Editorial Policies
These policies set out the standards IJMIE applies to authorship, integrity, transparency, and the correction of the scholarly record. They complement our Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement and are based on the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), ICMJE, and the DOAJ best-practice principles. Every journal policy is listed on the Journal Policies page.
Authorship & Contributorship
Authorship should be based on substantial contribution to (1) conception or design, or acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; (2) drafting or critically revising the work; (3) final approval of the version to be published; and (4) agreement to be accountable for the work. Contributions are declared using the CRediT taxonomy. Individuals who do not meet all criteria should be acknowledged. Any change to authorship after submission requires the written agreement of all authors.
Conflicts of Interest
All authors must disclose any financial or non-financial relationships that could be perceived to influence the work (e.g. employment, consultancies, funding, patents, personal relationships). Editors and reviewers must likewise declare and recuse themselves from competing interests. A conflict-of-interest statement is published with every article.
Funding Disclosure
All sources of funding for the research must be declared, including grant numbers where applicable. Funders have no role in editorial decisions.
Research Data & Data Availability
Every research article must include a data availability statement, and authors are encouraged to deposit the data underlying their findings in a recognized repository. Where data cannot be shared (e.g. for ethical or legal reasons), this must be stated and justified. Requirements, examples and suitable repositories are set out in the Research Data Policy.
Research Ethics & Consent
- Research involving human participants must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and have approval from an appropriate ethics committee; a statement of approval and informed consent is required.
- Research involving animals must comply with relevant institutional and national guidelines (e.g. ARRIVE), with an ethics-approval statement.
- For any identifiable individual, written informed consent for publication is required.
Corrections, Retractions & Expressions of Concern
The journal corrects the published record openly. Corrections, retractions and expressions of concern follow the COPE retraction guidelines, are published free to access, and are permanently linked to the article. The procedures are described in Corrections, Retractions and Appeals.
Allegations of Misconduct
Concerns about research or publication misconduct are investigated confidentially and impartially using the relevant COPE flowcharts, with the authors given an opportunity to respond. Where appropriate, the authors' institutions or funders may be informed.
Complaints & Appeals
Authors may appeal editorial decisions and lodge complaints about process or conduct with the editorial office. Appeals are assessed by an editor not involved in the original decision; the outcome is final. How to appeal or complain is explained in Corrections, Retractions and Appeals.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors, and any use of AI in the conception, drafting, analysis, or figure generation of a manuscript must be disclosed. Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content. The full rules for authors, reviewers and editors are in the Generative AI Policy.
Preprints
Posting of a preprint on a recognized, non-commercial preprint server prior to submission is permitted and is not considered prior publication. Authors should disclose the preprint and cite it in the submitted manuscript.
Advertising & Sponsorship
The journal does not permit advertising or sponsorship to influence editorial decisions. Editorial content is kept clearly separate from any commercial content.