JCPSP Postgraduate (JCPSP PG) adheres to the highest standards concerning its editorial policies on publication ethics, scientific misconduct, consent, and peer review criteria. The journal follows guidance produced by bodies that include the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). We take seriously all possible misconduct. If an Editor, reviewer, author, or reader has concerns that a submitted article describes something that might be considered to constitute misconduct in research, publication, or professional behaviour, they should forward their concerns to the journal. The publisher will deal with allegations appropriately following ICMJE and COPE guidelines.
All articles published in the JCPSP PG are fully open-access. Authors and readers can share and distribute published work under the terms of the Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), provided proper attribution to the authors and JCPSP PG is maintained. However, any re- publication of the full article or excerpts by a third party requires prior permission from the journal.
After the initial in-house assessment, selected manuscripts will undergo a double-blind peer-review process, evaluated by at least two external reviewers from the relevant subject speciality, as chosen by the Editor. Reviewers are typically given two weeks to complete their assessment of each manuscript. Manuscripts are sent to both reviewers at the same time. If conflicts or disputes arise, the matter is referred to the Editor/Chief Editor, who may appoint a third reviewer for resolution. Only one chance will be given for the resolution of such matters. The decision by the Editor/Chief Editor will be final. Reviewers are awarded an honorarium for their work. While editors generally do not serve as peer reviewers, they reserve the right to edit accepted articles to align these with the journal's house style.
The JCPSP PG operates under an open-access model where authors retain copyright ownership of their work upon publication. By submitting a manuscript, the author/authors agree to license their work under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly attributed. This approach allows authors to maintain the right to share, modify, and build upon their work while promoting the transparency and wide dissemination of scientific knowledge. The above license, however, restricts commercial use of the published work.
Authors retain significant rights under this model, including the ability to use, reuse, and share their articles in personal and academic spaces, such as institutional repositories, personal websites, and non-commercial academic sharing platforms. The journal also permits authors to self-archive preprint and postprint versions of their manuscripts according to the journal’s self-archiving policy. Authors can republish or distribute their articles in other media, provided proper attribution to JCPSP PG as the original publisher is given. When using third-party content, such as images, tables, or datasets, authors must secure necessary permissions to align with the selected license, especially if there are any reuse restrictions. JCPSP PG's open-access model allows all published content to be freely accessed and reused with proper attribution to the original authors and JCPSP PG . Reusers should cite the work in a standard format, including DOI or a permanent link, and refrain from implying endorsement by the original authors or journal without explicit authorization.
The journal also supports immediate self-archiving of all manuscript versions—preprint, accepted manuscript, and published version—in institutional or subject-specific repositories. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions are original, free of plagiarism, and adhere to the journal’s ethical standards, including obtaining permissions for any copyrighted material used and disclosing conflicts of interest. Any similar prior publications should be fully declared. By submitting, authors agree to JCPSP PG’s Publishing Agreement, confirming the originality of their work, agreeing to the licensing terms, and recognizing that JCPSP PG retains final publication rights and may retract or correct content post-publication if ethical issues arise. In cases where open licensing could present legal or ethical challenges, authors may request a waiver or alternative licensing arrangement before publication. This comprehensive policy supports transparency, accessibility, and respect for authors’ rights while facilitating global access to biomedical research advancements.
Authors, however, need to grant the journal the right of first publication. The manuscript submission is accompanied by an Authors Certification Proforma (ACP) signed by all the authors confirming exclusive submission to the journal and permission to publish it.
The Journal accepts only original material for publication with the understanding that except for abstracts, no part of the data has been published or will be submitted for publication elsewhere before appearing in this journal.
Statements or opinions expressed in the manuscripts published in the journal reflect the views of the author(s) and not the opinions of the editors, editorial board, and/or publisher; the editors, editorial board, and publisher disclaim any responsibility or liability for such materials. The Editorial Board makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of material printed in the journal. However, the conclusions and statements expressed are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Editorial Board or the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan (CPSP). Publishing of advertising material does not imply an endorsement by the CPSP.
JCPSP PG follows the ICMJE, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), and Higher Education Commission (HEC) guidelines/criteria for all types of plagiarism. The same can be accessed at www.icmje.org, https://pmdc.pk/, and https://www.hec.gov.pk/. All the submitted manuscripts are subjected to plagiarism checking through the software Turnitin (courtesy of HEC). Manuscripts with a similarity index of more than 19% are not processed further unless rectified. It is the authors' responsibility to apprise themselves of plagiarism in any form including paraphrasing and self-plagiarism. Manuscripts submitted to JCPSP PG can be sent to HEC, other medical journals' editors, and international agencies for authentication of originality. The disciplinary committee of JCPSP PG deals with cases of plagiarism and is comprised of the staff, editors, and the Chief Editor or his representative.
For a plagiarized article/multiple submissions, if the article is at the processing stage, the identification of the act will lead to the dropping of the article from further processing/consideration of publication. The corresponding author will be responsible for giving an explanation on demand. In case of an unsatisfactory reply, the matter will be referred to the disciplinary committee that may decide the course of action. For published articles, the allegedly plagiarized article will be temporarily retracted from publication and a notice to the effect will be published in the JCPSP PG . The author will be served an explanation demand. In case of non- response within the stipulated time or an unsatisfactory explanation, the article will be permanently retracted and the author will be blacklisted. HEC, PMDC, and the author's institute will also be notified. In case of multiple submissions, other editors will also be informed. The author(s) will have to provide documentary proof of retraction of publication from another journal/publisher if such a defense is pleaded. Those claiming intellectual /idea or data theft of an article must provide documentary proof in their claim.
As an open-access biomedical journal, JCPSP PG recognises the importance of facilitating early dissemination of scientific findings and promoting collaboration within the research community. The JCPSP PG follows a clear and structured policy for the submission and publication of pre-print articles to encourage early dissemination of scientific research. Pre-print articles are defined as manuscripts that have not yet undergone formal peer review but are made publicly available on pre-print websites/platforms to allow researchers to share findings quickly, receive feedback, and establish priority. Submissions must be complete, original manuscripts focused on biomedical research, and authors must declare conflicts of interest and funding sources. Upon submission, the editorial team conducts an initial screening for scope and compliance, including checks for plagiarism and ethical concerns. The manuscripts will undergo processing similar to that of non-preprint articles.
According to JCPSP PG's policy, submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is considered unethical. If the authors want to withdraw the manuscript during its processing, an email has to be sent notifying their intention. A final letter from the editorial office for the withdrawal of the manuscript will be sent to confirm the withdrawal.
Please note that without a formal email of withdrawal, a manuscript is not considered withdrawn and use of such a manuscript elsewhere will be construed as ethical misconduct.
The JCPSP PG website is owned and operated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan (CPSP), whose registered office is at 7th Central Street, DHA Phase II, Karachi – Pakistan. JCPSP PG is committed to maintaining confidence and trust with respect to the information it collects from its viewers/users.
Human Resource (HR) policies regarding the selection of Editors, Reviewers, Editorial Board members, and their job descriptions are based upon the vision and mission of CPSP. Decisions are taken by the Executive Council, which is an elected body of Fellows of the College.
Note: The JCPSP PG reserves the right to change/modify any part of the above policy at any time.