Policies and Standards

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Journal Policies and Publication Standards

Fully open access · Biannual · Authors retain copyright · CC BY 4.0

International Journal of Healthcare Research (IJHCR) publishes two regular issues each year. These policies explain the responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors and the publisher across submission, assessment, publication and the maintenance of the scholarly record.

Publisher: MEDLINK ACADEMY FOR RESEARCH EXCELLENCE (SMC-PRIVATE) LIMITED, Pakistan. CUIN: 0356208.

Journal Home · Author Guidelines and Submissions · Contact the Journal · CC BY 4.0 licence

1. Publisher and editorial governance

1.1. Ownership and Management Disclosure

Publisher identity

International Journal of Healthcare Research (IJHCR) is published by MEDLINK ACADEMY FOR RESEARCH EXCELLENCE (SMC-PRIVATE) LIMITED, Pakistan. The company’s Corporate Unique Identification No. is 0356208. Its supplied incorporation certificate records incorporation on 14 September 2026. This is the company’s incorporation date.

Responsibilities and independence

The publisher provides administrative, technological, production and financial support and is responsible for supporting implementation of the journal’s policies. Authorized editors retain responsibility for scientific assessment and publication decisions. Commercial interests, fee payments and personal relationships must not determine acceptance.

Public information

The journal will maintain accurate information about its current editors, affiliations, management and contact routes. Material changes in publisher or editorial leadership will be reflected on the website. The publisher’s legal identity must be consistent across journal documentation and invoices.

Editorial enquiries should use the journal’s official contact route; correspondence about an active manuscript should ordinarily use its submission record. Publisher services and financial concerns may be referred through the editorial office to an authorized publisher representative.

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1. Publisher and editorial governance

1.2. Editorial Governance and Independence

Editorial roles

The Editor-in-Chief oversees scientific standards and policy application. Handling editors assess submissions within their expertise. The editorial office supports records, communications and workflow. Appointments should be supported by consent, relevant expertise, defined responsibilities and disclosure of competing interests.

Decision principles

Decisions are based on scientific quality, ethical acceptability, relevance, transparent reporting and reliability. Nationality, institutional prestige, ability to pay and personal relationships must not replace assessment of the work. The publisher must respect editorial freedom and support editors addressing legitimate integrity concerns.

Recusal and special issues

An editor with a relevant conflict must withdraw from handling and deciding the manuscript. Guest editors and special issues are subject to the same standards, independent assessment and journal oversight. A sponsor cannot require acceptance or prevent correction of an unreliable article.

Policy maintenance

Editorial leadership will review these policies at least annually and when a material change requires earlier review. Updates should be dated, communicated clearly and retained in the journal’s policy records. Substantive fee changes apply prospectively to newly submitted manuscripts; existing authors must be informed of any proposed change affecting their submission. Policy changes must not obscure prior decisions or remove rights already granted.

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1. Publisher and editorial governance

1.3. Editorial Endogeny and Self-Publication

Submissions involving journal personnel

Editors, board members, staff and persons associated with the publisher may submit work within the journal’s scope. They must disclose their journal relationship. Their work is subject to the same scientific and ethical requirements as other submissions.

Independent handling

An author with a journal role must not select reviewers, influence decisions, access confidential assessments through editorial privileges, or manage an appeal concerning their own manuscript. A qualified editor without a relevant conflict must oversee the submission. If appropriate independence cannot be arranged internally, the journal should appoint an independent handling editor or decline to consider the manuscript.

Disclosure and monitoring

The published article should disclose the author’s journal role and explain that independent handling was used. Editorial leadership will periodically assess the concentration of publications involving journal personnel or particular institutions, the operation of recusals, and any evidence of preferential treatment. Editorial affiliation does not entitle an author to expedited acceptance or a favorable outcome.

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1. Publisher and editorial governance

1.4. Editorial Dignity at Work

Professional communication

IJHCR expects respectful communication in reviews, editorial correspondence, meetings and publisher activities. Scientific disagreement is legitimate. Harassment, threats, discrimination, personal abuse and retaliation are unacceptable. Reviews must address the work with reasons and evidence rather than attack an author’s identity or personal worth.

Reporting and response

Concerns should be reported through the official contact route. If the usual recipient is implicated, the concern should be directed to an uninvolved senior editor or publisher representative. Information will be handled on a need-to-know basis, and affected parties should have a reasonable opportunity to respond.

Actions may include revision of inappropriate correspondence, reassignment of responsibilities, restriction of direct contact, or termination of a reviewer or editorial appointment. The assessment of conduct should be separated from the scientific merits of an affected manuscript wherever possible. Good-faith reporting must not lead to retaliation.

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1. Publisher and editorial governance

1.5. Jurisdictional Neutrality

Geographic and institutional descriptions

Publication of a map, affiliation or territorial designation does not imply that IJHCR or its publisher endorses a jurisdictional claim. Authors must describe study locations and affiliations accurately and consistently.

Editorial application

Editors may request clarification where terminology is ambiguous, inconsistent or unnecessary to understanding the research. Neutrality must not remove information required to understand the study setting, population, institutional oversight or applicability of findings. Authors remain responsible for reporting relevant ethical approvals and research context. Concerns about geographic descriptions may be submitted through the complaints procedure.

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2. Submission, peer review and research integrity

2.1. Peer Review

Review model

IJHCR uses double-anonymized peer review for research manuscripts and substantive reviews. Authors provide a separate title page and an anonymized review manuscript. Reviewers’ identities are concealed from authors. Complete anonymity cannot always be guaranteed, particularly where preprints, registrations or research settings reveal identities.

Editorial screening

A handling editor assesses scope, completeness, scientific suitability, ethical reporting and research integrity. A submission may be returned for clarification or rejected before external assessment. Similarity findings and other automated indicators require contextual evaluation and are not substitutes for judgment.

Independent assessment

Manuscripts selected for external review will normally receive reports from at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise. Additional statistical or methodological assessment may be requested. Reviewers should evaluate the question, design, analysis, interpretation, limitations, ethical reporting and contribution, and provide constructive reasons for their recommendations.

Decisions and revisions

Possible decisions include acceptance, minor revision, major revision and rejection. Reviewer recommendations inform the decision but are not binding votes. An authorized, conflict-free editor retains responsibility. Authors must provide a revised manuscript and a point-by-point response. Disagreement is permitted when supported by explanation. Revision does not guarantee acceptance.

Confidentiality and exceptions

Reviewers must not share confidential material, contact authors directly about assessment, or delegate review without editorial permission. Confidential manuscripts must not be uploaded to unapproved AI services. Editorials, notices and other non-research material may receive editorial assessment rather than external review; the assessment route should be identified appropriately.

The peer-review charge, its payment stage and any waiver are governed by the fees policy. Payment does not purchase a favorable assessment, and editors must not encourage unnecessary review merely to generate revenue.

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2. Submission, peer review and research integrity

2.2. Publication Ethics and Malpractice

Expected conduct

Authors, reviewers, editors, staff and the publisher must support honest reporting, fair assessment and correction of material errors. Concerns may include plagiarism, fabricated or falsified findings, manipulated images, undeclared duplicate publication, purchased authorship, deceptive reviewer identities or manipulated peer review.

Raising concerns

A report should identify the manuscript or article, describe the issue and provide supporting evidence where possible. Credible evidence will be considered even where a reporter requests confidentiality. The journal cannot guarantee that every allegation can be investigated without revealing some information to affected parties.

Assessment

The journal will record the concern, appoint a conflict-free assessor, seek explanations and relevant records, and allow affected parties a reasonable response. Independent advice may be sought. An allegation, unexpected result or unusual pattern does not establish misconduct. Serious questions about research conduct may require referral to the responsible institution or competent authority.

Outcomes

Actions may include clarification, further review, rejection, correction, an expression of concern or retraction. The response must reflect the evidence and its effect on reliability. Withdrawal, payment or settlement of an invoice does not prevent an integrity investigation. The journal’s priority is a trustworthy scholarly record rather than punishment.

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2. Submission, peer review and research integrity

2.3. Research Ethics, Consent and Study Registration

Human research

Research involving people or identifiable information must receive appropriate ethical review before the relevant activities where such review is required. Authors must identify the reviewing body and report the approval reference and date where issued. Exemptions and waivers must be explained and attributed to the competent authority where applicable. Retrospective documentation must not be presented as prospective approval.

Consent and confidentiality

Report how consent to participate was obtained or why a waiver applied. Participation consent does not automatically authorize publication of identifiable information. Identifiable case descriptions, images, recordings and quotations require appropriate publication consent. Authors should retain consent records securely and provide confirmation when requested without uploading unnecessary personal data.

Animal and regulated research

Animal research must describe appropriate oversight and welfare safeguards. Work involving biological specimens, hazardous material or other regulated activities must report relevant permissions and approvals. Approval documents do not remove the journal’s responsibility to assess ethical acceptability.

Study registration

Interventional clinical trials must be registered in an appropriate publicly accessible registry before participant enrollment. Report the registry, registration number and date, and explain material deviations from the registered plan. Other study types should use appropriate protocol registration or public protocols where relevant. Registration does not replace ethical review.

The journal may seek clarification or decline work that does not satisfy these requirements. Reports of ethically unacceptable research will not be accepted solely because the findings are scientifically interesting.

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2. Submission, peer review and research integrity

2.4. Authorship and Responsibility

Eligibility

IJHCR applies the four-part authorship framework in the ICMJE Recommendations: substantial contribution to conception/design or data acquisition, analysis or interpretation; drafting or critical intellectual revision; final approval; and accountability for the integrity of the work. Contributors whose work merits authorship should have a reasonable opportunity to participate in revision and approval.

Contributions

A contribution statement must describe each author’s role. Funding, routine supervision, administration or language editing alone does not establish authorship. Other contributions should be acknowledged with permission. Ghost, honorary and purchased authorship are unacceptable. AI systems cannot be authors.

Corresponding author and changes

The corresponding author coordinates communication and verifies that all authors know of and approve the submission. Requests to add, remove or reorder authors require an explanation and written agreement from affected authors. Post-publication requests require assessment of whether a notice is needed.

Disputes

The journal may pause assessment while an authorship dispute is unresolved. Institutions may need to establish contributions where the editors cannot determine the facts. A change to authorship must not be used to evade accountability or obtain a waiver improperly.

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2. Submission, peer review and research integrity

2.5. Conflicts of Interest

Disclosure

Authors, reviewers and editors must disclose financial and non-financial relationships that could reasonably influence, or appear to influence, judgment. Examples include employment, consultancy, grants, investments, patents, paid testimony, close collaboration, personal relationships, academic rivalry and institutional interests.

Authors must identify research funding and the funder’s role in design, analysis, writing and submission. A declaration of no competing interests should be provided when appropriate. A disclosed relationship does not automatically prevent publication.

Management

The handling editor determines whether an interest can be managed or requires recusal. Reviewers should raise conflicts before accepting an assignment and promptly disclose those discovered later. Editors must not decide their own work or submissions involving material conflicts.

After publication

Newly identified interests will be assessed for their effect. Action may include a corrected declaration or further investigation where assessment or reliability was compromised. Commercial and waiver decisions must remain separate from scientific decisions.

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2. Submission, peer review and research integrity

2.6. Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

Human accountability

Human authors remain responsible for accuracy, originality, citations and integrity. AI cannot be an author. Disclose substantive generative-AI use in writing, translation, coding, analysis or creation of research materials, identifying the tool, purpose and extent of human verification. Routine spelling checks that do not generate substantive content do not require a separate declaration.

Research applications

Where AI forms part of the research method, describe the system, version where available, inputs, processing, validation and limitations sufficiently for assessment. Synthetic data or images legitimately used in research must be identified. AI must not fabricate observations, references or material represented as authentic research evidence.

Review and editorial use

Confidential submissions and review reports must not be uploaded to external systems without authorization and appropriate confidentiality safeguards. AI assistance does not replace reviewers’ expert judgment or editors’ accountability. Suspected undisclosed use should be assessed from evidence and context; an automated detection score alone cannot establish misconduct.

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2. Submission, peer review and research integrity

2.7. Prior Publication and Preprints

Disclosure

Disclose preprints, theses, conference abstracts, reports, translations and closely related publications, including work using overlapping participants or datasets. A thesis, preprint or conference abstract does not automatically prevent consideration. Editors assess overlap, the new contribution and relevant rights.

Related work

Reports from the same dataset must address sufficiently distinct questions, cite related publications and explain overlap. Dividing one study into minimally differentiated papers to inflate output is unacceptable. A previously published full article must not be presented as new original work.

Secondary publication

A translation or justified secondary publication needs advance editorial agreement, relevant permissions and clear identification of the original source and secondary nature. Authors should update preprint records to link to the journal article after publication. Public preprints can limit the effectiveness of anonymized review.

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2. Submission, peer review and research integrity

2.8. Simultaneous Submissions

Exclusive consideration

A manuscript must not be under consideration by another journal while IJHCR is assessing it. This includes substantially equivalent versions submitted under different titles or author arrangements. Preprint deposits are considered under the prior-publication policy.

Ending consideration

Authors wishing to submit elsewhere should request withdrawal through the manuscript record and obtain confirmation that consideration has ended. All authors should know of the request. If acknowledgment is delayed, follow up through the official contact route rather than assume withdrawal has occurred.

Suspected duplication

The journal may pause assessment and seek an explanation. Confirmed deceptive simultaneous submission may lead to rejection and, where justified, communication with another journal or responsible institution. Withdrawal and refund questions are handled under the separate policies below.

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3. Open access and author rights

3.1. Open Access

Immediate reader access

Open access is a defining commitment of IJHCR. Published articles are freely accessible online immediately upon publication without subscription charges or mandatory registration. The journal publishes two regular issues annually.

Access supports healthcare professionals, researchers, educators, policymakers, patients and the public. Publicly released supplementary material is available with its associated article, subject to any clearly stated material-specific restrictions.

Publication and research records

Open access applies to the published article. It does not make confidential research records, identifiable participant information, unpublished manuscripts or peer-review correspondence public. Those materials remain subject to appropriate ethical and access restrictions.

Costs and independence

Reader access is distinct from the author-side fees listed in the charges policy. Fee payments do not determine scientific acceptance. Articles carry the licence described below, and authors may deposit versions according to the self-archiving policy.

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3. Open access and author rights

3.2. Licensing

Article licence

IJHCR articles use the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0). It permits sharing and adaptation, including commercial use, with appropriate credit, a licence link and identification of changes. Reuse must not imply endorsement or impose restrictions that defeat the licence.

Display and exceptions

The applicable licence should be identified on the article landing page and full-text files. A separate credit line must identify third-party material carrying different conditions. Authors must secure necessary permissions and explain exceptions before publication.

The licence does not remove privacy, publicity or other rights that may require separate permission. The official licence terms govern reuse; the summary here is not a substitute for those terms.

Article notice: This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0).

Related policies: 3.3. Copyright · 4.2. Privacy, Data Protection and Consent

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3. Open access and author rights

3.3. Copyright

Author ownership

Authors retain copyright. Upon acceptance, authors grant IJHCR a non-exclusive right to publish, disseminate and maintain their work under the stated article licence, including necessary production formatting, metadata dissemination and links to subsequent scholarly notices. Copyright transfer is not a publication requirement.

Rights clearance

Authors must hold the rights needed to publish, obtain co-author approval and secure necessary permissions for third-party material. Acknowledging a source does not by itself establish permission to reproduce it. Any exclusion from the article licence must have an appropriate credit line.

Rights concerns

A rights report should identify the article, affected material, claimed rights and supporting evidence. The journal may seek clarification, correct a credit line, replace unauthorized material or take further editorial action. Authors can reuse and deposit their work consistently with the stated rights and material-specific exceptions.

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3. Open access and author rights

3.4. Self-Archiving and Green Open Access

Permitted versions

IJHCR permits deposit of the submitted manuscript, accepted manuscript and published version of record without a journal-imposed embargo. Authors may use institutional, disciplinary or general repositories and professional webpages.

Version identification

Identify the deposited version accurately. Once published, add the final citation, journal article link and DOI where assigned. A preprint must not be described as peer reviewed or accepted before those events occur. An accepted manuscript is distinct from the final typeset publication.

Exclusions and updates

This permission does not authorize disclosure of confidential correspondence, review reports, identifiable participant information or restricted third-party material. Authors should update repository records when an article is corrected or retracted and link to the relevant notice. Repository versioning and retention rules may also apply.

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4. Research data and personal information

4.1. Data Sharing and Research Transparency

Data Availability Statement

Research articles must explain whether supporting data and materials can be accessed, where they are held and what conditions apply. Arrangements may include public deposit, controlled access, access through an original provider, or a justified restriction. An “available on request” statement should identify the contact and access criteria.

Supporting materials

Where feasible, provide protocols, analysis plans, code, data dictionaries, questionnaires and other materials needed to understand the findings. Identify the version used for analysis. Repository availability does not compensate for inadequate reporting of methods.

Restrictions

Sharing must respect consent, confidentiality, law and third-party agreements. Removing names may not anonymize detailed clinical records, qualitative accounts or images sufficiently. Where participant-level data cannot be shared, consider non-identifying materials that support scrutiny.

Verification

The journal may request supporting records when assessing reliability. Retain essential research records according to applicable institutional, ethical, funder and legal requirements. A legitimate restriction is not misconduct; unexplained contradictions between findings and source material may require investigation.

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4. Research data and personal information

4.2. Privacy, Data Protection and Consent

Purpose and information

IJHCR processes information necessary for accounts, assessment, communication, production and maintenance of the scholarly record. This may include names, affiliations, contact details, researcher identifiers, declarations, submissions and correspondence. Collection should be limited to information reasonably needed for those purposes.

Access and publication

Access should follow editorial and administrative responsibilities. Reviewers receive material needed for their task under the stated review model. Published metadata may contain author names, affiliations, identifiers and designated correspondence details; authors should provide details suitable for public use.

Confidential information may be shared with necessary service providers or competent institutions for legitimate operational or integrity purposes, with appropriate safeguards and regard to applicable requirements.

Retention and requests

The publisher must use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards. Retention should reflect operational needs, accountability, unresolved disputes and applicable obligations. Requests to correct account information or raise privacy concerns should use the official contact route. Account deletion does not automatically require removal of an article or authorship record.

Website services

Any optional marketing, analytics, cookies or external services used by the journal should be explained accurately in the website’s applicable privacy and cookie notices. Optional marketing must be distinguished from necessary manuscript communication.

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4. Research data and personal information

4.3. Name and Pronoun Changes

Confidential requests

Authors may request updates to published names, initials, pronouns or associated biographical wording by identifying the affected articles and requested changes. Identity will be verified proportionately. Sensitive personal circumstances need not be publicly explained.

Updating records

Where feasible, the journal will update landing pages, full-text files and metadata under its control. A public correction notice will not ordinarily be required solely to announce a personal name or pronoun change. Co-author consent is not ordinarily needed where authorship identity, contribution and responsibility remain unchanged.

Limits

A request involving a different author or disputed authorship requires separate assessment. The journal may request updates from services receiving its metadata but cannot guarantee alteration of independently retained copies.

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4. Research data and personal information

4.4. Requests for Anonymity

Exceptional requests

An author or contributor may request withholding of a public identity where disclosure creates a credible safety, privacy or other substantial risk. This differs from ordinary double-anonymized review. Raise the request before submission or as soon as the concern becomes apparent.

Accountability and assessment

Editors will consider the reasons, public interest, accountability and alternatives such as withholding a correspondence address. The journal ordinarily needs confidential verification of identity and responsibility. It may decline anonymity where meaningful accountability cannot be maintained.

Conditions

Anonymity cannot conceal a relevant conflict, evade authorship rules or avoid responsibility for misconduct. External information may still identify a person, so anonymity cannot be guaranteed absolutely. Participant confidentiality is governed by the research ethics policy.

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5. Fees, financial transparency and sponsorship

5.1. Author Charges, Waivers and Refunds

Fee schedule

IJHCR is open access for readers. The following author fees apply per manuscript, before any approved waiver or reduction:

Author charges in Pakistani rupees (PKR)
Item	Amount	Payment stage
Submission	None	No payment to submit or receive initial editorial screening
Peer review	PKR 50,000	After editorial screening confirms suitability for external assessment and before external review begins
Article processing charge (APC)	PKR 3,000	After formal acceptance and before copyediting starts
Additional pages, figures or supplementary files	None	No additional journal charge
Total base journal charges for an accepted manuscript receiving external review	PKR 53,000	Paid at the separate stages above; not a fee payable on submission

The peer-review fee funds assessment administration and associated review services; it does not buy acceptance or a favorable report. Ordinary revisions within the same submission do not trigger a repeat review fee. Any newly submitted work must receive an explicit fee quotation before another charge is incurred. Articles not undergoing external review must not be charged for an external-review service not provided.

Taxes and payment-provider costs

IJHCR will not add an unspecified tax or journal payment surcharge. Any tax legally required to be collected must be established by the publisher’s finance adviser, itemized on the invoice and disclosed before payment. This policy does not assert that any specific tax rate applies. Authors should receive the full payable amount before authorizing a transaction.

Authors bear only actual bank, currency-conversion or payment-provider charges imposed by their selected payment service and disclosed by that service. The journal adds no payment-handling markup. Where a tax or withholding deduction is required, authors should contact the publisher before payment and provide appropriate documentation. Refunds must reconcile any tax component in accordance with applicable requirements.

Waiver and reduction eligibility

Full or partial relief may be considered where authors cannot obtain adequate institutional, funder, employer or personal support. Relevant circumstances include documented financial hardship, unfunded work, limited institutional resources, displacement, conflict, disasters or other substantial barriers. Geographic resource constraints may inform assessment but nationality alone does not determine eligibility. Student or early-career status may support a request when accompanied by genuine funding limitations.

A waiver may cover either fee or both. Requests should identify the fee concerned and the amount of assistance sought, describe available support and funding restrictions, and include only proportionate supporting information. Authors need not disclose unnecessary sensitive financial details.

Application and assessment

Apply through the journal’s official contact route before submission or in confidential submission comments before the relevant invoice is paid. Later requests may be considered where circumstances change. A publisher administrator who is not making the scientific decision will assess the request using need, available support, consistent treatment and the journal’s waiver resources. The decision and remaining payable amount will be communicated in writing before a payment commitment is required. Reviewers should not be told the author’s waiver status.

Relief must not be exchanged for citations, authorship changes, editorial favors or promotional services. Waiver decisions do not guarantee acceptance. A declined or insufficient award may be reconsidered on new evidence by an uninvolved administrator. Authors may withdraw before an unpaid, chargeable service begins without a withdrawal penalty.

Refund rules and service milestones

The PKR 3,000 APC is non-refundable once article processing begins. For this policy, processing begins when accepted-article copyediting is assigned and substantive work starts; acceptance or invoice generation alone is not commencement. The journal will record and communicate the start of that stage. Before processing begins, an unused prepaid APC is refundable.

The PKR 50,000 peer-review fee has a separate service-based refund rule. Before external review begins, prepaid review fees are refundable. External review begins when a reviewer accepts the assignment and is given access to the manuscript; sending invitations alone does not establish commencement. If an author withdraws after review starts but before it is completed, the publisher may retain only a documented, proportionate charge for review services already delivered and refund the unused balance. No automatic percentage deduction is imposed.

A completed external-review service comprises the normal independent review reports and an editorial decision communicating the assessment. Where rejection follows completed review, the review fee is not refundable solely because the decision is unfavorable. If assessment ends early, the publisher must explain the services provided and account for any unused payment.

Copyediting and production

During copyediting, the APC remains non-refundable once processing has begun, and the fee for completed peer review is not refundable. The present schedule contains no separate publication fee; no additional refundable publication-charge category is implied. Production begins when copyedited content moves into typesetting, layout or final publication preparation.

Once production begins, ordinary author-requested withdrawal does not entitle the author to a refund of charges for services already performed. The journal must still correct duplicate payments, overpayments and billing mistakes and refund payment for services it fails to provide. These exceptions also apply during production. A later correction or retraction does not automatically create or remove refund rights; journal error and undelivered services require individual assessment.

Requests, decisions and timing

Request a refund through the official contact route with the manuscript number, invoice or receipt, reason and relevant dates. The publisher will assess the service record, provide a reasoned written decision and aim to acknowledge the request within seven working days. Approved refunds should be initiated within 15 working days of approval, ordinarily to the original payer through the original method where feasible. Banking settlement times may vary.

Actual non-recoverable third-party transaction costs may be deducted only when identified and disclosed before payment; the journal adds no administrative refund penalty. Where the error is the journal’s, the publisher should bear its refund transaction costs. Statutory rights and mandatory remedies are not excluded. Disputed decisions may be raised through the complaints process.

Transparency and independence

These amounts and service milestones are IJHCR’s publisher policies, not amounts or refund formulas prescribed by COPE or ICMJE. The approach is informed by their guidance on fee disclosure, fair administration and separation of finances from editorial judgment. Fee changes must be dated, published before they apply and communicated to affected authors.

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5. Fees, financial transparency and sponsorship

5.2. Advertising and Sponsorship

Separation and identification

Any advertising or sponsorship accepted by IJHCR must be clearly distinguishable from editorial content. Advertisers and sponsors may not control reviewer selection, decisions, conclusions or integrity responses. Advertising does not constitute journal or publisher endorsement.

Acceptability

Material must be accurate, appropriate to the readership and consistent with applicable requirements. The journal may decline or remove misleading content, unsupported health claims or material compromising editorial credibility. Paid placement must not appear as independent editorial advice.

Supported collections and research

Financial or organizational support for a supplement, collection, event or special issue must be disclosed. Sponsored work remains subject to ordinary scientific and ethical standards. Sponsors cannot require acceptance or appoint a conflicted decision-maker without safeguards. Guest editors remain subject to journal oversight.

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6. Preservation, published record and redress

6.1. Archiving and Digital Preservation

Continuity objective

IJHCR is committed to maintaining access to articles, supplementary files, metadata and associated scholarly notices. The publisher is responsible for establishing and documenting operational backups, restoration responsibilities and continuity arrangements.

Operational and independent arrangements

Backup arrangements should protect against unauthorized access and accidental loss, and restoration should be tested periodically. Independent preservation participation must be described only after the service, coverage and actual deposits have been verified. Hosting, search visibility, metadata harvesting and routine backups must not be represented as independent long-term preservation.

Details of any verified independent preservation arrangement will be published here when confirmed. Authors and readers may request current information through the journal’s official contact route.

Changes and cessation

If hosting changes or publication ceases, the publisher should arrange continued access where practicable and communicate material changes. Identifiers, article URLs and associated notices should be maintained or redirected where technically possible. Repository deposits provide an additional access route under the self-archiving policy.

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6. Preservation, published record and redress

6.2. Corrections, Retractions, Expressions of Concern and Withdrawal

Reporting and assessment

Authors must report material errors promptly. Readers may raise concerns with supporting evidence through the official contact route. Editors will seek relevant explanations and determine the action needed to preserve an accurate scholarly record.

Corrections

A correction is appropriate when an error requires amendment but central findings remain sufficiently reliable. Notices identify the article, explain the change and link to the affected publication. Substantive amendments must not be made silently. Minor presentation changes that do not affect meaning may be handled through routine maintenance.

Expressions of concern and retractions

An expression of concern may alert readers to a serious unresolved issue while explaining the uncertainty. Retraction may be necessary for unreliable findings, serious ethical breaches or a materially compromised publication process. Authors should ordinarily have an opportunity to respond; agreement is not always required for action.

Retraction notices should give the reasons and identify who is retracting the article. The article generally remains accessible with clear labeling and links to the notice. Exceptional removal may be necessary for serious privacy, safety or legal reasons; an appropriate record should remain where possible.

Withdrawal and financial treatment

Unpublished manuscripts may be withdrawn through documented author requests or editorial action. Withdrawal does not automatically end an integrity investigation. Refund eligibility depends on the separate fee policy and service records; payment cannot prevent a necessary scholarly notice.

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6. Preservation, published record and redress

6.3. Commentaries, Critiques and Author Responses

Scholarly discussion

IJHCR welcomes evidence-based discussion of published work. A commentary should identify the article, explain the scientific issue and support factual assertions. Discussion must address methods, interpretation, reporting or implications rather than personal attacks or unsupported allegations.

Assessment and response

Editors may seek clarification or independent review. Authors of the original article should ordinarily have an opportunity to respond, but their agreement is not required to publish a well-supported critique. A response should address the substantive issues. Neither contribution is automatically accepted.

Record correction

Published discussions should link to the original article where feasible. A correction or investigation may still be needed if the exchange reveals a material error. Publication of an author response does not by itself resolve a concern requiring additional evidence or action.

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6. Preservation, published record and redress

6.4. Complaints and Appeals

Scope and submission

Concerns may relate to editorial conduct, delays, policy application, integrity, privacy, financial services or production errors. Appeals against editorial decisions should identify a material factual error, procedural irregularity, unmanaged conflict or substantive misunderstanding. Provide the manuscript or article identifier, a concise account, evidence and the outcome requested.

Independence

The person complained about must not be the sole assessor. A concern about the Editor-in-Chief should be referred through the publisher to an independent qualified assessor. Publisher involvement must not substitute for independent scientific judgment. Financial appeals should be assessed by an administrator not responsible for the original contested decision.

Response targets

The journal aims to acknowledge receipt within seven working days and provide an initial substantive response within 30 working days. Complex investigations may take longer; the complainant should receive an explanation and an update. No fixed outcome is promised.

Appeals and closure

An appeal may result in the original decision being upheld, reconsideration or further review. It does not guarantee acceptance. Repeated appeals without new material information may be closed with an explanation. Good-faith complaints must not result in retaliation, and financial disputes must not be used to obstruct necessary correction of the literature.

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Standards and supporting guidance

The journal’s framework is informed by the following resources. References to guidance do not imply membership, certification or endorsement. The journal’s fee amounts and refund milestones are publisher decisions.

Questions and policy concerns should be directed through the journal’s official contact page. Include a manuscript or article identifier where relevant.

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