At the Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine and Cardiology (JCMC), we are deeply committed to fostering a transparent, ethical, and rigorous academic environment where high-quality research is published, disseminated, and applied in the field of cardiovascular medicine. These editorial policies have been developed to ensure that our journal remains a leading platform for the dissemination of scientific knowledge while adhering to the strictest standards of academic and ethical integrity.

Our editorial team, comprised of respected professionals in the field, is committed to upholding the values of transparency, fairness, and accountability. We ensure that all published content undergoes a rigorous peer-review process, maintaining the highest quality and integrity of research. These policies are also designed to ensure compliance with global privacy standards, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), CAN-SPAM Act, and other relevant data protection frameworks. Moreover, these editorial guidelines are carefully aligned with the requirements of major indexing services such as DOAJ, JCR, PubMed, Web of Science, Scimago, SCOPUS, and COPE, ensuring that our journal meets the necessary standards for future indexing.

As a Gold Open Access journal, JCMC is dedicated to making scientific research freely accessible to the global community, contributing to advancements in cardiovascular research and clinical practice. We invite our editors, reviewers, and authors to familiarize themselves with these policies to contribute to a collaborative and ethically sound publication process.

1. Editorial Responsibilities

1.1 Editorial Independence

The editorial decisions at JCMC are made without interference from any external entities or commercial interests. Our primary responsibility is to our readers, authors, and the scientific community at large, and this independence is critical to maintaining the journal's integrity.

The editors hold the ultimate authority and responsibility for deciding which manuscripts will be published. Their decisions are based solely on the relevance of the manuscript to the journal's scope, the quality of the research, and the validity and originality of the content. The editorial team also guarantees that no submitted manuscript will be rejected on the grounds of the author's institutional affiliation, nationality, race, gender, or religion.

1.2 Duties of Editors

Editors at JCMC play a pivotal role in maintaining the journal’s high ethical and scientific standards. Their key responsibilities include:

• Manuscript Evaluation: Editors are responsible for ensuring that each manuscript is assessed for intellectual content, regardless of the author’s background. They must ensure the quality of the manuscripts by considering factors such as originality, relevance to cardiovascular medicine, methodological rigor, and the manuscript’s contribution to the field.
• Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must ensure that all information pertaining to submitted manuscripts remains confidential and is not shared with anyone outside of the review process, including reviewers, unless permission has been obtained from the authors.
• Conflict of Interest: Editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including financial, personal, or professional connections that may influence their objectivity. When such a conflict arises, the manuscript should be reassigned to another editor. Editors must ensure that they do not use unpublished materials disclosed in submitted manuscripts for their own research without the author’s explicit written consent.

1.3 Handling Conflicts of Interest

JCMC takes conflicts of interest seriously, and we strive to maintain the integrity of the editorial process. Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where any conflict of interest is present, such as a direct professional or personal relationship with the authors. In cases where the editor is also an author on a submitted manuscript, that manuscript will be handled by another member of the editorial team to maintain impartiality.

2. Peer-Review Process

2.1 Transparency and Integrity

At JCMC, we believe that the peer-review process is critical to ensuring the validity and scientific contribution of research. Our double-blind peer-review process ensures that both authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other throughout the review process, minimizing potential biases.

The peer-review process involves two or more expert reviewers who provide detailed feedback on the manuscript's strengths, weaknesses, and potential for improvement. This feedback is aimed at improving the quality of the manuscript and ensuring its scientific rigor. The final publication decision is made by the editor based on the reviewers’ evaluations, as well as the manuscript’s relevance to the journal’s scope.

2.2 Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers play a crucial role in the peer-review process. Their responsibilities include:

• Providing Timely Reviews: Reviewers are expected to submit their evaluations within the timeframe provided by the journal. If a reviewer is unable to complete the review within the deadline, they should notify the editorial office as soon as possible.
• Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat the manuscript and the associated materials as confidential. They should not discuss the manuscript with anyone outside the review process or use the information contained within the manuscript for their own research purposes.
• Constructive Feedback: Reviewers should provide clear, well-reasoned feedback, highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript. They should offer constructive criticism and suggest ways in which the manuscript can be improved. If the reviewer identifies any ethical issues (e.g., plagiarism or data fabrication), they must report this to the editorial team immediately.

2.3 Ethical Obligations of Reviewers

Reviewers are responsible for upholding ethical standards during the peer-review process. If a reviewer suspects plagiarism, falsification of data, or other forms of research misconduct, they must notify the editors immediately. Reviewers must also ensure that their reviews are free from bias and based solely on the scientific merits of the manuscript.

3. Publication Ethics

3.1 Authorship Criteria

JCMC follows international authorship guidelines that ensure all individuals who have contributed significantly to a manuscript are credited appropriately. Authors must meet the following criteria to qualify for authorship:

• They have made a substantial contribution to the conception, design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation of the research.
• They have drafted or critically revised the manuscript for intellectual content.
• They have approved the final version of the manuscript before submission and agree to be accountable for the content.

It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to ensure that all co-authors meet these criteria and that no individual who does not meet the criteria is included as an author. Any changes in authorship after submission must be communicated to the editorial team with a valid explanation and approval from all co-authors.

3.2 Plagiarism Prevention

JCMC is committed to promoting original research and discouraging any form of academic misconduct, including plagiarism. All submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism detection checks, and any instances of plagiarism will result in the rejection of the manuscript. Authors found guilty of plagiarism will face disciplinary actions, including the banning of future submissions and notification to their institutions, in accordance with COPE guidelines.

3.3 Data Integrity

Authors are required to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the data presented in their manuscript. Data manipulation, falsification, or fabrication is strictly prohibited. Authors should retain their original data for a reasonable period and be prepared to provide access to the data upon request by the journal. In cases where raw data cannot be shared, authors should provide a detailed explanation.

3.4 Retraction and Corrections

JCMC is committed to ensuring the accuracy of the scientific record. If significant errors or ethical violations are discovered in a published article, the editorial team will take appropriate actions, which may include issuing a correction or retracting the article. The retraction process will follow the guidelines set by COPE, and all retractions and corrections will be made transparently.

4. Open Access Policy

4.1 Gold Open Access

JCMC operates under a Gold Open Access model, meaning that all published articles are freely accessible to the public immediately upon publication. This ensures that research published in JCMC is available to the global cardiovascular research community, promoting knowledge sharing and innovation.

To cover the costs associated with open access publication, the journal charges an Article Processing Charge (APC). However, we are committed to ensuring that APCs do not create barriers to publication, and we offer waivers or discounts to authors from low- and middle-income countries.

4.2 Licensing

All articles published in JCMC are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), allowing for the widest possible dissemination of research. This license permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the work, even commercially, as long as the original authors are credited for their contribution.

5. Privacy and Data Protection

5.1 Compliance with Privacy Standards

JCMC is fully compliant with global privacy and data protection regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the CAN-SPAM Act, and other international data protection frameworks. We are committed to protecting the personal data of our authors, reviewers, editors, and readers.

5.2 Email Communication and Consent

In accordance with the CAN-SPAM Act, JCMC ensures that all email communications contain clear instructions for recipients to opt out of future communications. We respect individuals’ rights to control the use of their personal data, and all opt-out requests are honored promptly.

6. Ethical Considerations in Research

6.1 Human and Animal Research

JCMC requires authors to provide a statement confirming that all research involving human or animal subjects has been conducted in accordance with established ethical guidelines, such as the Declaration of Helsinki for human research and institutional guidelines for animal research.

6.2 Informed Consent

For studies involving human participants, authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants, and that their privacy and confidentiality are protected in compliance with GDPR and other relevant data protection regulations.

These expanded editorial policies reflect JCMC’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of ethical publishing and research integrity. We encourage all participants in the editorial process—authors, reviewers, and editors alike—to adhere to these guidelines to ensure that JCMC continues to serve as a trusted and respected publication in the field of cardiovascular medicine.