COPE STATEMENT

                                                                                   PANACEA
ISSN (P): --------, (E): ------

PUBLICATION ETHICS & COPE STATEMENT
 
PANACEA is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, transparency, and integrity in scholarly publishing. The journal follows the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and internationally accepted standards for ethical research and publication.
The editorial board, reviewers, authors, and publishers of PANACEA collectively uphold ethical conduct throughout the submission, peer-review, editorial, and publication processes.

          Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
            Authors submitting manuscripts to PANACEA must ensure that:
•    The submitted work is original, authentic, and free from plagiarism. 
•    The manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration elsewhere. 
•    All listed authors have made substantial academic contributions to the work. 
•    Data presented in the manuscript are accurate, genuine, and not fabricated or manipulated. 
•    Appropriate ethical approval has been obtained for studies involving human participants or animals. 
•    Informed consent has been obtained where applicable. 
•    Sources of funding and any potential conflicts of interest are clearly disclosed. 
•    Artificial intelligence tools, if used, are disclosed appropriately and do not replace human authorship responsibility. 
Any form of plagiarism, duplicate publication, falsification, image manipulation, citation manipulation, or unethical conduct will lead to rejection or retraction of the manuscript.
         Editorial Responsibilities
The editorial team of PANACEA is responsible for:
•    Ensuring fair, unbiased, and confidential peer review. 
•    Evaluating manuscripts solely on academic merit, originality, scientific validity, and relevance. 
•    Maintaining confidentiality of submitted manuscripts. 
•    Preventing conflicts of interest in editorial decision-making. 
•    Taking appropriate action in cases of suspected misconduct, ethical violations, or publication malpractice. 
•    Issuing corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern, or retractions when necessary. 
Editorial decisions are independent and are not influenced by commercial interests, institutional affiliations, race, gender, religion, nationality, or political beliefs of authors.
          Responsibilities of Reviewers
Peer reviewers are expected to:
•    Maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts. 
•    Conduct objective, constructive, and timely reviews. 
•    Declare any conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment. 
•    Avoid using unpublished information for personal or professional advantage. 
•    Identify relevant published work not cited by the authors. 
•    Report any suspicion of plagiarism, duplicate publication, or unethical conduct to the editors. 

         Plagiarism Policy
PANACEA maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism and unethical publication practices. All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before peer review.
Manuscripts with unacceptable similarity indices, plagiarism, or evidence of academic misconduct will be rejected immediately. Serious ethical violations may also be reported to the authors’ affiliated institutions or relevant authorities.
           Conflict of Interest
Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence the objectivity of the publication process.
All conflicts of interest will be managed according to international ethical standards.
        Research Ethics
For studies involving human participants, authors must confirm compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approval from a recognized Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Review Committee.
For animal studies, authors must confirm adherence to internationally accepted animal care and welfare guidelines.
The journal reserves the right to request ethical approval documents at any stage of the review process.

          Corrections and Retractions
PANACEA follows COPE guidelines for handling:
•    corrections, 
•    expressions of concern, 
•    article withdrawals and retractions
If significant errors, misconduct, or ethical breaches are identified after publication, the journal will take appropriate corrective action to preserve the integrity of the scientific record.
           Open Access and Integrity
PANACEA is committed to promoting responsible scientific communication, transparency, accessibility, and integrity in research dissemination. The journal supports ethical open-access publishing practices and encourages responsible scholarship for the advancement of medical and health sciences.

       Official Ethical Compliance Statement
PANACEA adheres to the ethical principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and follows international standards for responsible research publication.

Principal Contact; panacea@rlkumc.edu.pk