Ethics statement

Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Macedonian Journal of Anaesthesia (MJA) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, editorial integrity, and responsible research reporting. These ethical and publishing standards are an integral part of the manuscript submission, review, and publication process.

The purpose of these standards is to ensure high-quality publishing and responsible editorial practices for authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher.

MJA expects all parties involved in the publication process to adhere to internationally recognized ethical and editorial standards.

The journal follows the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and adheres to the ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals.

The journal also supports editorial standards promoted by the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) and the Council of Science Editors (CSE).

To promote transparent and complete reporting of research, authors are encouraged to follow recognized reporting standards available through the EQUATOR Network.

Depending on the study design, authors are encouraged to follow appropriate reporting              guidelines including:

CONSORT – Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials

STROBE – Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology

PRISMA – Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

CARE – Case Report Guidelines

By adhering to these international ethical frameworks and reporting standards, MJA promotes transparency, scientific integrity, and high-quality reporting in medical research.

Misconduct Allegations and Investigation Process

All ethical allegations are taken seriously, as maintaining the integrity of the scientific record is a fundamental responsibility of the journal.

Communication with authors is based on mutual trust and good faith. However, if a potential breach of ethical standards is brought to the attention of the journal, whether before or after publication, the matter will be referred to the Integrity and Ethics Panel, appointed by the                                             Editorial Board.

The panel evaluates the case and determines the appropriate course of action regarding the        manuscript or published record.

Please note:

  • Investigations of potential misconduct are sensitive matters and may require time for                careful evaluation.

  • The journal reserves the right to contact authors and their institutions when allegations of misconduct arise.

  • The journal may request documentation or proof related to the allegations.

  • The journal reserves the right to discontinue collaboration with individuals who behave abusively toward the editorial process.

Concerns regarding potential misconduct may be reported to the journal at:

macedoniananesthesiology@gmail.com

Reports may be submitted confidentially and anonymity will be preserved whenever possible.

Respectful Communication

All participants in the publishing process are expected to behave with professionalism, respect, and fairness.

The journal does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or inappropriate behaviour based on gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, ethnicity, religion, or personal beliefs.

Individuals who violate these standards may be excluded from further collaboration with the journal.

Concerns regarding inappropriate conduct may be reported to the editorial office.

Authorship and Author Responsibilities

An author is defined as a person who has made a significant scientific contribution to the            manuscript.

All authors must:

  • have contributed substantially to the research and preparation of the manuscript

  • approve the final version of the manuscript

  • agree on the order of authorship

All authors share responsibility for the scientific content of the manuscript.

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged.

Full names and institutional affiliations of all authors must be clearly stated on the first page of the manuscript.

The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal and must ensure that:

  • all authors have read and approved the final manuscript

  • all authors agree with submission and publication

  • all revisions are reviewed and accepted by all authors

Changes in authorship during the editorial process must be approved by all authors and the               reason for the change must be explained.

The journal reserves the right to refuse authorship changes if doubts about the legitimacy of the change arise.

Ethical Requirements for Research

MJA publishes research involving human and animal subjects. All research must comply with internationally accepted ethical standards.

Clinical trials involving health-related interventions should follow                                                        CONSORT reporting standards, including flow diagrams where applicable.

Studies involving human participants must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Manuscripts involving human or animal subjects must include an ethical approval statement.

Required ethical statements include:

  • approval from an institutional or national ethics committee

  • confirmation that research involving humans followed the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki

  • confirmation that informed consent was obtained from participants or their legal guardians

  • a statement describing the animal care guidelines followed for animal studies

Manuscripts lacking ethical approval statements will not proceed to peer review until appropriate documentation is provided.

Review articles generally do not require ethical approval.

Funding Disclosure

All sources of funding supporting the research must be clearly disclosed.

Authors must provide the name of the funding organization and the grant number where              applicable.

If the study received no external funding, authors should state:

“No funding was received for this study.”

Both direct and indirect financial support must be disclosed, including employment, grants, patents, sponsorships, consulting fees, honoraria, or equipment support.

Conflict of Interest

All authors must declare any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that may influence the results or interpretation of their work.

Non-financial conflicts may include political, ideological, religious, or academic interests.

Authors affiliated with pharmaceutical companies or sponsors of clinical trials must declare these relationships.

If no conflicts of interest exist, the following statement should be included:

“No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.”

Research Results and Data Integrity

All research results must be presented accurately and honestly. Data fabrication, falsification, or misrepresentation of results is strictly prohibited.

Authors must ensure that their conclusions are supported by the data presented.

Authors are encouraged to carefully review their work to avoid experimental, methodological, or human errors before submission.

If an error is discovered after publication, authors must inform the journal so that an appropriate correction, erratum, or retraction can be issued.

Referencing and Citation Responsibility

Authors must properly acknowledge the work of other researchers and accurately cite all sources that influenced their work.

References must follow the Vancouver citation style, as described in the journal’s author            guidelines.

Failure to appropriately cite prior work may be considered academic misconduct.

Plagiarism

All submitted manuscripts must represent the original work of the authors.

Plagiarism is considered unethical and unacceptable.

All manuscripts may be screened for originality using plagiarism detection software.

Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism may be rejected or returned to the authors for               clarification.

Duplicate Publication

Duplicate publication occurs when substantially similar manuscripts are published in more than one journal.

Duplicate publication is not acceptable.

Publication of research previously presented as a conference abstract is acceptable if the abstract and conference details are clearly disclosed.

Authors must inform the journal if multiple manuscripts arise from the same research project.

Publication of the same manuscript in another language without disclosure is also considered         duplicate publication.

Text Recycling

Text recycling occurs when authors reuse significant portions of previously published text.

If text reuse occurs, it must be clearly cited and appropriately referenced.

Parallel Submission

The same manuscript must not be submitted to another journal while it is under consideration by MJA.

Parallel submission is considered unethical publishing practice.

Reviewer Responsibilities

The Macedonian Journal of Anaesthesia uses a double-blind peer review process, meaning that both authors and reviewers remain anonymous during the evaluation process.

Reviewers are expected to uphold the Nolan Principles of Public Life, which emphasize integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, selflessness, and leadership in professional             decision-making.

Reviewers must:

  • disclose any conflicts of interest before accepting a review invitation

  • provide fair, objective, and constructive evaluations

  • maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts

  • avoid personal criticism of authors

  • perform the review themselves and not delegate the review without informing the journal

Reviewers should notify the journal if they are unable to complete the review within the given timeframe.

Reviewers are also expected to report any suspicion of misconduct, including plagiarism,               duplicate publication, data fabrication, image manipulation, incorrect authorship, or unethical research practices.

Advertising Policy

The Macedonian Journal of Anaesthesia (MJA) accepts advertising in the form of sponsored content and promotional materials, which may appear in print issues and/or online.

All advertisements are clearly separated from editorial content and are presented on designated pages.

The presence of advertising does not influence editorial decision-making. The Editorial Board maintains full independence regarding the peer-review process, manuscript acceptance, and publication decisions.

All advertising content is subject to editorial discretion and must be appropriate for a medical and scientific audience.

Direct Marketing Policy

All direct marketing and solicitation of manuscripts conducted on behalf of the Macedonian Journal of Anaesthesia (MJA) are appropriate, targeted, and in accordance with accepted academic standards.

The journal does not engage in aggressive or misleading solicitation practices. Communication with authors, reviewers, and readers is conducted professionally and transparently.

All marketing activities are independent of editorial decision-making.