PUBLICATION ETHICS & MALPRACTICE STATEMENT

The International Journal of Pharmacy and Allied Fields (IJPAF) is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal is committed to preventing publication malpractice in accordance with internationally accepted guidelines, including those of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), ICMJE, and WAME. All stakeholders of the journal, including authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers, must adhere to ethical standards throughout the publication process.

Authors submitting manuscripts to IJPAF must ensure that their work is entirely original and has not been previously published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere. Proper acknowledgment and citation are required wherever others’ work is referred to or utilized. Any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, is strictly prohibited. Authors are responsible for the accuracy and reliability of the data presented, and the fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of research data constitutes unethical behavior. Authorship must be limited to those who have made significant contributions to the research work and all listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript. Authors must disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest and clearly acknowledge financial support or funding sources. If errors are identified after publication, authors must promptly notify the journal so that corrections or retractions may be issued when appropriate.

Editors of IJPAF are responsible for making publication decisions based solely on the manuscript’s academic merit, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope. They must ensure a fair, unbiased, and confidential peer review process. Editors are required to maintain confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts and must not use unpublished materials for personal advantage. In cases of suspected ethical violations such as plagiarism, authorship disputes, data fabrication, or copyright breaches, editors will follow COPE guidelines to ensure appropriate action is taken.

Reviewers play an essential role in supporting editorial decisions and improving manuscript quality. They must evaluate submissions objectively, constructively, and without bias. Reviewers are expected to maintain confidentiality, conduct reviews within agreed deadlines, and disclose any conflicts of interest that may compromise their impartiality. Reviewers should report any similarity with previously published work or ethical concerns found within the manuscript.

IJPAF follows a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure high-quality academic content. All submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening using reliable detection software, and submissions with unacceptable similarity levels may be rejected. The journal maintains digital archiving and ensures long-term availability of published content. Research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive biological materials must receive approval from an appropriate ethics committee and adhere to international ethical standards such as the Helsinki Declaration, ICMR, and CPCSEA regulations.

The journal takes allegations of research misconduct seriously and investigates all ethical concerns. Confirmed cases of malpractice may result in manuscript rejection, publication retraction, notification to institutional authorities, or prohibition of future submissions. Article retraction or correction will be carried out when necessary to preserve scientific integrity, and withdrawal of a manuscript is only permitted before final acceptance.

For any ethical concerns or reporting of misconduct, please contact the Editorial Office at IJPAF via email: editor.ijpaf@gmail.com