Editorial Policy

ISSN: 2982-2181 (Online)

1. Overview

The Health Sciences AUS is a peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal committed to publishing high-quality research across all areas of health sciences. The journal aims to promote scientific excellence, integrity, and the global dissemination of knowledge in fields including medicine, public health, nursing, allied health, and biomedical sciences.

The journal adheres to internationally recognized publishing standards and ethical guidelines to ensure transparency, credibility, and academic integrity.

2. Editorial Independence

The editorial team operates with full independence and is solely responsible for editorial decisions. Decisions are based on:

  • Scientific merit
  • Originality
  • Relevance to the journal’s scope
  • Ethical compliance

The publisher does not interfere with editorial decisions.

3. Peer Review Policy

The Health Sciences AUS follows a double-blind peer review process, ensuring that both authors and reviewers remain anonymous.

Process:

  1. Initial screening by the editorial office
  2. Assignment to an academic editor
  3. Review by at least two independent experts
  4. Final decision by the Editor-in-Chief

Decision Categories:

  • Accept
  • Minor Revision
  • Major Revision
  • Reject

All decisions are based on reviewers’ reports and editorial judgment.

4. Publication Ethics

The journal strictly follows ethical guidelines based on principles of organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Authors must ensure:

  • Original, unpublished work
  • No plagiarism
  • Proper citation of sources
  • Ethical approval for human/animal studies
  • Informed consent, where applicable

Misconduct includes:

  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Duplicate submission/publication
  • Authorship manipulation

Any ethical concerns will be investigated thoroughly.

5. Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be based on:

  • Substantial contribution to the research
  • Drafting or revising the manuscript
  • Approval of the final version
  • Accountability for all aspects of the work

All authors must meet these criteria.

6. Conflict of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the research or its interpretation.

7. Plagiarism Policy

The Health Sciences AUS uses plagiarism detection tools to ensure originality.

  • Manuscripts with >10–15% similarity (excluding references) may be rejected
  • Proper paraphrasing and citation are mandatory

Plagiarism in any form is not tolerated.

8. Data Availability and Reproducibility

Authors are encouraged to:

  • Provide access to raw data where possible
  • Ensure reproducibility of results
  • Clearly describe methods and analysis

9. Corrections and Retractions

If errors or ethical issues are identified:

  • Corrections will be issued for minor errors
  • Retractions will be issued for major ethical violations
  • Expressions of concern may be published when necessary

All actions follow COPE guidelines.

10. Open Access Policy

The Health Sciences AUS is an open-access journal, meaning:

  • All articles are freely available online
  • No subscription fees for readers

Authors may be required to pay an Article Processing Charge (APC), if applicable.

11. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their work.

Articles are published under a Creative Commons license (recommended: CC BY 4.0), allowing:

  • Sharing
  • Adaptation with proper attribution

12. Archiving Policy

The journal ensures long-term digital preservation through:

  • Institutional repositories
  • OJS archiving systems
  • Third-party archiving services where applicable

13. Editorial Board Responsibilities

Editorial board members are responsible for:

  • Maintaining academic standards
  • Ensuring fair and unbiased review
  • Promoting the journal globally

Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts exist.

14. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must:

  • Provide objective, constructive feedback
  • Maintain confidentiality
  • Declare conflicts of interest
  • Complete reviews within agreed timelines

15. Complaints and Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a formal request to the editorial office.

Complaints regarding:

  • Editorial process
  • Ethical concerns
  • Reviewer conduct

will be handled transparently and fairly.

16. Publication Frequency

The Health Sciences AUS publishes articles on a continuous/issue-based schedule (update this based on your model: quarterly, biannual, etc.).

17. Advertising and Sponsorship

The journal maintains strict separation between editorial content and advertising. Any sponsorship must not influence editorial decisions.

18. AI and Generated Content Policy

Authors must disclose the use of AI tools in:

  • Writing
  • Data analysis
  • Image generation

AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

19. Diversity and Inclusion

The Health Sciences AUS promotes:

  • Global representation
  • Equal opportunity publishing
  • Inclusion of diverse research perspectives

20. Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in published articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal or its editorial board.