Policy Document

About

ACADEMIA International Journal of Clinical & Translational Health (AIJCTH) is a peer-reviewed, hybrid‑open‑access journal under Academia International Journals. It publishes original research, reviews, case reports, commentaries, short communications, and letters to the editor across clinical and translational medicine. The journal employs a double‑blind review process, ensuring rigorous yet efficient manuscript evaluation. AIJCTH aims to bridge lab discoveries and practical healthcare, promoting the dissemination of applied medical science internationally.

Aim & Scope

Academia International Journal of Clinical & Translational Health (AIJCTH) is a peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to advancing knowledge across diverse fields of study. The journal aims to provide a global platform for scholars, researchers, and practitioners to disseminate original, high-quality research that contributes to academic progress, policy development, and practical innovation.

The journal welcomes submissions from a broad range of disciplines, including but not limited to:

- Health and Life Sciences

Aims

To foster interdisciplinary dialogue and scholarly exchange on emerging and established topics.
To support the publication of innovative, methodologically sound, and impactful research.
To encourage global participation by welcoming contributions from researchers across all regions and backgrounds.
To promote open, ethical, and accessible research dissemination for the benefit of the academic community and society.

Scope

Clinical medicine and evidence-based clinical practice
Translational research bridging laboratory discoveries to patient care
Internal medicine and medical subspecialties
Surgery and surgical innovations
Pediatrics and neonatal health
Obstetrics, gynecology, and women’s health
Public health, community medicine, and preventive healthcare
Clinical epidemiology and biostatistics
Precision medicine and personalized healthcare
Diagnostics, biomarkers, and medical imaging
Pharmacology, clinical trials, and drug development
Nursing, midwifery, and allied health sciences
Mental health, psychiatry, and behavioral medicine
Infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance
Non-communicable diseases and chronic illness management
Digital health, telemedicine, and health informatics
Health policy, health systems, and implementation science
Ethics in clinical and translational research
Case reports, clinical guidelines, and practice-oriented studies

Open Access Policy

The ACADEMIA International Journal of Clinical & Translational Health is a fully open-access journal, meaning all content is freely available to users and their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. All published articles are immediately and permanently available online without subscription or access barriers.

All content is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication.

Under CC BY 4.0, users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, share, adapt, and reuse the content for any lawful purpose, provided proper attribution is given to the original authors.

AIJCTH does not impose any embargo period on published content.

Plagiarism Policy

Introduction

At ACADEMIA International Journal of Clinical & Translational Health (AIJCTH), we uphold the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. Plagiarism—whether deliberate or accidental—compromises the credibility of scientific research and violates the trust of readers, authors, and the scholarly community. Therefore, AIJCTH enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy against plagiarism.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s intellectual property—words, ideas, data, images, or methodologies—without appropriate attribution. This includes but is not limited to:

Direct Copying: Reproducing text verbatim from any source without quotation and citation
Paraphrasing Without Acknowledgment: Rewriting someone else's ideas or findings without proper credit
Unreferenced Data/Visuals: Using figures, graphs, or datasets without citing the original source
Self-Plagiarism: Republishing one's own previously submitted or published work without disclosure or citation

Similarity Thresholds

Policy Standard	Acceptable Similarity Index
AIJCTH Internal Policy	≤ 19%
HEC Pakistan (Reference Benchmark)	≤ 19%

AIJCTH follows a more stringent threshold than the HEC to maintain scholarly originality.

Plagiarism Detection and Author Responsibility

Screening Tools: All manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software such as Turnitin.
Author’s Role: Authors are solely responsible for ensuring that their manuscript is original and free of uncredited content before submission.

⚖️ Editorial Response to Plagiarism

Type of Plagiarism	Editorial Action
Minor (e.g., citation errors)	Manuscript returned for correction prior to re-evaluation
Major (e.g., large-scale copying)	Immediate rejection or retraction if already published
Repeated/Severe Violations	Blacklisting of author(s); notice to institution/funder

✍️ Author Declaration

All submissions must include a Statement of Originality affirming that:

The manuscript is original and free of plagiarism
All third-party sources are fully and accurately cited
The manuscript is not under review or published elsewhere

⚠️ AI-Generated Content Policy

AIJCTH prohibits the use of AI-generated content (e.g., from ChatGPT, Gemini, Bard) in any part of a manuscript, including:

Abstract
Literature Review
Methodology
Results and Discussion

❌ Use of AI-generated text or data will result in automatic rejection or post-publication retraction.
✅ All content must reflect original, human-authored academic research.

Appeals Process

Authors may formally appeal a plagiarism decision by submitting:

A written explanation
Supporting evidence challenging the findings

Appeals are reviewed impartially by the editorial board, and decisions are final.

Transparency and Retractions

In the event of a confirmed plagiarism case:

A formal retraction notice will be issued
The article will be removed from the archive
The retraction will be recorded to uphold journal transparency and credibility

Archiving Policy

AIJCTH is committed to the long-term preservation and accessibility of published scholarly content.

Digital Preservation

The journal utilizes the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) and other preservation mechanisms available through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform to ensure permanent accessibility of published articles.

Website Backup

Regular backups of journal data, articles, metadata, and system files are maintained to safeguard against accidental loss.

Persistent Access

Published content remains freely available and permanently accessible through the journal website.

Content Preservation

If the journal ceases publication, all published content will remain accessible through preservation services and institutional archives whenever possible.

Peer Review Policy

Overview

AIJCTH is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence, transparency, and editorial integrity. All manuscripts undergo a blind peer review to ensure originality, methodological rigor, theoretical contribution, and ethical compliance across the fields of health and life sciences.

Review Model: Blind Peer Review from 4 Experts in the same Field

(2 Internal & 2 External)

To ensure objectivity and impartiality:

Author Anonymity: Reviewers are not informed of the author(s)’ identity.
Reviewer Anonymity: Authors are not informed of the reviewers’ identities.

This model guarantees that manuscripts are evaluated solely on their scholarly merit, free from institutional or personal bias.

Peer Review Workflow

1. Submission & Initial Editorial Screening

All manuscripts must be submitted via the AIJCTH online submission portal.
The editorial office conducts a preliminary check to assess:

Alignment with the journal’s scope and aims
Formatting compliance and guideline adherence
Ethical documentation (e.g., IRB approval, consent forms)
Plagiarism screening using Turnitin or equivalent tools

Submissions failing to meet basic standards may be desk-rejected without external review.

2. Reviewer Selection and Assignment

Each eligible manuscript is assigned to at least two independent reviewers with demonstrated subject expertise.

Reviewer Selection Criteria:

Subject-matter expertise
Prior publication record
No conflicts of interest with authors or content

3. Review Process

Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on:

Originality and contribution to the field
Methodological soundness
Relevance to theory and/or practice
Depth and accuracy of analysis
Organization, clarity, and scholarly presentation

Reviewer Recommendations may include:

✅ Accept as is
✏️ Minor revisions
Major revisions (revise and resubmit)
❌ Reject

4. Editorial Decision and Feedback

The assigned Editor consolidates all reviewer reports and makes the final decision. A detailed decision letter, including anonymous reviewer feedback, is sent to the corresponding author.

Review Timeline: Typically 4–6 weeks, subject to reviewer availability and manuscript complexity.
Revision Timeline: Authors must resubmit within the given deadline to avoid delays.

⚖️ Reviewer Ethics and Responsibilities

✅ Selection & Integrity

Reviewers are selected for their academic competence, neutrality, and commitment to editorial ethics. AIJCTH emphasizes global diversity and disciplinary balance in reviewer assignments.

Confidentiality

Reviewers must:

Treat all manuscript content as confidential
Refrain from sharing, discussing, or using unpublished data
Use secure systems to store manuscript files

⚖️ Ethical Conduct

Reviewers must:

Provide constructive, evidence-based, and respectful feedback
Declare any conflicts of interest
Avoid discriminatory, biased, or inappropriate comments

Appeals Policy

Authors may file a formal appeal in the event of:

Factual misinterpretation of findings
Reviewer/editorial bias
Procedural or ethical irregularities

All appeals are reviewed by the Editorial Board or an independent academic, and decisions are final.

Ethical Standards

AIJCTH adheres to the guidelines of:

COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)
Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan

All stakeholders in the peer review process must uphold these standards of integrity and professionalism.

Reviewer Recognition

To honor peer reviewers:

AIJCTH publishes an annual list of reviewers (with consent)
Certificates of Appreciation are available upon request
High-performing reviewers may be considered for editorial roles

✅ Conclusion

The peer review process at AIJCTH serves as the cornerstone of editorial quality. By ensuring rigorous, unbiased, and constructive evaluations, AIJCTH aims to advance impactful research in the global management community while maintaining academic trust and transparency.

Copyright & Licensing Policy

Copyright Policy

The copyright policy of AIJCTH is based on a non-exclusive publishing agreement, according to which the journal retains the right of first publication, but the author(s) are free to publish their work subsequently. The copyright of all work rests with the author(s).

Licensing Policy

All articles published by AIJCTH are made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).