Editorial Policies

Publication Integrity Standards

HealthPlexus conducts its publishing activities through Current Clinical Care (CurClinCare), its multi-disciplinary scientific publishing platform. HealthPlexus maintains exemplary publication integrity standards by implementing guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Our primary focus is maintaining scientific accuracy and openness throughout the publication process.

Author Qualifications

To qualify for authorship, individuals must meaningfully contribute in several key areas: significantly participating in research conceptualization, methodology, data gathering, or results interpretation; making substantive revisions to manuscript content; and providing final endorsement of the published version. Each author must satisfy these requirements and demonstrate readiness to publicly stand behind the work's content.

Content Originality and Redundancy Prevention

Our editorial team employs automated originality verification tools to examine all submitted works. Any submissions containing unoriginal material or previously published content will not be accepted, and the submitting authors may face restrictions on future submissions.

Research Impropriety

Various interpretations exist regarding research impropriety. Our journal evaluates each situation individually, incorporating recommendations from established publication ethics organizations.

Subject Privacy, Confidentiality, and Patient Images

Our guidelines align with the Canadian privacy legislation and confidentiality requirements. Authors should note that we follow protocols consistent with the Canadian Medical Association guidelines regarding subject consent and privacy protection.

Content Availability

HealthPlexus operates on a subscription model. While complete articles are accessible to subscribers and authorized users, article summaries are freely viewable on our digital platform.

Artificial Intelligence Guidelines

Our AI usage policy encompasses all individuals submitting work to HealthPlexus. These guidelines apply across all submission categories, including scientific studies, discussions, viewpoints, medical cases, and news articles. The policy covers all content forms, including written material, sound recordings, video content, audiovisual presentations, summaries, data collections, charts, statistics, illustrations, photographs, and visual aids.

Editorial Confidentiality Commitment

HealthPlexus editorial staff maintains strict confidentiality regarding submitted works. Information about manuscripts remains private unless authors provide explicit permission for sharing. During evaluation, manuscript access is limited to:

• HealthPlexus editorial team members, including medical trainees and visiting healthcare professionals or editors
• Selected external experts, including statistical analysts and methodology specialists
• Editorial board members involved in final research manuscript review

Information sharing with external parties without author consent occurs only when editors suspect significant research violations.

Peer Review Process

All journal submissions undergo a rigorous peer review evaluation. We employ three possible review models:

• A double-anonymous peer review where author(s) and reviewer(s) identities remain concealed from each other
• A single-anonymous process where only reviewer(s) identities are withheld from authors
• An open peer review where both author(s) and reviewer(s) know each other's identities

Each journal within our portfolio specifies its chosen review model on its website and in detailed guidelines provided to authors and reviewers. Our standard protocol requires assessment from at least two independent expert reviewers.

Reviewers must disclose any potential or actual conflicts of interest. Editorial decisions are made based on reviewer feedback. When editors have conflicts of interest regarding a submission, the manuscript is reassigned to another qualified editorial team member, such as a deputy editor, associate editor, or editorial board representative.

Our peer review standards align with the ethical guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Advertising standards

Marketing support contributes to our ability to deliver value to our readership. These guidelines ensure our commercial practices align with our core principles. Our audience relies on HealthPlexus for independent, trustworthy content, and our marketing approach must reinforce this trust.

Guidelines:

HealthPlexus welcomes advertisements relevant to readers' professional and personal interests. All promotional content must:

• Meet legal requirements
• Maintain appropriate standards
• Present accurate information
• Follow regional regulatory frameworks and industry standards

Clear distinction between editorial and promotional content is essential. Sponsored materials must follow specific formatting requirements.

Medical Product Advertisements

Medical product advertisements claiming therapeutic benefits require:

• Valid marketing authorization, or
• Supporting evidence from published, peer-reviewed research documenting all claims

Sponsored Material Requirements

Sponsored material requires clear identification. Our readers must understand:

• The commercial nature of relationships
• Any business connections
• Context-appropriate placement of promotional content

Editorial independence remains absolute - advertising arrangements never influence content decisions.

Digital advertisements must not interfere with readers' access to journal content.

HealthPlexus permits promotional content from industry competitors.

Marketing Oversight

Marketing oversight falls under editorial supervision. The editor-in-chief maintains authority to:

• Evaluate advertising proposals
• Accept or decline submissions
• Provide explanations for rejections outside standard guidelines

This framework ensures transparency while maintaining our commitment to scientific integrity and reader service.

Research ethics

Academic Freedom and Ethical Obligations

Scientific inquiry and knowledge dissemination should proceed without constraints or suppression. However, this freedom carries the responsibility to maintain scholarly integrity and prevent foreseeable negative consequences in research activities.

Research Impact Considerations

Investigations must safeguard the wellbeing and autonomy of study participants, associated individuals or groups, and host communities. Additionally, studies should protect animal welfare, cultural heritage (both physical and intangible), environmental resources, and ecological systems.

Negative impacts may emerge directly through research activities, such as:

• Participant injury during study procedures
• Unwarranted animal distress in experimental settings
• Damage to historical artifacts
• Environmental degradation

Indirect consequences can also arise from result dissemination, including:

• Negative societal attitudes toward vulnerable populations
• Misapplication of findings (such as policy decisions that compromise individual rights or misuse of data affecting public health)

Harm Prevention and Benefit Optimization

The twin principles of avoiding harm while maximizing positive outcomes guide ethical research conduct. These foundational concepts appear consistently across scientific and humanistic research frameworks, as evidenced in major international guidelines for human subject research and social science investigations.

Scientific Progress as Collective Benefit

The advancement of understanding serves broader societal interests, providing value even when immediate applications aren't apparent. However, while knowledge pursuit generally benefits society, potential negative consequences may occasionally outweigh information gains, justifying decisions to modify or halt research activities or publication plans.

Editorial Assessment of Risk-Benefit Balance

Our publication process carefully weighs potential positive and negative impacts. Editorial teams evaluate:

• Possible consequences of publishing research findings
• Need for external expertise in assessing risk factors
• Appropriate responses when harm potential exceeds benefits, including:
• Declining new submissions
• Modifying published content
• Withdrawing previously published materials
• Implementing other corrective measures

Editors maintain authority to adjust or reject content when careful analysis indicates significant risk of harm outweighing scientific contribution.

Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Expressions of Concern

Post-Acceptance Modifications

Following manuscript acceptance, HealthPlexus restricts substantive alterations to content. Significant modifications should be addressed during the revision phase.

Published Content Updates

Scientific work naturally contains occasional unintentional errors requiring amendment upon discovery. Authors should notify our Managing Editor about factual inaccuracies identified in their published works. Amendment decisions remain at editorial discretion.

As a scientific publisher, we prioritize maintaining scholarly record accuracy. Therefore, minor adjustments not affecting scientific interpretation (such as formatting issues, spelling corrections, or stylistic preferences) may not warrant post-publication changes to prevent version control issues.

Amendment procedures vary by publication phase, but all corrections appear promptly:

Digital Publication

The initial online version constitutes the official record and isn't intended for pre-print revisions. Our journal(s) may issue an updated version addressing verified errors, including:

• Clear documentation of modifications
• Timeline of changes
• Amendment notice appended to the article

Earlier digital versions will clearly indicate the existence of updated versions. Print editions preserve the amendment notice.

Print Publication

For articles already appearing in print issues:

• Amendment notices appear in the subsequent print edition
• Online versions link to amendment notices bidirectionally

Digital-Only Publication

For exclusively online journals:

• Amendment notices appear digitally
• Direct linking between articles and amendments

For issue-published content errors, our journal may update online versions (both XML and PDF formats) at editorial discretion. These include:

• Documented changes since initial publication
• Published correction notice

Amendment notices receive database indexing and link to original entries.

Article Withdrawal

Editors consider article withdrawal when encountering:

• Unreliable research data
• Unauthorized content reproduction
• Redundant publication
• Ethical violations

Investigation-stage articles may receive temporary concern notices. All withdrawal notices explain the rationale. Withdrawal procedures vary by publication stage:

Digital Publication

Process includes:

• Replacement version retaining only metadata
• Original content replaced by withdrawal notice
• Print edition withdrawal notice
• Preserved access to original text

Print or Digital-Only Publication

Steps involve:

• Metadata-only replacement version
• Withdrawal notice replacing main content
• PDF marked as "Retracted" with preserved original text
• Print edition withdrawal notice when applicable

Withdrawal notices receive database indexing and link to original entries.

Policies on Conflict of Interest, Human and Animal Rights, and Informed Consent

Disclosure of Competing Interests

Professional judgment regarding research validity or patient care may be compromised when secondary considerations, such as financial benefits, come into play. Every participant in the publication process - from authors to reviewers and editors - must declare any potential competing interests related to the work. This encompasses financial, personal, or professional relationships that could affect or appear to affect their contributions. These declarations will be included in published articles or considered during editorial review.

Financial Interest Declarations

Financial interests requiring disclosure include:

• Research Support: Any funding (covering wages, tools, materials, and other costs) from entities that could experience financial impact from the publication. Authors must specify the funder's role in study design, execution, analysis, publication decisions, and manuscript development.
• Professional Engagement: Current, recent, or upcoming employment with organizations potentially affected financially by the publication.
• Individual Financial Stakes: Investment holdings in affected companies; consulting payments or other compensation from impacted organizations; relevant patents or applications owned by authors or their institutions.

Note: Broad-based investment vehicles like mutual funds or diversified trusts do not require disclosure.

Non-Monetary Interest Declarations

Various non-financial relationships may warrant disclosure, including volunteer positions and professional associations. We ask contributors and evaluators to report any unpaid roles relevant to the publication process, such as:

• Voluntary government or NGO positions
• Participation in advocacy groups
• Advisory roles in commercial entities
• Educational content development
• Legal testimony expertise

Research Ethics Standards

Human research must follow the Helsinki Declaration principles and receive institutional ethics approval. Animal research must demonstrate compliance with institutional and national care guidelines. Publications may be declined if research ethics concerns arise.

All articles involving animal or human studies must include appropriate ethics committee approval statements.

Research design should minimize unnecessary animal impact.

Clinical trial registration is mandatory.

Informed Consent

HealthPlexus requires documented subject authorization for human research, with confirmation included in manuscripts. Participant privacy protection is essential. Personal identifiers (names, identification numbers, hospital records) should remain confidential unless scientifically necessary and explicitly authorized by participants.

Informed consent requires showing participants the intended publication material. Authors must inform subjects about potential online and print availability of identifying information. Subject authorization documentation should be maintained according to applicable regulations, either by the journal, authors, or both parties. Non-critical identifying details should be excluded. When complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed, explicit authorization is necessary. Published articles should indicate when subject authorization was obtained.

Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Expressions of Concern

Post-Acceptance Modifications

Following manuscript acceptance, HealthPlexus restricts substantive alterations to content. Significant modifications should be addressed during the revision phase.

Published Content Updates

Scientific work naturally contains occasional unintentional errors requiring amendment upon discovery. Authors should notify our Managing Editor about factual inaccuracies identified in their published works. Amendment decisions remain at editorial discretion.

As a scientific publisher, we prioritize maintaining scholarly record accuracy. Therefore, minor adjustments not affecting scientific interpretation (such as formatting issues, spelling corrections, or stylistic preferences) may not warrant post-publication changes to prevent version control issues.

Amendment procedures vary by publication phase, but all corrections appear promptly:

Digital Publication

The initial online version constitutes the official record and isn't intended for pre-print revisions. Our journal may issue an updated version addressing verified errors, including:

• Clear documentation of modifications
• Timeline of changes
• Amendment notice appended to the article

Earlier digital versions will clearly indicate the existence of updated versions. Print editions preserve the amendment notice.

Print Publication

For articles already appearing in print issues:

• Amendment notices appear in the subsequent print edition
• Online versions link to amendment notices bidirectionally

Digital-Only Publication

For exclusively online journals:

• Amendment notices appear digitally
• Direct linking between articles and amendments

For issue-published content errors, our journal may update online versions (both XML and PDF formats) at editorial discretion. These include:

• Documented changes since initial publication
• Published correction notice
• Amendment notices receive database indexing and link to original entries

Article Withdrawal

Editors consider article withdrawal when encountering:

• Unreliable research data
• Unauthorized content reproduction
• Redundant publication
• Ethical violations

Investigation-stage articles may receive temporary concern notices. All withdrawal notices explain the rationale. Withdrawal procedures vary by publication stage:

Digital Publication

Process includes:

• Replacement version retaining only metadata
• Original content replaced by withdrawal notice
• Print edition withdrawal notice
• Preserved access to original text

Print or Digital-Only Publication

Steps involve:

• Metadata-only replacement version
• Withdrawal notice replacing main content
• PDF marked as "Retracted" with preserved original text
• Print edition withdrawal notice when applicable

Withdrawal notices receive database indexing and link to original entries.