Publication Ethics

The Journal of Digital Health and Advanced Biomaterials (JDHAB) is committed to the highest standards of research integrity, editorial transparency, and professional accountability. Editorial decisions are based on scientific merit, methodological rigor, and adherence to internationally recognized ethical standards. JDHAB follows the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the ICMJE Recommendations.

Authorship, contributorship, and responsibility

Authorship must reflect substantial scholarly contribution and shared responsibility for the integrity of the work. JDHAB does not permit gift, guest, or ghost authorship. Any request to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission must be justified in writing, approved by all authors, and accepted by the Editorial Office.

Conflicts of interest and funding disclosure

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, commercial, institutional, or personal interests that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, the evaluation, interpretation, or presentation of a manuscript. All sources of funding must be reported, together with the specific role of the funder, if any, in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or manuscript preparation. Undisclosed conflicts identified before or after publication will be handled in accordance with COPE guidance and may result in editorial action, including correction or retraction where appropriate.

Human and animal research, consent, and image integrity

Research involving human participants or animals must comply with applicable ethical and regulatory standards and must include approval from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board when required. Informed consent must be reported whenever applicable, including specific consent for publication when identifiable information or clinical images are involved.

Digital image integrity: misleading manipulation of clinical photographs, radiographic images, scans, micrographs, or other visual records is not permitted. Adjustments for clarity are acceptable only when they do not alter, obscure, enhance, or misrepresent the original findings. Serious image integrity concerns may result in rejection without peer review, request for original files, or post-publication correction or retraction.

Originality and research misconduct

Submitted manuscripts must be original, must not have been published previously, and must not be under consideration elsewhere. The journal may use similarity screening tools, including iThenticate/Crossref Similarity Check, when available. JDHAB will investigate suspected plagiarism, redundant publication, fragmented publication (salami slicing), fabrication, falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, and other forms of research or publication misconduct. The Editorial Office reserves the right to request raw data, source files, and original unedited images at any stage of editorial assessment. Failure to provide requested materials within a reasonable timeframe may result in rejection or termination of review.

Data integrity, reproducibility, and reporting standards

Authors must present methods and results with sufficient clarity and completeness to permit critical appraisal and, where feasible, reproducibility. A Data Availability Statement is required for original research. When relevant and ethically permissible, supporting data, code, protocols, and materials should be deposited in trusted, persistent repositories. Authors are expected to follow appropriate reporting guidelines, including PRISMA, CONSORT, STROBE, CARE, or other relevant standards, whenever applicable.

Use of artificial intelligence tools

Any use of artificial intelligence tools, including large language models, in the preparation of a manuscript, image generation, or data analysis must be transparently disclosed by the authors. Artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors. Full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, validity, and integrity of submitted work remains entirely with the human authors.

Editorial independence and recusal

Editors and reviewers must recuse themselves from the handling of any manuscript in which a financial, academic, institutional, collaborative, or personal conflict of interest may affect impartial judgment. Editorial decisions must remain independent, evidence-based, and free from undue influence.

Submissions from editors, editorial board members, and journal staff

Manuscripts submitted by JDHAB editors, members of the Editorial Board, or journal staff are eligible for consideration, but they must undergo an independent editorial process. Such submissions are assigned to an independent handling editor who is not involved in the authorship of the work and who has full authority over reviewer selection, peer review management, and the final editorial decision. Authors holding editorial roles at JDHAB must have no involvement in the evaluation or decision-making process for their own manuscripts. The journal may publish a statement of editorial independence in the final article whenever applicable.

Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions

The journal may issue corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, or other editorial notices when necessary to preserve the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record. Retraction may be required when findings are unreliable because of misconduct or major honest error, when publication is redundant, or when ethical standards have been seriously breached.

JDHAB is committed to internationally recognized principles of publication ethics, research integrity, and editorial independence.