Editorial Policies
- Conflict of Interest and Financial Disclosures (specific to editors)
- Peer Review Process
- Editorial Policies
- Advertisement Policies
- Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
- Publisher Policies
- Editorial Process
- COPE Recommendation for Plagiarism
- COPE Recommendation for Conflict of Interest (specific to editors)
- Creative Commons License
1. Conflict of Interest and Financial Disclosures (specific to editors)
The Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care journal maintains a strict policy on conflict of interest (COI) and financial disclosures for editors. Editors are required to disclose any potential COI, including personal, professional, or financial interests that may influence their editorial decisions. This includes financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, or any entities related to palliative care. Editors must inform the journal’s editorial board of any potential conflicts before assuming their role, and disclose them regularly throughout their tenure. If a conflict arises during the review of a manuscript, editors are expected to recuse themselves from the decision-making process and, where necessary, reassign the manuscript to another editor. The journal’s editorial board upholds transparency by ensuring that any financial relationships or biases that may impact editorial decisions are fully disclosed and managed. This policy aims to preserve the integrity of the editorial process and ensure impartiality, fostering a fair environment for authors and readers. Editors are also encouraged to review the journal’s conflict of interest disclosure policy regularly to ensure compliance.
2. Peer Review Process
The Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care journal follows a rigorous peer review process to ensure the quality and scientific merit of its published articles. Submitted manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review, meaning that both the authors and the reviewers are anonymous to each other. After submission, the journal's editorial team conducts an initial evaluation to determine whether the manuscript aligns with the scope of the journal. If appropriate, the manuscript is then sent to multiple peer reviewers with expertise in the relevant field. Reviewers assess the manuscript’s originality, methodology, data analysis, significance, and relevance to the field of palliative care. Reviewers provide constructive feedback and recommendations, which the authors are required to address when revising the manuscript. The final decision—whether the manuscript is accepted, revised, or rejected—is made by the editorial board based on the reviewers' feedback. The peer review process is designed to maintain the highest standards of scientific integrity and to ensure that published research is reliable, valid, and relevant. The journal values transparency, fairness, and academic rigor throughout the entire peer review process.
3. Editorial Policies
The Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care journal adheres to a set of editorial policies designed to ensure the fair, transparent, and ethical management of manuscripts. These policies cover a range of topics, including manuscript submission, peer review, publication ethics, and authorship. The editorial policies are regularly updated to reflect the latest best practices in scholarly publishing. The journal maintains a commitment to high-quality research, and as such, all manuscripts undergo a rigorous peer review process. Editors are responsible for making unbiased, evidence-based decisions on manuscripts, ensuring the inclusion of research that advances knowledge in the field of palliative care and hospice medicine. The editorial policies also address the importance of transparency in conflicts of interest, ethical research practices, and the confidentiality of submissions. These policies are designed to maintain the integrity of the journal and its content, and to foster a scholarly environment that supports rigorous scientific inquiry. Authors are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the editorial policies before submitting their work to ensure that they meet the journal’s guidelines.
4. Advertisement Policies
The Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care journal’s advertisement policy is designed to ensure that any commercial content published in the journal is clearly distinguishable from editorial content. Advertisements should not influence the editorial integrity or scientific impartiality of the journal. Advertisements related to pharmaceutical products, medical devices, or other commercial entities must not be published in a manner that could mislead readers into perceiving them as research or evidence-based content. The journal's editorial board carefully reviews all advertisements to ensure that they align with the journal’s mission of promoting high-quality, unbiased, and scientifically rigorous content. Additionally, advertisements are not allowed to conflict with the professional ethics of the palliative care field, nor should they present unproven or controversial treatments as widely accepted practices. All advertisements must adhere to the relevant industry standards and regulations, ensuring that they are appropriate for the journal's audience, which includes healthcare professionals and researchers.
5. Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
The Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care journal adheres to a robust publication ethics and malpractice statement, following the guidelines established by international organizations such as COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics). The journal is committed to upholding high ethical standards throughout the entire publication process, from manuscript submission to post-publication. Authors must submit original work and avoid plagiarism, data fabrication, and unethical research practices. The journal also expects authors to disclose any conflicts of interest and to comply with ethical standards regarding human and animal research. Any suspected cases of scientific misconduct, including plagiarism or unethical behavior, will be thoroughly investigated. In cases of proven misconduct, the journal reserves the right to retract published articles, issue corrections or clarifications, and take any necessary actions to protect the integrity of the scientific record. The journal encourages transparency and accountability, ensuring that readers can trust the validity of the research published within its pages. The ethical guidelines are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain aligned with the latest ethical standards in the field of palliative care and hospice medicine.
6. Publisher Policies
The Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care journal operates under policies set forth by its publisher, which aim to promote transparency, integrity, and ethical practices in scientific publishing. The publisher ensures compliance with international standards for open access, copyright, and ethical publishing. All content published in the journal is freely accessible to readers, promoting global knowledge dissemination. The publisher works closely with the editorial board to uphold the quality of content, ensuring that all published articles are rigorously peer-reviewed and meet the highest academic standards. The publisher also supports the journal’s commitment to data sharing, promoting open research practices and facilitating collaboration across the scientific community. Additionally, the publisher ensures that all financial transactions, such as article processing charges (APCs), are managed in a transparent manner. The publisher also supports the journal’s ongoing efforts in digital preservation, ensuring that articles are archived and accessible for future generations of researchers and practitioners in palliative care.
7. Editorial Process
The editorial process of the Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care journal is designed to maintain the highest standards of quality and integrity. Once a manuscript is submitted, it is initially reviewed by the editorial team to determine if it fits the scope of the journal. If appropriate, it is then sent out for peer review, where experts in the field evaluate the scientific rigor and relevance of the work. After peer review, the editorial board makes a final decision based on reviewer feedback. If revisions are needed, authors are asked to revise their manuscript accordingly and resubmit it. The editor in charge ensures that all authors are given the opportunity to address reviewer comments, and the manuscript is evaluated again for its quality before a final decision is made. Throughout the process, the editor ensures transparency, fairness, and adherence to ethical guidelines. The editorial team is committed to providing timely responses to authors and reviewers, ensuring that the peer review process is efficient and constructive.
8. COPE Recommendation for Plagiarism
The Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care journal follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding plagiarism. The journal has a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism in any form, including duplicate submission, self-plagiarism, and the use of unattributed or misappropriated content. All manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using advanced software such as iThenticate or Turnitin to detect similarities with previously published work. If plagiarism is detected, the journal will take appropriate action, which may include rejecting the manuscript, issuing a correction, or retracting the article if the issue is identified post-publication. The journal encourages authors to properly cite all sources and avoid presenting others’ work as their own. The COPE guidelines provide a framework for managing such issues, ensuring a transparent and fair process for addressing suspected plagiarism, with the goal of maintaining the integrity of published research.
9. COPE Recommendation for Conflict of Interest (specific to editors)
The Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care journal adheres to the COPE recommendations regarding conflicts of interest (COI) for editors. Editors are required to disclose any personal, professional, or financial interests that may influence their editorial decisions. COI can include financial ties to commercial entities, collaborations with researchers whose work is under review, or personal relationships that could affect impartiality. Editors must disclose any potential conflicts to the editorial board and recuse themselves from decision-making in cases where a conflict exists. If an editor is unable to recuse themselves, the manuscript will be handled by another editor to ensure fairness. This policy ensures that editorial decisions are based on the quality and merit of the research, without external influence. The journal is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in managing conflicts of interest and protecting the integrity of the publication process.
10. Creative Commons License
The Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care journal publishes articles under the Creative Commons (CC) license, typically the CC BY (Attribution) license. This allows anyone to freely access, share, and redistribute the published work in any medium, provided the original authors are properly credited. The use of this license is consistent with the journal’s open access model, ensuring that all published articles are freely available to a global audience, including researchers, clinicians, and the general public. Authors retain the copyright to their work and have the freedom to use it in future publications, as long as proper attribution is given to the journal and the original publication. This licensing model promotes the dissemination of knowledge and encourages the use of research to advance the field of palliative care and hospice medicine. The journal encourages authors to consider the benefits of open access and the Creative Commons license in enhancing the visibility and impact of their work.
