Policies & Guidelines

  1. Publication Frequency
  2. Open Access Policy
  3. Archiving
  4. Corssmark Policy Statement
  5. Publication Ethics and Policy Guidelines
  6. Plagiarism Policy
  7. Policies Related to the Use of AI in manuscripts
  8. Repository Policy
  9. Data Sharing Policy
  10. Advertisement Policy
  11. Appeals Process
  12. Complaint Process
  13. Authorship Criteria
  14. Submission of False Documents

1. PUBLICATION FREQUENCY

Monthly

2. OPEN ACCESS POLICY

PBMJ is a fully open access journal. All articles are freely available to everyone immediately on publication, without subscription, registration or charges to readers. In line with the Budapest Open Access Initiative, users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, link to the full text, and use articles for text and data mining or any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the authors.

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The license allows unrestricted use, distribution, adaptation and reproduction in any medium, including for commercial purposes, provided the original authors and source are properly credited, a link to the license is given, and any changes are indicated. Authors retain copyright of their articles.

  1. ARCHIVING

Long-term preservation and archiving (LPTA) of data ensures that the journal’s data is backed up in a network of libraries created by a dedicated digital archiving and preservation service. PBMJ employs PKP Private’s LOCKSS network to create a file distributed among the participated libraries, allowing these libraries to create permanent files of the journal with goals to preserve and restore the digital data. Other than that, a separate doi has been assigned to each article.

  1. CROSSMARK POLICY STATEMENT

DOI: 10.54393/pbmj/crossmark

All articles published in PBMJ receive a DOI and remain permanently available on the journal website. Once published, an article is the version of record. It is not altered except through a formal, linked notice issued in line with COPE guidance: an erratum, corrigendum, addendum, expression of concern, major correction or retraction. The only other exception is an author name change, described below.

PBMJ participates in the Crossmark scheme, a multi-publisher initiative that gives readers a standard way to check whether they are viewing the current version of an article. By applying Crossmark, PBMJ commits to maintaining the content it publishes and to alerting readers to any changes.

Addendum
If important information was omitted from the original publication, the authors may submit an addendum. Addenda are reviewed by the editors, published in the current issue, and linked to the original article.

Erratum and Corrigendum
These notices are used for errors that do not change an article’s methodology, results or conclusions. An erratum corrects an error introduced by the journal during production. A corrigendum corrects a scientifically relevant error made by the authors, such as missing method details, an incorrect figure or table label, a data error that does not change the findings, or an error in the author or contributor list. Each is published as a separate, citable notice with its own DOI, linked to the original article. The article is updated, and a note on the article page and in the PDF tells readers what was changed and when. Minor spelling or grammatical errors that do not affect meaning do not qualify

Major Corrections

A major correction is used when an honest error changes the methodology, results or conclusions of an article and the corrected work remains scientifically valid. It is not used where the error results from misconduct; such articles are retracted. If the corrected work no longer supports a valid conclusion, the article is retracted without replacement.

  1. The authors submit a corrected manuscript with a full explanation of the error. All authors must agree to the correction. The editors assess it and, where necessary, send it for further peer review.
  2. The corrected article is published as Version 2 under the original article’s DOI, so existing citations and links lead to the corrected version.
  3. The original article (Version 1) is kept permanently available as a supplementary file to Version 2, clearly marked “Superseded”, with the changes highlighted.
  4. A “Major Correction” notice is published in the current issue with its own DOI. It explains the error, what was changed, and how the results or conclusions are affected. The notice and Version 2 are linked to each other.
  5. The article page and the PDF of Version 2 carry the statement “Version 2 – Major Correction published [date]”, with a link to the notice. The update is registered with Crossref through Crossmark as a correction.

Major corrections are decided by the Editor-in-Chief following COPE guidance, after the authors have had the opportunity to explain the error.

Name changes

Authors who wish to change their name after publication may contact the Editorial Office. PBMJ will update the article and its metadata with indexing services. To protect author privacy, no public notice is published and co-authors are not notified.

Expressions of Concern
Where there are serious concerns about the integrity of a published article and an investigation is ongoing or inconclusive, the Editor-in-Chief may publish an expression of concern linked to the article. It is updated or replaced by a corrigendum, major correction or retraction once the matter is resolved.

Retractions
An article will be retracted when its findings are unreliable or when it involves misconduct, such as data fabrication or falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, unethical research, or undisclosed conflicts of interest that compromise the work. PBMJ follows the COPE Retraction Guidelines. The Editorial Office investigates potential retractions with support from the Editorial Board, and the Editor-in-Chief gives final approval. Authors are given the opportunity to respond before a decision is made.

Each retraction notice:

  • is published as a separate item in the current issue and linked to the original article;
  • states the reason for the retraction and who is retracting it (the authors, the editor, or both).

The retracted article remains available on the website, clearly marked “RETRACTED”. Partial retractions may be issued when only part of the article is unreliable. Complete removal of an article is reserved for rare cases where keeping it online would be illegal or cause serious harm. In those cases a retraction notice remains in place of the article.

PUBLICATION ETHICS AND POLICY GUIDELINES

AUTHORSHIP DISPUTES

Acknowledgements

All authors must meet the ICMJE authorship criteria and agree to the final author list and order before submission. Any change to authorship after submission requires a written request with the agreement of all authors, and is handled by the editor following COPE guidance. Where authors cannot resolve a dispute, the journal will not adjudicate it but will refer the matter to the authors’ institution(s), and may suspend publication until it is resolved. This journal advocates acknowledging contributions to a scientific work where authorship is not claimed. All additional individuals who contributed to the study and are not a part of authorship should be credited, and their contributions should be detailed, according to ICMJE criteria. All authors must reserve the right to know their contributions were acknowledged along with the technical assistance, data gathering assistance, writing assistance and services offered from departmental head. Support in terms of funding and access to scientific instrumentation should also acknowledged.

Number and order of authors

  • The order of authors is a joint decision of all authors and should reflect their relative contributions. All authors must agree on the final author list and order before submission. The first author is normally the person who made the greatest contribution to the work. Manuscripts should not have more than 10 authors. Short communications and case reports should normally have no more than six authors.

    Corresponding author

    The corresponding author is chosen by agreement of all authors. Any author may be the corresponding author; it need not be the first author. The corresponding author:

    • handles all communication with the journal during submission, peer review and publication, and after publication
    • ensures that all authors have approved the submitted and final versions
    • ensures that all required documents, including the Letter of Authorship signed by all authors and the ICMJE disclosure forms, are submitted
    • responds promptly to queries from the editors and readers, including requests for data
    keeps all co-authors informed of the manuscript’s progress and of any request to change authorship

Informed consent & maintaining the confidentiality of research participants

  1. Before including case specifics, other personal information, or images of patients and other persons in their work, writers must first obtain the relevant authorization forms, permits, and releases in order to be in compliance with the country's or region's data protection and privacy laws.
  2. Each participant who appears in any video, audio, photograph, image, illustration, case report, or other form in which they can be identified, or who is the person's legal guardian, or another person with legal authority to act on their behalf, is informed beforehand that such photographs are being taken or such video, recording, photograph, image, illustration, or report is being made and of all the purposes for which they might be used, including disclosure. That person, their legal guardian, or another person in a position of authority must express their written consent in order for it to be accepted.
  3. The written consent must abide by all applicable privacy and data protection laws in its entirety. When minors are involved (especially those with special needs or learning difficulties), when an individual's head or face appears, or while the individual's name or other personal information is mentioned, extra caution should be given when acquiring consent.
  4. In the instance of a child, consent should be regarded not to have been provided and those photographs should not be disseminated if the child's parents or legal guardians disagree with the use of those images. To decrease the probability of images being used improperly, it is also crucial to make sure that only pictures of child wearing appropriate clothing are displayed.
  5. Even if permission has been granted, care must be taken to ensure that the person being depicted and captioned are courteous and cannot be seen as disparaging that person.
  6. In order to publish a manuscript, authors must persuade the editors that "informed consent to participate" was obtained from all adult subjects or from the parents or guardians of any minor subjects.
  7. Names, initials, hospital or social security numbers, dates of birth, or other personal or identifiable information should not be used for patients or research participants.
  8. Images of patients or research subjects should not be used for publication unless it is absolutely necessary for the scientific investigation and the patient (or parent/guardian) has given written, informed consent. Identifying information ought to be omitted if it is unnecessary, even when consent has been given. Editors may request to submit the written consent.
  9. In cases where there is any ambiguity regarding anonymity, informed consent is required.
  10. The authors must make sure that the editors do not misrepresent the scientific meaning while choosing the themes.
  11. For the use of completely anonymized images from which the individual cannot be identified, such as X-rays, ultrasound images, pathology slides, or laparoscopic images, formal consent is not necessary so long as the images are free of any identifying marks and are not accompanied by text that could place the individual at risk of being identified.
  12. It is typically insufficient to anonymize a photo simply by adding eye bars or obscuring the subject's face if authorization has not been obtained.
  13. The CARE case report writing guidelines should be followed by authors.

Conflicts of Interest, Grant Support and Financial Disclosure

  1. All authors must disclose any conflicts of interest, including financial or personal relationships with other people, businesses or organizations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work.
  2. Financial conflicts include, but are not limited to, employment, consultancy, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patents or patent applications, and travel grants within the three years before submission.
  3. If there are no conflicts to declare, authors must state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
  4. All sources of funding must be declared. Authors of funded studies must also sign a statement confirming that they had full access to all study data and take full responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the analysis. This declaration must be submitted with the manuscript.
  5. Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest with a manuscript they are invited to assess, and must decline the review if a conflict could affect their judgment.
  6. Editors and editorial board members who have a conflict of interest with a manuscript take no part in its handling or decision.
  7. Conflict of interest and funding statements are published with every article.

PROTECTION OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

  1. We presume that the authors believe in the culture of responsible research.
  2. In order to uphold the fundamental principles of research objectivity, honesty, openness, fairness, accountability, and stewardship we encourage research integrity.
  3. We support the fundamental principles of the COPE standards and handle any alleged conduct in accordance with them.
  4. At the time the article is submitted, the ethical approval certificate for any research involving individuals must be provided.
  5. The most recent version of the Helsinki Declaration must be used and noted when reporting studies involving human participants.
  6. For medical research involving human subjects, we abide by the ICMJE Recommendations on protection of research participants and the Declaration of Helsinki-related ethical principles of the World Medical Association (WMA)
  7. If there is any question about whether the study was carried out in line with the Helsinki Declaration, the authors must justify their strategy and show that the institutional review board specifically accepted any questionable components of the trial.

Research Ethics Policies for Studies Involving Clinical Trials (CT) Registration

This policy aligns with the criteria set forth by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). The ICMJE defines a clinical trial as a research project that assigns human subjects to intervention or comparison groups in a prospective manner to investigate the causal relationship between a medical intervention and a health outcome. Studies with different objectives, such as examining pharmacokinetics or significant toxicity (e.g., phase 1 trials), would be exempt from this definition.

While the ICMJE doesn't endorse a specific registry, authors submitting to the Pakistan BioMedical Journal are required to register their trials in an international trial registry system that meets specific criteria.

This registry should be accessible to the public without any charges, open to all potential registrants, and managed by an established organization.

It is essential for the registration data to be validated, and the registry itself should be searchable electronically.

A comprehensive registry should encompass the following details at a minimum: a unique identification number, a description of the interventions and comparisons under study, the study hypothesis, definitions of primary and secondary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, crucial trial dates (registration, anticipated or actual start, last follow-up, closure to data entry, and completion date), the expected number of participants, funding source, and contact information for the principal investigator.

Registration is just one facet of achieving complete transparency regarding the execution and reporting of clinical trials.

Participants who volunteer for clinical trials should be informed that their valuable contribution to advancing human health will be accessible to guide healthcare decisions. The collective generosity of these individuals should result in knowledge that's accessible to everyone. Mandatory trial registration serves as a step toward this objective. The Clinical Trial Registration number must be included in the manuscript and clearly stated.

 

  1. PLAGIARISM POLICY

Plagiarism is presenting another person’s words, ideas, data, images or other work as one’s own without appropriate attribution. It includes verbatim copying, close paraphrasing without citation, and “text recycling” or redundant publication of the authors’ own previously published work without disclosure and citation. Splitting one study into several minimal papers (“salami slicing”) is also unacceptable.

All submissions are checked with Turnitin (and/or Crossref Similarity Check). In line with HEC requirements, PBMJ uses the following screening thresholds, calculated after excluding the reference list and properly quoted material:

  • overall similarity index below 19%; and
  • similarity with any single source below 5%.

A similarity score is a screening aid, not a verdict. Every report is read by an editor, who judges where the overlap is, what it consists of and whether it is properly attributed. Manuscripts above the thresholds, or with unattributed overlap in key sections, are returned to the authors for revision before review. Where the editor finds evidence of substantial plagiarism, the manuscript is rejected. Authors may upload their own similarity report as a supplementary file, but the journal will run its own check.

Plagiarism discovered after publication is handled according to the COPE flowcharts and may lead to correction or retraction. Verbatim copying without attribution is regarded as the most serious form; unattributed paraphrasing is also plagiarism.

1. POLCIES RELATED TO THE USE OF AI IN MANUSCRIPTS

We recognize the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in various aspects of research, including manuscript preparation. To ensure transparency, integrity, and proper attribution in scholarly publications, the following policy regarding the use of AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation is hereby established:

Disclosure Requirement: Authors utilizing AI-assisted technologies such as chatbots or image creators in the preparation of their manuscripts are required to disclose this information explicitly in their submissions. This disclosure should be included in the manuscript's methodology section or in a separate statement provided by the authors.

Non-Attribution of AI as an Author: AI algorithms, tools, or systems should not be listed as authors of the manuscript. The authorship of the paper should accurately reflect the contributions of human researchers involved in the study, analysis, and interpretation of results.

Human Oversight and Responsibility: While AI may play a significant role in generating content, humans remain responsible for overseeing the entire manuscript preparation process. Authors are expected to ensure the appropriateness and accuracy of AI-generated content, as well as to verify the absence of plagiarism or any ethical concerns related to the use of AI.

Attribution of AI-generated Content: Proper attribution should be provided for any content generated or substantially influenced by AI technologies. Authors must clearly indicate in the manuscript which sections or elements were created with the assistance of AI tools, along with appropriate citations or references to the relevant algorithms, datasets, or software used.

  1. REPOSITORY POLICY

Authors are permitted to deposit all versions of their paper in an institutional or subject repository:
1. Preprint
2. Author’s Accepted Manuscript
3. Version of Record
No embargo is applied.

  1. DATA SHARING POLICY

Every research article must include a Data Availability Statement saying whether and how the underlying data can be accessed (for example, in a public repository with a DOI, from the corresponding author on reasonable request, or not available with the reason). Reports of clinical trials must include a data-sharing statement as required by the ICMJE. Shared data must be de-identified, and the editors may ask to see the raw data during review.

11. ADVERTISEMENT POLICY

Advertising is kept separate from editorial content and has no influence on editorial decisions. Advertisements are clearly identified as such.All advertisements are subject to the approval of the PBMJ Management, which reserves the right to reject or cancel any ad at any time.

1. All advertisements are subject to the approval of the PBMJ Management, which reserves the right to reject or cancel any ad at any time.

2. All advertisements are accepted and published by PBMJ on the warranty of the agency and advertiser that both are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter of the advertisement.

3. In consideration of publication of an advertisement, the advertiser and the agency, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless Publisher, its officers, agents and employees against expenses (including legal fees) and losses resulting from the publication of the contents of the advertisement, including, without limitation, claims or suits for libel, violation of privacy, copyright infringement, or plagiarism.

4. PBMJ will not be liable for any failure to publish any advertisement accepted by PBMJ; however, PBMJ shall use its reasonable efforts to place such advertisement in subsequent available space.

5. All advertisements must clearly and prominently identify the advertiser by trademark or signature.

6. Any references to PBMJ or its products or services in advertisements, promotional material, or merchandising by the advertiser or agency is subject to PBMJ’s written approval for such use.

7. All advertising contract position clauses are treated as requests. PBMJ cannot guarantee fixed positioning.

8. PBMJ is not responsible for incidental or consequential damage for errors in displaying or printing an ad.

9. PBMJ may change the terms set forth herein at any time, provided that no such change applies to ads whose closing date precedes the announcement of the change.

10. PBMJ will not be bound by any condition, printed or otherwise, appearing on any insertion order or copy instructions.

11. In the event of nonpayment, PBMJ reserves the right to hold advertiser and/or its advertising agency jointly and severally liable for such monies as are past due and payable to PBMJ.

12. Proprietary names of pharmaceutical products must be accompanied by the chemical, generic, or official name; the quantity of all active substances must be stated along with the recommended dosage. New ad copies and creative for pharmaceutical products should be sent to the advertising department. Please allow two weeks for clearance.

13. Advertiser represents and warrants that all advertisements and pharmaceutical products they advertise are compliant with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations in the country where the advertisement will be seen. Advertisements for pharmaceutical products must comply with Concerned Government Department regulations regarding advertising and promotion.

14. DIGITAL ADS:

Advertisers and agencies may not use the PBMJ name, logo or trademarks in any advertisement, promotional material or link in a way that suggests PBMJ endorses a product, service or organization, without PBMJ’s prior written approval. PBMJ does not endorse or support any product or organization advertised or linked from its website, and is not responsible for the content of any website promoted in an advertisement. Advertisers may not use pixels, beacons, cookies, tracking tags or similar technology in advertising creative to collect personally identifiable information.

This policy applies only to advertising. All articles published in PBMJ are open access under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Anyone may link to, share, reuse and adapt published articles, for any purpose and without asking permission, provided the original authors and source are properly credited, as set out in the Copyright Notice

Digital Cancellation Policies

Advertiser may cancel the entire insertion Order, or any portion thereof, as follows:

RUN-OF-SITE BANNER PROGRAMS

On written notice to the PBMJ, advertiser may cancel all, or a portion of the campaign, without penalty 21 days or more before the campaign start date. For cancellations made within 21 days of the start date, the advertiser will be responsible for 50% of the campaign amount that was reserved for delivery.

FLAT FEE-BASED, SOV-BASED, OR FIXED PLACEMENT PROGRAMS

 On written notice to the Publisher, advertiser may cancel all, or a portion of the campaign, without penalty 30 days or more before the start date of the campaign. For cancellations made 30 to 15 days before the start date, advertiser will be responsible for 50% of the campaign amount that was reserved for delivery. For cancellations made within 14 days of the start date, advertiser will be responsible for 100% of the campaign amount that was reserved for delivery.

  1. APPEALS PROCESS

Authors who believe a decision was wrong may submit one appeal per manuscript to the Editor-in-Chief at editor@pakistanbmj.com within 30 days of the decision. The appeal should explain, point by point, why the decision should be reconsidered, with reference to the reviewers’ comments. Disagreement alone is not sufficient grounds. The appeal is examined by the Appeals Committee, which makes a recommendation to the Editor-in-Chief; no member involved in the original decision takes part. The journal acknowledges appeals within 7 working days and aims to communicate a decision within 30 days. The decision on the appeal is final. The Appeals Committee comprises:

  1. Dr. Haiba Kaul
  2. Dr. Amara Shaukat
  1. COMPLAINTS PROCESS

Readers, authors, reviewers or any other person may send a written complaint about publication misconduct by an author, reviewer, editor or editorial board member to the Editor-in-Chief at editor@pakistanbmj.com. The complaint is investigated by the Complaints Committee of the Editorial/Advisory Board, following COPE guidance. No committee member who is the subject of the complaint, or has a conflict of interest with it, takes part in its handling. The Committee comprises:

  1. Dr. Muhammad Irfan Bashir
  2. Dr. Munir Bhinder

Complaints about the Editor-in-Chief. Complaints about the Editor-in-Chief should be sent directly to complaints@pakistanbmj.com. They are reviewed independently by a senior member of the Editorial Board who has no role at the journal’s owner or publisher, supported by a Complaints Committee member independent of the matter, following COPE guidance. The Editor-in-Chief takes no part in handling the complaint and cannot overrule the outcome. The owner is informed of the outcome.

  1. AUTHORSHIP CRITERIA

PBMJ follows the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations, “Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors”. Every person listed as an author must meet all four of the following criteria:

  1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data for the work; and
  2. Drafting the work or reviewing it critically for important intellectual content; and
  3. Final approval of the version to be published; and
  4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

All authors are jointly responsible for ensuring that everyone listed meets these criteria and that everyone who meets them is listed. Acquisition of funding, general supervision of a research group, general administrative support, and writing assistance, technical editing, language editing or proofreading do not on their own justify authorship. These contributors should be named in the Acknowledgements, with their written permission.

Each author’s contribution is described using CRediT roles in the Letter of Authorship and published with the article. For large multi-center studies, the manuscript must name the individuals who take direct responsibility for the work and meet all four criteria. Other group members are listed in the Acknowledgements or a supplementary file.

Any change to the author list or order after submission requires a written request to the Editor-in-Chief explaining the reason, signed by all authors, including anyone being added or removed. Requests are handled according to the COPE flowcharts. Authorship disputes are handled as described under “Authorship Disputes” above.

14. Submission of False Documents

Authors must submit all required documents accurately and completely, including authorship letters, ethical approval or institutional review board (IRB) letters, data collection permissions, informed consent statements and clinical trial registration numbers.

The journal checks the authenticity of these documents wherever there is doubt about them. Verification may include contacting the issuing institution or authority, checking public databases and trial registries, or asking the authors for clarification or original copies. Authors must cooperate fully and respond promptly; failure to do so may lead to rejection of the manuscript.

Suspected cases of false or fabricated documentation are handled following COPE guidance. The authors are given the opportunity to respond before any decision is made. If false documentation is confirmed:

  1. Before publication: the manuscript will be rejected.
  2. After publication: the article will be retracted, with a retraction notice stating the reason.
  3. The authors may be barred from submitting to the journal for a minimum of three (3) years.
  4. The matter may be reported to the authors’ institution(s) and to the relevant professional or regulatory bodies for further investigation.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All articles published in PBMJ are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Copyright of each article remains with its authors

Under this license, anyone may:

  • Share: copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, for any purpose, including commercially.
  • Adapt: remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, including commercially.

Under the following terms:

  • Attribution: appropriate credit must be given to the authors and the source, with a link to the license and an indication of any changes made.
  • No additional restrictions: legal terms or technological measures may not be applied that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

PRIVACY STATEMENT

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

AUTHOR FEES

All article fees are payable only to the journal's owner, Rotogen Biotech (Pvt) Ltd, Pakistan at the account below. The journal has no agents or representatives who collect fees.

Article Processing Fee: Rs 5000/-

Article Publication Fee (National) Rs 30000 / Article

Article Publication Fee (International ) 200 USD / Article

Bank Details

Account Title: Rotogen Biotech (Pvt) Ltd

Bank Name: Bank Alfalah

IBAN: PK33ALFH0042001008325623

Account # 00421008325623

Waivers Policy:

If an author has no funds to pay such charges, he may request for full or partial waiver off of publication fees. We do not want charges to prevent the publication of worthy work.

Hard Copies:
Copies can be ordered on payment of PKR 2500 per copy.