Citation Ethics and Self-Citation Policy (NEW)

 

In accordance with the ethical standards of COPE, ICMJE, and Scopus, the journal adopts a strict policy to ensure that citation practices reflect genuine academic relevance and not citation manipulation or metric inflation.

1. Ethical Citation Practices

  • All citations must be relevant, evidence-based, and clearly justified by their scientific contribution to the manuscript.

  • Authors should cite a balanced range of high-quality literature, avoiding over-reliance on any single author, institution, or journal.

  • Citations must not be added for promotional or non-academic reasons.

2. Reviewer and Editor Responsibilities

  • Reviewers and editors must not request or suggest citations to their own work or to the journal’s publications, unless such citations are scientifically necessary to improve the manuscript’s quality, completeness, or accuracy.

  • Any recommended citation must be accompanied by a clear and transparent justification (e.g., filling a knowledge gap, supporting a key argument, or providing essential background).

  • The editorial office strictly prohibits coercive citation practices, including any attempt to pressure authors to cite specific works as a condition of acceptance.

  • Peer-review reports are periodically monitored to identify and prevent unethical citation behaviors.

  • Please note that requests for authors to cite the reviewer’s own work or the journal’s publications are only acceptable when scientifically necessary and explicitly justified. Any form of coercive or promotional citation is prohibited and violates our editorial ethics policy.

3. Journal Self-Citation Policy

  • The journal aims to keep self-citations below 10% of total yearly citations.

  • Self-citations are permitted only when scientifically indispensable, such as follow-up studies, methodological continuity, or expansion of prior work.

  • Authors are encouraged to justify any self-citation in the cover letter or manuscript text.

  • The editorial board regularly reviews citation patterns and issue content to ensure a responsible citation balance.

4. Transparency and Reporting

  • Authors and reviewers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with COPE’s Ethical Guidelines for Citation Integrity.

  • Any concern related to coercive citation, excessive self-citation, or editorial bias should be reported confidentially to the Editor-in-Chief.

5. Commitment to Reform and Continuous Improvement

  • This policy reflects the journal’s ongoing reform efforts to enhance academic integrity, editorial transparency, and international compliance. By actively monitoring citation behavior and preventing coercive or excessive self-citation, the journal aims to align fully with Scopus evaluation standards and COPE principles. These measures are part of a continuous strategy to strengthen ethical publishing practices, ensure credibility, and build long-term trust with the global scientific community.

Effective Date: November 2025
Approved by: Editorial Board, Al-Kindy College Medical Journal
Review Cycle: This policy will be reviewed annually as part of the journal’s continuous quality improvement plan.