Editorial Policy

| update: January 19, 2024 |

1. Policy Statement
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The American Journal of Biomedicine (AJBM) is committed to maintaining a transparent, ethical, and efficient editorial process. These guidelines outline the steps and responsibilities involved in manuscript handling, ensuring alignment with COPE standards.

2. Manuscript Submission
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2.1 Submission Requirements:
- Authors must adhere to the journal's submission guidelines.
- All manuscripts must include:
□ Cover letter
□ Title page with author details
□ Abstract and keywords
□ Main text and references
□ Figures and tables
□ Data availability statement
□ Ethical approval documentation (if applicable)

2.2 Initial Screening:
- Editorial staff will check submissions for:
□ Completeness
□ Adherence to formatting guidelines
□ Plagiarism using detection software
□ Ethical compliance

3. Peer Review Process
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3.1 Reviewer Selection:
- Editors will select reviewers based on:
□ Subject expertise
□ Absence of conflicts of interest
□ Availability and willingness to review

3.2 Review Process:
- Manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.
- Reviewers will evaluate:
□ Originality and significance
□ Methodological rigor
□ Ethical compliance
□ Clarity and presentation

3.3 Reviewer Feedback:
- Reviewers will provide:
□ Constructive comments for authors
□ Confidential recommendations for editors

3.4 Decision Making:
- Editors will consider reviewer feedback and make one of the following decisions:
□ Accept
□ Minor revisions
□ Major revisions
□ Reject

4. Revision and Resubmission
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4.1 Author Responsibilities:
- Authors must address all reviewer comments.
- A detailed response letter must accompany the revised manuscript.

4.2 Editorial Review:
- Editors will assess the revised manuscript for:
□ Adequacy of revisions
□ Compliance with reviewer suggestions

4.3 Additional Review:
- Revised manuscripts may be sent for additional peer review if necessary.

5. Final Decision and Publication
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5.1 Final Decision:
- The Editor-in-Chief will make the final decision on acceptance.
- Authors will be notified of the decision with detailed feedback.

5.2 Copyediting and Proofreading:
- Accepted manuscripts will undergo:
□ Language editing
□ Formatting for publication
□ Author proof review

5.3 Online Publication:
- Articles will be published online with:
□ DOI assignment
□ Open access options (if applicable)

6. Ethical Oversight
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6.1 COPE Compliance:
- The journal will adhere to COPE Core Practices, including:
□ Handling ethical complaints
□ Addressing conflicts of interest
□ Managing retractions and corrections

6.2 Ethical Issue Handling:
- The Editorial Board will investigate:
□ Plagiarism
□ Data fabrication or falsification
□ Authorship disputes
□ Ethical violations in research

7. Transparency and Accountability
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7.1 Editorial Board Responsibilities:
- Ensure transparency in decision-making.
- Avoid conflicts of interest.
- Maintain confidentiality of submissions.

7.2 Author and Reviewer Accountability:
- Authors must disclose conflicts of interest.
- Reviewers must provide unbiased and constructive feedback.

8. Continuous Improvement
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8.1 Policy Review:
- The editorial process will be reviewed annually.
- Updates will be made based on feedback and best practices.

9. Contact Information
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For questions or concerns about the editorial process, contact:
- Editorial Office: editorial@ajbm.org
- Ethics Officer: ethics@ajbm.org
- Technical Support: support@ajbm.org