Ethics, Malpractice, and Peer Review Statement:

Ethics Statement:

The Journal of the Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine (JIAFM) upholds the principles of ethics, malpractice prevention, and rigorous peer review to maintain the highest standards in scholarly publication. As a distinguished quarterly peer-reviewed Specialty Medical Journal, we are dedicated to fostering a transparent, fair, and ethical environment for the dissemination of research findings and insights within the realm of forensic medicine.

JIAFM is committed to promoting ethical conduct in all aspects of scholarly publishing. We adhere to the guidelines set forth by international bodies such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Authors, reviewers, editors, and the editorial staff are expected to uphold the following ethical principles:

• Authorship and Originality: Manuscripts submitted to JIAFM must be original works that have not been published previously or submitted concurrently to other journals. All listed authors must have significantly contributed to the research and writing process, and proper acknowledgment of sources is paramount.
• Conflict of Interest: Authors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the results, interpretation, or conclusions of their work. This includes financial, personal, or professional relationships.
• Peer Review: JIAFM employs a stringent peer-review process to ensure the quality and integrity of published content. Reviewers are chosen based on their expertise and provide unbiased feedback to enhance the manuscript's scholarly value.
• Confidentiality: Reviewers, editors, and those involved in the peer-review process must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Any discussions about the content should be limited to the review process.
• Editorial Independence: Editorial decisions are based on academic merit, independent of authors' affiliations or backgrounds. The editorial process is separate from the Academy's administration.
• Data Integrity: Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their data. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data is considered a breach of ethics.
• Human and Animal Rights: Research involving human subjects or animals should have appropriate ethical approvals and informed consent. Authors must provide clear statements about these aspects.
• Transparency and Corrections: Authors should provide accurate and complete information. Any errors discovered after publication should be promptly reported for necessary corrections or retractions.

Malpractice Statement:

JIAFM maintains a stance against all forms of unethical behavior and malpractice. We take allegations of misconduct seriously and are dedicated to ensuring the integrity of our journal. The following actions are considered malpractice:

• Plagiarism: Any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, is strictly prohibited. Detected cases can result in rejection or retraction of manuscripts.
• Fabrication and Falsification: Fictitious data or manipulation of existing data is unacceptable. Manuscripts found with such misconduct will be rejected or retracted.
• Reviewer and Editorial Misconduct: Unethical conduct by reviewers or editors, such as biased reviews or disclosure of confidential information, is not tolerated.
• Misrepresentation: Deliberate misrepresentation of authorship, affiliation, or other essential information is unethical.
• Duplication: Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals is unethical and leads to rejection.
• Unauthorized Data Use: Proper permissions for copyrighted materials and images are mandatory.

Peer Review Statement:

JIAFM follows a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the quality, validity, and ethical standards of published manuscripts:

• Initial Evaluation: Manuscripts are initially evaluated for format and ethics compliance. Suitable submissions move to peer review.
• Reviewer Selection: Expert reviewers assess scientific content, methodology, clarity, and ethics.
• Confidentiality: Review content is confidential, maintaining anonymity (single-blind) or double-blind review.
• Reviewer Recommendations: Reviewers' recommendations (acceptance, revisions, or rejection) guide the editor's decision.
• Author Feedback: Authors receive feedback for revisions, improving manuscript quality.
• Ethical Review: Reviewers report ethical concerns.
• Timeliness: Timely review contributes to efficient publication.
• Editorial Decision: Editors make decisions considering reviewers' assessments, quality, ethics, and scope alignment.

The synergy of ethics, malpractice prevention, and rigorous peer review ensures JIAFM's commitment to responsible and credible scholarly publishing in the realm of forensic medicine.