Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Ethics and Malpractice Statement
The Journal of Tropical One Health (JTOH) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, integrity, and transparency in scholarly publishing. The journal adheres to the core principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), as well as relevant international best practices, including those recommended by ICMJE and WAME.

1. Publication Ethics and Integrity
JTOH is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. All parties involved in the publication process: authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher are expected to adhere to ethical standards of honesty, accountability, fairness, and transparency. Manuscripts submitted to JTOH must be original works, not under consideration elsewhere, and must not contain plagiarized, falsified, or fabricated data. Any form of unethical publishing behaviour is strictly prohibited.

2. Duties of Authors
Authors submitting to JTOH are expected to:

• Ensure that submitted manuscripts are original and free from plagiarism.
• Avoid duplicate, redundant, or simultaneous submission to other journals.
• Accurately present research findings without fabrication or manipulation of data.
• Disclose all sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest, and contributions of all co-authors.
• Ensure that all listed authors meet internationally accepted authorship criteria and approve the final manuscript submission.
• Obtain appropriate ethical clearance for studies involving humans, animals, or sensitive data.

3. Duties of Editors
Editors of JTOH are responsible for:

• Ensuring fair, unbiased, and timely peer-review processes.
• Making publication decisions based solely on academic merit, originality, and relevance.
• Maintaining confidentiality of submitted manuscripts.
• Ensuring that editorial decisions are free from commercial, personal, or institutional influence.
• Taking appropriate action in cases of suspected ethical misconduct in accordance with COPE flowcharts.

4. Duties of Reviewers
Peer reviewers are expected to:

• Provide objective, constructive, and timely reviews.
• Maintain confidentiality of the manuscript and its contents.
• Declare any conflicts of interest and decline review if necessary.
• Identify relevant uncited work and potential ethical concerns such as plagiarism or duplicate publication.
• Refrain from using unpublished material for personal advantage.

5. Research Misconduct
JTOH takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously, including but not limited to:

• Plagiarism
• Data fabrication or falsification
• Duplicate or redundant publication
• Improper authorship practices
• Ethical violations in human or animal research

All suspected cases will be investigated following COPE guidelines. Appropriate corrective actions may include rejection, retraction, or notification of relevant institutions.

6. Conflicts of Interest
All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation or publication of research. Transparency in disclosure is mandatory.

7. Corrections and Retractions
JTOH is committed to maintaining the accuracy of the scholarly record. When errors, ethical concerns, or misconduct are identified, the journal will issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions in accordance with COPE recommendations.

8. Editorial Independence
Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by commercial interests, funding agencies, or institutional pressures. All submissions are evaluated solely on scientific merit and relevance to the journal scope.