments
- Timeliness: Complete reviews promptly
- Confidentiality: Protect manuscript content
- Objectivity: Unbiased evaluation
- Conflict Disclosure: Declare any conflicts
Editorial Board Policy
- Board member selection criteria
- Term duration and renewal
- Responsibilities and duties
- Meeting and participation requirements
- Performance evaluation
- Resignation and replacement procedures
Reviewer Board Policy
- Reviewer selection process
- Reviewer recognition and credit
- Review quality standards
- Reviewer training and support
- Reviewer database management
- Reviewer performance tracking
5. Copyright & Licensing Policies
Intellectual Property Rights
Policies governing copyright, licensing, permissions, and reuse of published material from IMJ Health.
Copyright Policy
Copyright Transfer:
- Author copyright retention
- Journal publishing rights
- Copyright infringement procedures
- Author reuse rights
- Institutional repository deposit
- Copyright violation consequences
Licensing Policy
Creative Commons License:
- CC BY 4.0 license application
- Commercial use permissions
- Derivative works guidelines
- Attribution requirements
- License compatibility
- License enforcement
Article Sharing Policy
- Accepted manuscript sharing
- Published article sharing
- Social media sharing guidelines
- Institutional repository deposit
- Commercial sharing restrictions
- Citation requirements
Permissions Policy
- Permission request procedures
- Commercial use permissions
- Educational use permissions
- Translation permissions
- Reprint permissions
- Permission fees (if applicable)
6. Additional Policies
Privacy Policy
- Personal data protection
- Data collection purposes
- Data sharing restrictions
- Cookies and tracking
- User rights and control
- Data security measures
Archiving Policy
- Digital preservation strategy
- Long-term accessibility
- Backup and recovery
- Format migration
- Disaster recovery plan
- Archive locations
Advertisement Policy
- Advertisement acceptance criteria
- Medical advertisement standards
- Advertisement placement
- Conflict of interest avoidance
- Advertisement review process
- Complaint handling
Content Update Policy
- Content correction procedures
- Version control
- Update notification
- Historical version maintenance
- Update frequency
- Update approval process
7. Publication Process
Publication Workflow
- Submission: Online manuscript submission
- Initial Check: Format and completeness review
- Peer Review: Double-blind expert review
- Decision: Editor decision based on reviews
- Revision: Author revisions if required
- Acceptance: Final acceptance decision
- Production: Copyediting and typesetting
- Publication: Online publication
Processing Timeline
- Initial decision: 2-4 weeks
- Peer review: 4-8 weeks
- Revision period: 4-6 weeks
- Final acceptance: 1-2 weeks
- Production: 2-4 weeks
- Publication: Immediate online
Article Processing Charges (APC)
IMJ Health follows an open access publishing model with the following fee structure:
Standard processing fee
Comprehensive review fee
Reduced fee structure
8. Policy Updates & Contact
Policy Feedback
We welcome feedback about our policies:
- Email: info@imjhealth.org
- Response Time: Within 5 business days
- Feedback Form: Online policy feedback
- Editorial Board: Direct board contact
- Confidentiality: All feedback confidential
- Implementation: Consider all suggestions
Policy Assistance
For policy clarification or assistance:
- Contact editorial office
- Request policy interpretation
- Seek specific guidance
- Request policy exceptions
- Get compliance assistance
- Request training materials
Regular Policy Review
This journal policy document undergoes quarterly review to reflect current publishing standards, technological changes, and stakeholder feedback. We update policies as improvements are implemented and new standards are adopted.
Policy Support
For policy questions, clarification, or assistance:
Email: info@imjhealth.org
Response: We respond to all policy inquiries within 5 business days. Please provide specific details about your query for faster resolution.
Policy Document Details
Original Publication Date
January 1, 2015
Last Review Date
February 22, 2026
Next Review Date
May 22, 2026
Note: This policy document applies to all submissions to Medical Journal IMJ Health. All authors, reviewers, and editorial board members are expected to comply with these policies. The journal reserves the right to update policies as needed to maintain publishing standards.