Editorial Policy

Last updated: 7/14/2023

Welcome to Medico Topics, an online platform dedicated to providing accurate, reliable, and insightful news and information. Our Editorial Policy outlines the principles and guidelines we follow to ensure the integrity and quality of our content. We are committed to upholding high journalistic standards and serving our readership with transparency and accountability.

1. Purpose and Value of Reviews

Medico Topics is a trusted news publisher committed to synthesizing and integrating knowledge for the progress of society. Our articles aim to capture the current understanding of various topics, presenting both well-supported information and controversial viewpoints. We provide historical context, highlight important questions, outline research trends, and discuss practical applications and the general significance of research to society.

Our target audience includes researchers seeking to stay updated in their fields, individuals looking to explore new areas of research, students seeking comprehensive knowledge, and professionals, policymakers, and the general public interested in staying informed about research developments.

2. Organization and Responsibilities of Editorial Committees

Medico Topics operates under the guidance of Editorial Committees composed of recognized experts in relevant fields. Each Committee includes an Editor or Co-Editors, Associate Editors, Regular Members, and occasional Guest Members. All appointments, except for Guest Members, serve five-year terms and require approval from Medico Topics’ Board of Directors.

Editorial Committees invite reviews on important topics from highly qualified authors and evaluate submitted manuscripts for accuracy, rigor, and balance. Selections are based on the scholarly reputation, academic achievements, and publication records of potential authors. Committee Members may propose other Members to contribute invited reviews, subject to the same rigorous evaluation process. We strive to ensure diversity and international representation among Committee Members and authors to reflect the global community of scholars.

Maintaining the highest integrity, both individually and collectively, is crucial for Editorial Committees in influencing individual submissions and shaping the direction of the respective journals.

3. Disclosure and Transparency

Every Committee Member and Reviewer is required to disclose any potential sources of bias, including leadership positions or board memberships in organizations, membership in related advocacy groups, paid consultancies, patents, financial holdings, honoraria, and current grants or research contracts. During discussions and manuscript reviews, Committee Members must disclose any relationships with potential authors that could compromise impartiality or financial interests in the review topic. Such disclosures are open for further discussion and are particularly important for articles addressing unresolved scholarly debates.

4. Editorial Review Process

Each manuscript undergoes a review process by one or more Members of the Editorial Committee. In cases where additional expert input is required, external Reviewers may be involved. Reviewers have the option to reveal their identity to authors or remain anonymous, as the author’s identity is not hidden in invited reviews. Publication of a submitted manuscript is contingent upon approval by the Reviewer, whether an Editorial Committee Member, Guest Member, or external Reviewer.

Editors, Committee Members, and Medico Topics staff treat submitted manuscripts and communication with authors as confidential. Authors and Reviewers are also required to maintain confidentiality.

Reviewers are requested to consider the following for every article published on Medico Topics:

  • Relevance and value to a broad audience, including specialists, scholars from other areas, teachers, and students. Reviewers are encouraged to suggest revisions if necessary to make the article more accessible.
  • Inclusion of citations that represent a wide range of published primary literature.
  • Representation of the whole article in the abstract, ensuring informative summaries.
  • Organizational clarity and readability of the article.
  • Effectiveness of illustrations and tables.
  • Reviewers make decisions to:
  • Accept the article with minor to moderate revisions for publication.
  • Request significant revisions followed by another review.
  • Reject the article, with or without the option for the author to resubmit.
  • The final decision about publication rests with the Editor(s) in consultation with external Reviewers, if necessary. If an article is rejected, the Editor(s) communicates the reasons for rejection to the author and indicates whether a substantial revision and resubmission are welcome.

5. Correcting the Record

In the event of discovering an error in a published article, the author is expected to promptly correct or withdraw the paper. If the author disputes the criticism, Members of the Editorial Committee review the evidence and make a decision regarding necessary actions.

6. Allegations of Misconduct

Allegations of research or publication misconduct are thoroughly investigated by qualified personnel, including Members of the Editorial Committee, the Editor-in-Chief, and the Associate Editor-in-Chief ofMedico Topics. Complaints against Medico Topics’ staff are assessed by the Human Resources department.

7. Authorship

Medico Topics invites articles from experienced researchers. Invited Authors may collaborate with colleagues but must be the principal author. Co-authors must meet the four criteria set out by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) regarding substantial contributions to the work, critical revision, final approval of the version, and accountability for the work’s accuracy and integrity. Individuals who have made substantive contributions but do not meet all the criteria should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section. The Invited Author is responsible for ensuring proper consent and approval from co-authors and acknowledging their contributions.

8. Disclosure of Competing Interests

Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest that may influence or be influenced by the review. These include affiliations, funding, financial holdings, consultancies, memberships, board positions, and recent grants or support. A potential conflict does not disqualify authors from publication, but it should be presented to readers transparently. If a conflict of interest arises after publication, it will be addressed through an erratum.

9. Avoiding Plagiarism

All reviews must be original works. Authors should exercise caution when citing and quoting other publications, as well as when using their own previous writing. Annual Reviews uses iThenticate to detect plagiarism. Authors are encouraged to follow the provided guidelines to avoid inadvertent copyright infringement and bias in bibliographies.

10. Consent and Confidentiality

Medico Topics supports the ICMJE recommendations for reporting research and other material published in medical journals. Authors including information or clinical photographs that could identify a patient must obtain permission to include or reproduce such content. Patient anonymity should be protected, regardless of using original or reproduced content.

11. Literature Cited

Authors should be fair and selective in their choice of references, ensuring accurate bibliographic details. Only genuinely relevant papers should be cited, and predatory or pseudo-journals should be avoided. Retracted publications must never be cited; instead, the retraction notice should be referenced. Corrections, errata, or editorial expressions of concern should also be included in the bibliography.

12. Image Integrity and Standards

Figures should be drawings or photographs that illustrate key points or present data concisely. Medico Topics has Illustration Editors who collaborate with authors to enhance figures, which are sent for approval before publication. Authors must obtain permission to reuse and modify figures, and proper credits must be provided. Non-manipulative image editing is acceptable, and any adjustments must be disclosed in the figure legend.

13. Copyright

Medico Topics requires authors to transfer full and exclusive rights to their articles, including tables and illustrations, to facilitate orderly publication in print and online. Different copyright arrangements may apply to authors affiliated with specific organizations or funding agencies.

14. Archiving

– Preprint Version:

Authors may post the preprint version of their work on institutional repositories, provided that appropriate information about acceptance by Medico Topics is included.

– Postprint Version and ePrint URLs:

Authors are not permitted to post the postprint or published version of their reviews on the open internet. However, Medico Topics encourages authors to self-archive an Annual Reviews-supplied ePrint URL on one personal website and/or one institutional repository after publication. Annual Reviews will provide the ePrint URL upon completion of the production process.

– Permissions:

Permission is required to reproduce any material published by Medico Topics. Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) is authorized to grant permissions and collect royalties on behalf of Medico Topics.

We are committed to upholding this Editorial Policy to ensure the quality, accuracy, and transparency of our content. By adhering to these guidelines, we aim to provide a trustworthy source of news and information for our readers.

For any questions or clarifications regarding our Editorial Policy, please contact us at:

Medico Topics
Website: medicotopics.com
Email: [email protected]

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