This policy sets out the ethical standards, integrity expectations, and procedures WARJMB applies to authors, reviewers, editors, and publisher staff to ensure trustworthy scholarly publishing. WARJMB follows international best practice (COPE, ICMJE principles) and will enforce these rules consistently to protect the scholarly record.
Core principles
WARJMB is committed to:
- Honesty and accuracy in reporting research and methods.
- Transparency about funding, contributions, conflicts of interest, and data availability.
- Fairness and confidentiality in peer review and editorial decision-making.
- Responsibility to investigate and correct the scholarly record when issues arise.
- Respect for research participants and appropriate approvals for human/animal research.
Responsibilities at a glance
- Authors must ensure originality, accurate reporting, disclosure of conflicts/funding, appropriate approvals, and availability of data where possible.
- Reviewers must be objective, declare conflicts, maintain confidentiality, and avoid misuse of privileged information.
- Editors must manage submissions impartially, select qualified reviewers, handle conflicts of interest, and act on allegations of misconduct.
- Publisher (WAR Publisher) supports editorial independence, provides resources to investigate concerns, and implements corrective actions when required.
Authorship and contributorship
- Authorship criteria: WARJMB follows ICMJE-style principles: authors must have made substantial contributions to conception/design, data acquisition/analysis, or drafting/revising the work; approve the final version; and accept accountability for the work.
- CRediT encouraged: Authors should provide a CRediT-style contributions statement (e.g., Conceptualization, Methodology, Data curation, Writing — original draft, Writing — review & editing).
- Author changes: Addition, removal, or rearrangement of authors after submission requires written agreement from all authors and a clear explanation to the Editor; substantial disputes may delay or block publication.
Conflicts of interest (COI)
- Disclosure required: All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose relevant financial and non-financial interests (funding, employment, consultancies, personal relationships, intellectual property, institutional affiliations).
- Reporting: Disclosures must appear in the manuscript in a dedicated “Conflicts of Interest” or “Declarations” section. If there are no conflicts, include: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”
- Management: COIs will be managed at submission, review, and publication stages; significant editorial conflicts will prompt recusal and reassignment.
Research ethics, approvals & informed consent
- Human research: Manuscripts reporting research involving people must state the name of the approving IRB/ethics committee, approval number, and confirm informed consent was obtained in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. For identifiable personal data or images, explicit consent for publication must be documented.
- Vulnerable populations: Studies involving vulnerable groups require clear justification, enhanced protections, and ethics committee approval.
- Clinical trials: Prospective registration in a publicly accessible registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov or equivalent) is required and registration number must appear in the manuscript. CONSORT reporting is expected for randomized trials.
- Animal research: Manuscripts must state compliance with relevant national/institutional guidelines and provide institutional approval details (ethics committee name and approval number). ARRIVE or equivalent reporting is encouraged.
- Secondary data: Use of previously collected human data must comply with original consent and privacy laws; authors must state data source and permissions.
Data availability, reproducibility & transparency
- Data availability statement: Every manuscript must include a Data Availability Statement describing where data, code, and materials supporting the findings can be accessed, including repository name and persistent identifier (DOI) where applicable, or a justified restriction statement. Example:
“The data that support the findings of this study are available in [Repository name] at [DOI or URL].” - Encouragement to share: WARJMB encourages authors to deposit data in trusted repositories to support reproducibility; where legal or ethical restrictions prevent sharing, authors must explain these restrictions.
- Code & materials: Authors should provide code, protocols, and supplementary material required to reproduce analyses when possible.
Plagiarism, duplicate publication & salami slicing
- Originality required: Submissions must be original and not under consideration elsewhere. Overlap with published work must be disclosed.
- Screening: Manuscripts are routinely screened for overlap using similarity-checking processes. Minor overlap that is properly cited may be acceptable; substantial overlap, duplicate publication, or “salami” slicing will lead to rejection or corrective action.
- Self-plagiarism: Authors must cite and explain reuse of their previously published material.
Fabrication, falsification & image manipulation
- Prohibited: Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data/imagery is prohibited.
- Images & figures: Authors must supply original data and high-resolution images on request. Adjustments (brightness/contrast) are acceptable only if applied uniformly and disclosed; removal or addition of features is unacceptable. Suspicious manipulation may trigger investigation and retraction.
Reporting standards & checklists
WARJMB expects submissions to follow appropriate reporting guidelines: CONSORT for randomized trials, PRISMA for systematic reviews, STROBE for observational studies, ARRIVE for animal experiments, and other discipline-specific guidance. Authors should include relevant checklists on submission when available.
Handling allegations, investigations & outcomes
- Allegation receipt: Concerns may be raised by readers, reviewers, editors, or institutions via editorial@warpublisher.com. Reports should include a clear description and supporting evidence. The editorial office will acknowledge receipt.
- Preliminary assessment: The Editor-in-Chief or designated editor will conduct an initial assessment to determine if a full investigation is warranted.
- Investigation: If warranted, WARJMB may contact authors, institutions, and relevant parties to request raw data, ethics approvals, and explanations. Investigations follow COPE guidance; confidentiality is maintained where possible.
- Outcomes: Possible outcomes include correction (erratum/corrigendum), expression of concern, retraction (with a clear notice and explanation), or no action if concerns are resolved. Findings of serious misconduct will be reported to the authors’ institutions and funders as appropriate.
- Timescale: Investigations vary in length; the journal will communicate progress and outcomes to interested parties.
Corrections, expressions of concern & retractions
- Corrections (Errata/Corrigenda): Published for honest errors that do not invalidate findings.
- Expressions of concern: Issued when an investigation is ongoing and the integrity of a published article is uncertain.
- Retractions: Issued when results are unreliable due to error or misconduct, or where ethical breaches occurred. Retracted articles remain accessible and will be clearly labeled with the reason and date. Retraction notices will follow COPE standards.
Sanctions & bans
WARJMB reserves the right to reject submissions from authors who commit serious ethical breaches and may impose temporary or permanent bans on future submissions. The journal will notify authors and, where necessary, institutions and funders.
Reviewer & editor misconduct
Allegations of reviewer or editor misconduct (e.g., breaches of confidentiality, biased handling, misuse of privileged information) will be investigated. Confirmed misconduct may result in removal from reviewer/editorial duties and notification to their institution.
Whistleblowing & confidentiality
Informants who raise concerns in good faith will be treated respectfully and protected from retaliation. Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent possible consistent with a fair investigation.
Required author declarations at submission
Authors must upload a Declarations file covering:
- Authorship and contribution statement (CRediT recommended).
- Ethics approval statement (committee name and approval number) and informed consent confirmation where applicable.
- Funding statement with grant numbers.
- Conflicts of interest disclosure.
- Data Availability Statement.
- Statement on prior publication or preprints (if applicable).
Contact for ethical concerns
Report suspected ethical breaches, research integrity concerns, or questions about policy to:
Editorial Office
GP753 Ankpa Quarters, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
Phone: +91 9101781106
Email: editorial@warpublisher.com · contact@warpublisher.com
Include “Ethics concern — [article title or manuscript ID]” in the email subject and provide detailed information and any supporting documentation.