Publication Ethics

The Croatian Journal of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Medicine (CJAIM) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. This statement is based on the recommendations and guidelines of:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) — Core Practices
  • International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) — Recommendations
  • World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) — Policies
  • Council of Science Editors (CSE) — White Paper on Promoting Integrity
  • Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (COPE/DOAJ/OASPA/WAME, 4th ed., 2022)

DUTIES OF EDITORS

The editors are responsible for deciding which submitted manuscripts shall be published. Editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, originality, validity, and relevance, regardless of the author(s)' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

Editors evaluate manuscripts exclusively on their intellectual content. Editors must not disclose information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

Unpublished materials in a submitted manuscript must not be used by editors or editorial board members for their own research without the explicit written consent of the author(s).

In cases of alleged or proven scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism, the editors will take appropriate action in accordance with COPE guidelines and flowcharts, including contacting the author's institution, publishing a correction, expression of concern, or retraction.

EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE

Editorial decisions on the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts are made independently by the editors and are not influenced by the publisher (Association "Anestezija"), advertisers, or any external party. The Editor-in-Chief has full authority and responsibility for the scholarly content of the journal, in accordance with the WAME Statement on Editorial Independence.

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS AS AUTHORS

Editors, editorial board members, and advisory board members may submit manuscripts to CJAIM. Their manuscripts are judged by the same criteria as any other, with the following additional safeguards:

  • The manuscript is handled by an editor who has no conflict of interest with the author - not from the same institution and not a recent collaborator. Manuscripts authored by the Editor-in-Chief are handled by a Deputy Editor.
  • The author is excluded from the entire process for their own manuscript: no access to reviewer identities, to the reviews, or to the editorial discussion, and no editorial role over that manuscript in OJS.
  • Reviewers are selected, and the final decision is taken, by the handling editor. The decision is never made by the author or by anyone who reports to the author on the editorial team.
  • The published article states that the author is a member of the editorial team and that the manuscript was handled under this procedure.

This follows COPE guidance on editor and editorial board member submissions and the Principles of Transparency (COPE/DOAJ/OASPA/WAME).

DUTIES OF REVIEWERS

Peer reviewers assist the editors in making editorial decisions. Reviewers who feel unqualified or who are aware of a conflict of interest should promptly notify the editors and decline the invitation.

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviews should be conducted objectively; personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments and references.

Reviewers should identify relevant published work not cited by the authors and alert the editors to any substantial similarity or overlap with other published work.

DUTIES OF AUTHORS

Authors should present an accurate account of the work performed and an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behaviour.

Authors must ensure the work is entirely original. If the authors have used the work and/or words of others, this must be appropriately cited or quoted. Plagiarism in all its forms is unacceptable.

Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently. Simultaneous submission constitutes unethical publishing behaviour.

Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution, in accordance with the ICMJE authorship criteria. All co-authors must have seen and approved the final version and agreed to its submission.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

All authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that might bias their work. Sources of financial support must be disclosed. Editors and reviewers must also disclose conflicts of interest and recuse themselves when appropriate, in accordance with WAME policy.

RESEARCH ETHICS AND INFORMED CONSENT

Research involving human subjects must have been conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (as revised in 2024) and approved by the appropriate ethics committee. The manuscript must include the name of the ethics committee and approval number.

For animal research, authors must confirm compliance with applicable institutional and national guidelines.

For case reports and manuscripts with individual patient data, written informed consent must have been obtained. Editors may request evidence of consent.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

CJAIM requires all clinical trials to be registered in a public registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov, EU Clinical Trials Register, ISRCTN, or any WHO-approved primary registry) at or before first patient enrolment, per ICMJE requirements. The registration number must appear in the abstract and methods.

PLAGIARISM DETECTION

CJAIM uses Crossref Similarity Check (powered by iThenticate) to screen all submissions. Manuscripts with significant textual overlap will be returned to authors or rejected.

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

CJAIM applies a tiered disclosure framework for artificial intelligence and generative tools. Authors remain fully accountable for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of everything they submit, including the verification of doses, clinical guidance, and citations produced with such a tool.

Tier 1 - Linguistic assistance (grammar, spelling, light rewording): disclose in the Acknowledgements, with the tool name, version, and date of use. Tier 2 - Research assistance (literature search and summarisation, coding help): disclose in the Methods, with the tool name and version, the prompts or prompt categories, the verification procedure, and the author responsible. Tier 3 - Methodological assistance (data analysis, image and figure generation, synthetic data): disclose in the Methods with full prompt transparency, model specificity, the validation procedure, and confirmation that no un-anonymised patient data was entered into public or non-secure models. Synthetic data must be clearly labelled.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors, because they cannot take responsibility for the work. AI must not be used to peer review a manuscript: a manuscript is a confidential document, and entering it into an external model breaches that confidentiality. Editorial decisions are always made by a human. See the full AI Policy.

HANDLING ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT

When allegations of misconduct arise, CJAIM follows the relevant COPE flowcharts. This applies to both published and unpublished manuscripts. Allegations include: plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, undisclosed conflicts of interest, authorship disputes, duplicate publication, and reviewer misconduct.

CORRECTIONS, RETRACTIONS, AND EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN

CJAIM is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scientific record.

Erratum (Correction)

An erratum is published when errors are identified that affect the scientific record but do not invalidate the findings. This includes errors in author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, minor errors in text or data, or production errors.

Corrigendum (Author Correction)

A corrigendum is published when authors identify significant errors in their own work that affect interpretation of data but do not invalidate conclusions.

Expression of Concern

An expression of concern alerts readers to serious concerns about an article while investigation is ongoing, including credible allegations of misconduct, evidence of unreliable findings pending confirmation, or unresolved authorship disputes.

Retraction

Retraction is the most serious action. A retracted article is NOT removed from the scientific record: it remains permanently available, clearly marked as retracted, keeps its DOI, and is two-way linked to a retraction notice stating the reason and who requested the retraction. Retraction corrects the record; it does not erase it. Articles may be retracted when there is clear evidence of unreliable findings, plagiarism or duplicate publication, unethical research, compromised peer review, or authorship manipulation. Complete removal of an article is reserved for exceptional cases (unlawful content, breach of patient privacy, or danger) and even then the metadata and a removal notice remain in place. All actions follow COPE Retraction Guidelines.

COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS

Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision should submit a detailed letter to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days. Appeals are reviewed by a senior editor not involved in the original decision. Complaints regarding editorial conduct, peer review, or publication ethics should be directed to editorial@cjaim.org and will be handled according to COPE guidance.

POST-PUBLICATION DISCUSSIONS

CJAIM encourages post-publication discussion through Letters to the Editor, which undergo editorial review. Authors of the original article will be given an opportunity to respond.