Publication Ethics

Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy

The Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and ensuring the integrity of the scholarly publication process. The journal follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices, the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and internationally accepted standards of ethical publishing.

Publication of an article in Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy  contributes to the advancement of scientific knowledge in sports medicine, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, exercise science, and human performance. Therefore, all parties involved in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—are expected to comply with the ethical principles described below.

 

Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

Publication in Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy  is based on the principles of honesty, transparency, fairness, accountability, and academic integrity. Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on their scientific merit without discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, institutional affiliation, or political beliefs.

The journal is committed to preventing publication malpractice, including plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, citation manipulation, peer-review manipulation, and unethical research practices.

 

Complaints and Appeals

Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy  provides a transparent mechanism for handling complaints and appeals regarding editorial decisions, peer-review processes, publication ethics, or editorial conduct.

Complaints may concern, but are not limited to:

  • Editorial decision-making
  • Delays during peer review
  • Reviewer misconduct
  • Citation manipulation
  • Publication ethics violations
  • Conflict of interest
  • Editorial malpractice

All complaints will be handled confidentially and fairly following the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

 

Duties of Editors

Editors are responsible for making publication decisions based solely on the academic merit of submitted manuscripts.

Editors shall:

  • evaluate manuscripts fairly without discrimination;
  • maintain confidentiality throughout the editorial process;
  • assign manuscripts to qualified reviewers;
  • avoid conflicts of interest;
  • ensure the integrity of the peer-review process;
  • investigate allegations of research misconduct;
  • issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when necessary.

Editors will not use unpublished materials disclosed in submitted manuscripts for their own research without written permission from the authors.

 

Duties of Reviewers

Peer reviewers assist editors in making editorial decisions and help authors improve the scientific quality of their manuscripts.

Reviewers are expected to:

  • provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based comments;
  • complete reviews within the requested time;
  • maintain confidentiality of all manuscript information;
  • identify relevant literature that has not been cited;
  • report suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or ethical concerns;
  • decline review invitations when conflicts of interest exist.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained during peer review for personal advantage.

 

Duties of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy  must ensure that:

Originality

Submitted manuscripts are original works and have not been published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere.

Authorship

Only individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions should be listed as authors.

All authors must approve the final manuscript before submission.

Data Integrity

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of all reported data.

Fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, or inappropriate manipulation of data or images constitutes research misconduct.

Ethical Approval

Research involving humans or animals must obtain approval from an authorized ethics committee before the study begins.

Studies involving human participants must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Authors should provide:

  • Ethics committee name
  • Approval number
  • Informed consent statement (when applicable)

Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the interpretation of the research.

If none exist, authors should state:

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding

All financial support must be disclosed.

If no funding was received, authors should state:

This research received no external funding.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI-assisted technologies may only be used to improve language or readability.

Authors remain fully responsible for the scientific content of the manuscript.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

Any substantial use of AI must be disclosed.

 

Duties of the Publisher

The publisher supports editors in maintaining editorial independence and ensuring that publication decisions are free from commercial influence.

The publisher is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record and supporting investigations of publication misconduct whenever necessary.

Confidentiality

Editors and reviewers shall not disclose any information concerning submitted manuscripts except to individuals directly involved in the editorial process.

Unpublished materials obtained through peer review must not be used without the author's written permission.

 

Publication Misconduct

Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy  does not tolerate any form of publication misconduct, including:

  • Plagiarism
  • Self-plagiarism
  • Duplicate publication
  • Simultaneous submission
  • Data fabrication
  • Data falsification
  • Image manipulation
  • Citation manipulation
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest
  • Peer-review manipulation
  • Authorship manipulation

When misconduct is suspected, the editorial office will investigate according to COPE recommendations.

Possible editorial actions include:

  • Request for clarification
  • Revision
  • Rejection
  • Publication of corrections
  • Expression of concern
  • Retraction
  • Notification to the authors' institution when appropriate

 

Corrections and Retractions

If significant errors or ethical issues are identified after publication, Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy  may publish:

  • Correction (Erratum)
  • Corrigendum
  • Expression of Concern
  • Retraction

depending on the nature and severity of the issue.

 

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their published work.

All articles published in Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy  are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction provided the original work is properly cited.

Post-Publication Discussion

Journal of Sport Medicine and Physiotherapy  welcomes comments, discussions, and corrections from readers regarding published articles.

When scientifically justified, the journal may publish:

  • Letter to the Editor
  • Author Response
  • Editorial Correction

to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the scientific record.