Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Medical Technologies Journal (MTJ) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and scientific integrity. MTJ subscribes to the principles and guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All parties involved in the publishing process—authors, editors, peer reviewers, and the publisher—are expected to agree to and adhere to these ethical behaviors.

Part A. Editors' Responsibilities

A.1. Publication Decisions & Editorial Independence

The Editor-in-Chief is ultimately responsible for deciding which submitted manuscripts will be published. Decisions are guided by the journal’s editorial policies, scientific merit, novelty, and legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The Editor-in-Chief maintains full editorial independence.

A.2. Fair Play & Non-Discrimination

Editors evaluate manuscripts strictly based on their intellectual and scientific content, without regard to the author’s race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

A.3. Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must keep all submitted manuscripts confidential. Manuscript details will not be disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, assigned reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial board advisors, and the publisher, as appropriate.

A.4. Disclosure & Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials, data, or concepts disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s personal research without explicit written consent from the authors. Editors will recuse themselves from considering manuscripts in which they have competing interests.

A.5. Corrections, Retractions & Integrity of the Published Record

• Corrections: When genuine, non-fatal errors in published work are identified by readers, authors, or editors, a formal Corrigendum or Erratum will be published promptly.
• Retractions & Misconduct: If serious concerns are raised regarding research integrity, data fabrication, or major ethical breaches, the Editor-in-Chief will contact the authors for clarification. Unsatisfactory responses will trigger institutional investigations. If invalid or fraudulent claims are confirmed, a formal Retraction Notice will be issued in accordance with COPE Retraction Guidelines.
• Expressions of Concern: While an official investigation is ongoing for high-impact or public health-related studies, an Expression of Concern may be published to notify readers.

Part B. Reviewers' Responsibilities

B.1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer reviewers assist editors in making informed decisions and help authors improve their manuscripts through constructive, detailed, and evidence-based feedback.

B.2. Promptness & Availability

Any invited reviewer who feels unqualified to evaluate a manuscript, or knows that its timely review will be impossible, must notify the Editorial Office immediately and decline the invitation.

B.3. Confidentiality & Non-Use

Submitted manuscripts are confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, discuss, or use privileged ideas or data obtained through peer review for personal gain or competitive advantage.

B.4. Objectivity & Standards of Conduct

Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of authors is strictly inappropriate. Referees must express their scientific views clearly, supporting their evaluations with facts and reasoning.

B.5. Acknowledgement of Sources & Misconduct Reporting

Reviewers must identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement regarding previously reported observations or arguments must be accompanied by relevant citations. Reviewers must immediately report any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and other published papers.

B.6. Reviewer Misconduct & Competing Interests

MTJ takes reviewer misconduct seriously. Allegations of confidentiality breaches, failure to declare financial or non-financial conflicts of interest, misuse of unpublished findings, or intentional delays to gain competitive advantages will be investigated and reported.

Part C. Authors' Responsibilities

C.1. Reporting Standards & Data Integrity

Authors of original research must present an accurate account of the work performed, an objective discussion of its significance, and underlying raw data. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

C.2. Data Access & Retention

Authors may be asked to provide raw dataset files in connection with a paper for editorial review. Authors should be prepared to retain raw data for a minimum of 5 years following publication and make it publicly accessible whenever feasible.

C.3. Originality, Plagiarism & Copyright

Authors must ensure their work is entirely original. MTJ screens all submissions using iThenticate similarity detection software. Plagiarism in any form—including verbatim copying, paraphrasing without attribution, self-plagiarism (text recycling), or unacknowledged reuse of figures/tables—is unacceptable. Proper permission must be secured for copyrighted materials.

C.4. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Submissions

Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently is unethical. Authors must not submit manuscripts describing essentially the same research to multiple venues.

C.5. Authorship & Contributorship

Authorship must be limited to individuals who met all four ICMJE criteria:

1. Substantial contributions to conception, design, or data acquisition/analysis.
2. Drafting or critical intellectual revision of the manuscript.
3. Final approval of the published version.
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Contributors who do not meet all four criteria (e.g., departmental chairs, statistical advisors, or language editors) must be listed in the Acknowledgments section after securing their written permission.

C.6. Human & Animal Research Ethics

• Ethics Approval: Research involving human subjects, human material, or animal subjects must state that the study was approved by an institutional ethics committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB) and include the official approval reference number.
• Informed Consent: For research involving human participants, informed consent must be obtained, and a statement confirming this must be included in the manuscript. Patient privacy must be protected by removing identifying information.

C.7. Disclosure & Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could be viewed as influencing their work. All grant funding, research support, or commercial affiliations must be fully declared.

C.8. Error Notification in Published Works

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published paper, it is their obligation to notify the journal editor immediately and cooperate to issue a correction or retraction.

Part D. Privacy Policy

Names, affiliation details, and email addresses entered into the MTJ portal will be used exclusively for editorial communication, peer review, and academic indexing. Personal data will not be made available to third parties or used for commercial purposes.