Policies

1. EDITORIAL POLICY OF ANNALS OF HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCES (AHMSS)

Editorial Team
The Annals of Healthcare Management and Social Sciences (AHMSS) is led by a Managing Editor and an Editorial Board. Editors and Board members are appointed based on the journal's strategic needs for expertise in specific domains of healthcare management and social sciences. The Board is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of academic publication and is supported by a dedicated Editorial Office Team.

Ethical Guidelines for the Editors
AHMSS Editors are required to ensure that all published articles adhere to the journal's internal Policies for Editors, the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) Core Practices, and the relevant guidelines of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), all of which are designed to foster and maintain integrity in scholarly publishing.

Editor’s Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of the Editors include establishing and sustaining the journal's quality through the publication of high-caliber research. They are also tasked with upholding academic freedom within the prevailing cultural and legal frameworks.

Good Practices
Editors are expected to actively solicit new ideas and recommendations to enhance the quality of AHMSS. They must implement a blind peer review process with the highest level of integrity and are committed to promoting and enforcing anti-plagiarism policies and other journal guidelines without succumbing to any institutional influence.

Fair play and Impartiality
Editors will guarantee an unbiased and objective assessment of all research submissions. The selection of articles will be based solely on academic merit, disregarding any discriminatory factors related to the authors, such as gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, or institutional affiliation.

Confidentiality
Strict confidentiality will be maintained for both authors and reviewers throughout the peer review process. The privacy of any research participants mentioned in manuscripts will also be safeguarded. The content of all manuscripts will be treated as confidential until the point of publication.

Editing and Formatting Guidelines
Comprehensive instructions for the preparation and formatting of manuscripts are available on the official AHMSS website.

Review Process
The Annals of Healthcare Management and Social Sciences (AHMSS) employs a rigorous multi-stage editorial process for manuscript evaluation. Initially, all submissions undergo an internal review by in-house editors to assess their originality, scope, and overall quality. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's preliminary standards may be rejected or returned to the authors for revisions at this stage. Those deemed suitable then advance to a formal peer review. AHMSS utilizes a Double-Blind Peer Review system, where the identities of both the authors and the reviewers are concealed. The revised manuscript is then sent to external reviewers who are experts in the relevant field. Based on the comprehensive feedback from these reviewers, a final decision is made to either accept or reject the manuscript for publication. This stringent process ensures that only high-quality, thoroughly vetted research is published.

Dealing with Misconduct
Editors will encourage reviewers to identify potential ethical issues and research misconduct. Plagiarism will be investigated using tools such as Turnitin and checks for redundant publications. In cases of confirmed plagiarism, AHMSS will publish a corrigendum, retract the article, and remove it from the publication record.

Transparency
To ensure diversity of contributions, an author may publish only one paper as the Principal Investigator (PI) in a single issue. The journal will strictly enforce its policies on authorship and co-authorship.

Conflict of Interest
Editors and reviewers are required to recuse themselves from the evaluation process of any manuscript where they have a personal, financial, or professional conflict of interest with the author(s) or their institution.

Disclosure
Unpublished information, data, or interpretations from a submitted manuscript must not be used by editors or reviewers for their own research without the express written consent of the author(s).

Publication Decisions
Only research papers that are shortlisted, align with the journal's scope, and successfully complete the peer review process will be published. The acceptance or rejection of a manuscript will be determined solely by its academic rigor, originality, and significance. The Editor will provide clear and justified reasons for any rejection and will communicate the final editorial decision to the authors in a timely manner.

Procedure for Appeal
Authors of rejected manuscripts have the right to submit a formal letter of appeal, providing a detailed explanation for their request for reconsideration. This appeal will be reviewed by the editorial team, and a subsequent decision will be communicated. Please note that revised articles cannot be submitted as part of the appeal process at this stage.

POLICY FOR SELECTION OF EDITORS, REVIEWERS, AND OTHER EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
The selection of Editors, Reviewers, and other Editorial Board members will be conducted in accordance with standard human resource policies. Their roles, responsibilities, and job descriptions will be explicitly defined and aligned with the core vision and mission of the Annals of Healthcare Management and Social Sciences (AHMSS).

2. PLAGIARISM POLICY

The editorial team of the Annals of Healthcare Management and Social Sciences (AHMSS) is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and the originality of all published scholarly work. AHMSS adheres to the plagiarism policies outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Higher Education Commission (HEC), and other relevant international bodies. This policy is applied rigorously to all submitted manuscripts to ensure their authenticity.

To screen submissions, AHMSS utilizes Turnitin software. In accordance with HEC guidelines, a Similarity Index (SI) of less than 19% is generally required for a manuscript to proceed to peer review. The journal has a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of plagiarism, which includes the unacknowledged copying of content or any attempt to present the work of others as one's own, whether it involves ideas, text, results, or data. This also encompasses text recycling, the reuse of substantial portions of text from an author's own previous publications (self-plagiarism) or from the work of others without proper citation. Manuscripts found to violate these principles will be rejected.

A disciplinary committee at AHMSS, comprising the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board, is tasked with investigating any allegations of plagiarism or publication misconduct. In confirmed cases, the journal will contact the authors' affiliated institutions, funding bodies, and other relevant authorities for necessary disciplinary action. Depending on the severity of the misconduct, a published article may be formally corrected or retracted.

Common Manifestations of Plagiarism:

  • Verbatim copying of another's work without attribution.
  • Self-plagiarism, where authors republish their own previously disseminated work without transparent declaration.
  • Paraphrasing someone else's ideas or text without appropriate credit.

Exclusions during Plagiarism Checks:
The following elements are typically excluded during the similarity check to ensure a fair assessment:

  • Properly quoted text.
  • The bibliography or reference list.
  • Common phrases and standard terminology.
  • Names of institutions, departments, or tools.

Guidelines for Authors Regarding Plagiarism:

  • Identification and Correction: If plagiarism is detected during any stage of the submission process, authors will be notified and required to revise the manuscript with proper citations. Manuscripts with a similarity index of 19% or higher are subject to immediate rejection and must be significantly revised before any resubmission is considered.
  • Reporting Plagiarism:Scholars are encouraged to support the integrity of the academic community by reporting any suspected plagiarism to the AHMSS editorial office, providing detailed information for a confidential investigation.
  • Post-Publication Investigation:In the event that plagiarism is identified after publication, AHMSS will conduct a thorough investigation. The corresponding author will be contacted, and the published article will be marked. Based on the investigation's findings, the article may be formally retracted.
  • Publications in Other Languages: Authors must fully disclose if the submitted work has been published previously in any language. For translations, authors are responsible for securing the necessary copyright permissions. Translated versions must either be entirely rephrased or presented as a formal translation with a clear citation of the original.
  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing significant portions of one’s own copyrighted work without declaration is not permitted. The exception is when referencing prior work through a standard citation.
  • Impact on Research Ethics:Plagiarism constitutes a serious ethical violation that undermines the trust and value of scholarly research.

A Call for Integrity: AHMSS earnestly appeals to all authors to prioritize academic honesty and submit original work, thereby contributing to a credible and trustworthy body of knowledge in healthcare management and social sciences.

3. PUBLICATION ETHICS AND MALPRACTICE STATEMENT

Acknowledgements:
The Annals of Healthcare Management and Social Sciences (AHMSS) proudly adheres to the principles outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Originality and Integrity
AHMSS considers only original content that has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal. Manuscripts found to contain fabricated or falsified data at any stage, submission or post-publication, will be subject to retraction.

The journal endorses the core practices of COPE. All authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to adhere to these highest standards of ethical behaviour.

Authorship
All individuals listed as authors must have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the work. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. We refer to the ICMJE Recommendations for detailed guidance on defining authorship. Any change in authorship after submission must be formally requested and agreed upon by all original authors.

  • Authorship Numbers and Sequence: The number of authors should be justified by the scope and complexity of the research. The order of authorship should accurately reflect the relative contributions of all individuals involved, as mutually agreed upon by all co-authors.
  • Corresponding Author: The corresponding author is primarily responsible for communication with the journal and ensuring all administrative requirements are met. This role should be assigned to the individual who has provided the most significant contribution or is best positioned to handle the process, based on the consensus of all authors.

Ethical Oversight and Informed Consent
AHMSS mandates the highest ethical standards in research involving human subjects or personal data.

  • Ethical Approval: For any research involving human subjects, authors must provide a statement of ethical approval from an official Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethical Review Committee (ERC). The approval letter, on official letterhead and signed by the committee chairperson, must include the project identification code and date of approval. Research not involving direct human contact requires an official exemption letter from the relevant ERC/IRB.
  • Informed Consent: A key tenet of our policy is the requirement for informed consent. For all research involving human participants, authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained. For case reports or studies using patient details or images, authors must obtain explicit consent from the patients or their guardians/relatives. Authors may provide a detailed justification for the waiver of consent in exceptional circumstances, which will be evaluated by the editors.
  • Patient Privacy and Anonymity: To protect participant privacy, authors must not use patients' names, initials, hospital numbers, or other identifying information in the manuscript or any illustrative material. The journal reserves the right to request signed consent forms at any time.

Conflicts of Interest
All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could be perceived as inappropriately influencing the work. Undeclared conflicts of interest may lead to the rejection of a submission. If a conflict is discovered after publication, it will be addressed through a published corrigendum, and sanctions may be applied.

Research on Human Subjects
When reporting research involving human participants, authors must confirm that the procedures were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee and with the Helsinki Declaration. A statement confirming this, along with the ethical approval details, must be included in the manuscript.

Research on Animals
For studies involving laboratory animals, authors must state whether institutional and national guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals were followed. We recommend consulting the International Association of Veterinary Editors’ Consensus Author Guidelines on Animal Ethics and Welfare.

Publication Misconduct
This journal defines publication misconduct to include, but is not limited to, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate submission, redundant publication, and unethical referencing. All suspected cases will be investigated in line with COPE guidelines. The corresponding author will be contacted for a formal explanation. Corrective actions will be commensurate with the severity of the misconduct and may include correction, retraction, or a ban on future submissions. Institutional heads may be notified in severe cases.

Plagiarism Policy
The editorial team of AHMSS is committed to maintaining the integrity of published scholarly content. We adopt a zero-tolerance stance on all forms of plagiarism.

  • Screening: All submitted manuscripts are screened using Turnitin A Similarity Index (SI) of less than 19% is required, in accordance with HEC guidelines.
  • Definition: Plagiarism includes the unacknowledged copying of text, ideas, data, or images. This also encompasses text recycling (self-plagiarism), which is the reuse of substantial portions of an author's own previously published work without a transparent citation.
  • Exclusions:The following are typically excluded from similarity checks: quoted text (with quotation marks), the bibliography, common phrases, and mathematical/statistical formulas.
  • Consequences: A disciplinary committee at AHMSS handles plagiarism cases. Confirmed misconduct will result in manuscript rejection or article retraction, notification of authors' institutions, and a potential ban from future submissions.

Author Guidelines on Plagiarism:

  • Identification and Correction: Authors are alerted if significant plagiarism is detected and are required to revise their manuscript thoroughly. Manuscripts exceeding the 19% similarity index will be rejected.
  • Reporting Plagiarism: The scholarly community is encouraged to report suspected plagiarism to our editorial office with detailed information.
  • Post-Publication Investigation: AHMSS will investigate any plagiarism claims post-publication, which may lead to the issuance of a correction or a full retraction.
  • Self-Plagiarism: Reproducing significant portions of one's own copyrighted work without citation is not permitted.
  • A Final Appeal: AHMSS earnestly calls upon all scholars to prioritise academic integrity and submit original, ethically conducted work.

4. CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

Annals of Healthcare Management and Social Sciences (AHMSS)

  1. Policy for Authors

All authors are required to disclose any financial and non-financial interests that could be perceived as influencing the results or interpretation of their submitted manuscript. This declaration is mandatory for all submissions.

A ‘Conflict of Interest’ statement must be included in the manuscript, prior to the reference list. This statement should detail all potential conflicts, including but not limited to:

  • Financial Interests:Funding sources, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, patents, payment for expert testimony, and honoraria.
  • Non-Financial Interests:Personal relationships, academic affiliations, political or religious beliefs, and institutional affiliations that could be perceived as a source of bias.

If no conflicts exist, authors must include the following statement: “The author(s) declare no competing interests, financial or non-financial, related to the work presented in this manuscript.”

  1. Policy for Editors and Reviewers

Editors and reviewers involved in the peer-review process are obligated to declare any potential conflicts of interest that may affect their impartiality.

Upon identifying a conflict—such as a close professional or personal relationship with an author, a direct competitive research focus, or any other circumstance that could compromise objectivity—the individual must recuse themselves from handling the manuscript.

The editorial team will manage the assignment of manuscripts to ensure that all submissions are evaluated fairly and without bias.

  1. Management of Undeclared Conflicts

Failure to declare a conflict of interest may lead to serious consequences, including the rejection of a submitted manuscript, retraction of a published article, or sanctions against the involved authors, editors, or reviewers.

5. Copyright Policy

6. Publication Misconduct Policy

7. Withdrawal Policy or Appealing The Editorial Decision

8. Privacy Policy

9. Archiving Policy

10. Complaint Policy

11. peer review policy

12. Clinical Trial Registration

13. Policy On Use of Artificial Intelligence By Authors

14. Authorship

15. License To Publish