Kirkuk Journal of Medical Sciences (KJMS) places great importance on preventing the publication of misrepresented research and actively employs measures to address research misconduct. While there is no universally accepted definition of research misconduct, the Council of Editors (COPE) broadly categorizes it into three types of actions. KJMS adheres to this definition and strictly follows COPE guidelines when dealing with research misconduct. The journal has implemented multiple assurance policies to address various aspects of research misconduct, including the mistreatment of research subjects, falsification and fabrication of data, and piracy and plagiarism.

Protection of Human and Animal Rights:

KJMS has a strict policy of not publishing manuscripts that do not include a statement regarding the protection of human and animal rights. Authors are required to declare in the material method section or the acknowledgment section of the manuscript that their research has been reviewed by an institutional review board. KJMS encourages authors to provide the registry number of the council certification.

Falsification and Fabrication of Data:

Fabrication involves creating data without actually conducting scientific research, while falsification entails manipulating research materials to achieve desired outcomes. Both fabrication and falsification can occur at any stage of the research process, from data collection in the field to manuscript publication, where misused citations may also occur. KJMS diligently identifies any instances of fabrication or falsification during manuscript processing, from initial screening to comprehensive evaluation of revised manuscripts and even after publication. Reporting any instances of fabrication or falsification is an ethical responsibility shared by authors, co-authors, reviewers, editors, and readers. In the event of fabrication or falsification, KJMS reserves the right to retract or withdraw the affected article. The journal strictly adheres to COPE guidelines when addressing issues of fabrication and falsification.

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism involves the unauthorized use of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without proper attribution. Self-plagiarism occurs when authors republish their own ideas, data, or text in different journals without a justifiable reason. KJMS employs various methods to detect plagiarism. As part of quality assurance, manuscripts with a text similarity of over 20% are returned to the authors, who are required to eliminate the similarities and minimize the risk of plagiarism. KJMS follows COPE guidelines rigorously when dealing with plagiarized articles.