Journal Policies

Publication Ethics

Pakistan Oral & Dental Journal (PODJ) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and internationally accepted principles of scholarly publishing.

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are original, have not been published previously, and are not under consideration elsewhere. All listed authors should have made substantial academic contributions to the work and approve the final manuscript before submission.

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on scientific merit without discrimination based on nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, or religion. Confidentiality of submitted manuscripts is strictly maintained throughout the editorial process.

Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, confidential, and timely reviews while declaring any potential conflicts of interest.

Any allegation of plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, image manipulation, unethical research, or authorship misconduct will be investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines. Where misconduct is confirmed, appropriate editorial action, including rejection, correction, or retraction, will be taken.

COPE Policy

Pakistan Oral & Dental Journal follows the Core Practices and ethical guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The journal is committed to promoting integrity, transparency, fairness, and accountability throughout the publication process. Editorial decisions are based solely on scientific quality, originality, ethical conduct, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

Suspected cases of publication misconduct, including plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated data, inappropriate authorship, conflicts of interest, citation manipulation, and ethical violations, are handled according to COPE recommendations.

Plagiarism Policy

PODJ has a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism.

All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before peer review.

Authors are responsible for ensuring originality of their work and proper citation of all published sources.

Manuscripts containing plagiarism, duplicate publication, self-plagiarism beyond acceptable limits, fabricated or falsified data, or manipulated images will be rejected. If plagiarism is identified after publication, the journal may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction depending upon the severity of the misconduct.

Peer Review Policy

Pakistan Oral & Dental Journal follows a double-blind peer-review process.

All manuscripts undergo an initial editorial assessment for scope, originality, ethical compliance, and adherence to author guidelines. Suitable manuscripts are then sent to at least two independent expert reviewers.

The identities of authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the review process.

Editorial decisions are based on reviewers’ recommendations, scientific quality, originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal.

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final publication decision.

Authorship

PODJ follows the ICMJE recommendations for authorship.

Authors should have made substantial contributions to:

• study conception or design, or data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation;
• drafting or critically revising the manuscript;
• approval of the final version; and
• agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Individuals who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

Any request to add, remove, or rearrange authors after submission must be justified in writing and approved by all authors.

Corrections Policy

When errors affecting the accuracy or clarity of a published article are identified, the journal will publish a correction (Erratum or Corrigendum) as appropriate.

Corrections that do not alter the scientific conclusions will be linked to the original article to maintain transparency and the integrity of the scholarly record.

Retractions Policy

The journal may retract published articles in cases of proven research misconduct, plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated or falsified data, unethical research practices, or serious errors that invalidate the findings.

Retractions are conducted in accordance with COPE recommendations. A retraction notice will remain permanently linked to the original article.

Complaints & Appeals

PODJ welcomes complaints regarding editorial decisions, publication ethics, peer review, or editorial processes.

All complaints will be investigated fairly, confidentially, and without bias by the Editor-in-Chief or designated editorial committee.

Appeals against editorial decisions must be supported by scientific justification. The Editor-in-Chief’s decision following review of the appeal shall be final.

Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence the publication process. Where a conflict exists, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure an unbiased editorial decision.