Content classification
Scientific research alone enters submission, screening and independent peer review. Professional articles are released directly by authorised editors and are permanently labelled as non-peer-reviewed editorial content.
MCIJ · Editorial governance
Editorial policies
The journal separates scholarly claims, professional commentary and editorial decisions through transparent, auditable rules.
Peer review
Scientific submissions undergo editorial screening and independent review before an acceptance decision. Reviewer identities and confidential comments remain restricted.
Originality and similarity screening
Submissions must be original and not simultaneously submitted elsewhere. Editors may use lawful similarity checks; a similarity score is evidence for assessment, never an automatic misconduct finding.
Artificial intelligence use
AI tools cannot be credited as authors. Authors remain accountable for accuracy, sources, confidentiality and rights, and must disclose material AI assistance in writing, analysis, images, translation or data processing. Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential manuscripts to unapproved AI systems.
Research ethics
Authors must disclose applicable ethics approval, participant consent and responsible research safeguards. The journal does not manufacture or imply approvals.
Authorship and contribution
Authorship requires accountable intellectual contribution. Affiliations, ORCID identifiers and contribution statements are recorded when supplied.
Competing interests and funding
Authors, reviewers and editors must disclose relationships or funding that could reasonably influence the work or its assessment.
Data availability and reproducibility
Research articles must state where supporting data, code and materials can be accessed or explain lawful ethical, privacy, commercial or security restrictions. Methods must be described sufficiently for scholarly assessment.
Research misconduct
Allegations of fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, undisclosed conflicts or manipulated review are assessed confidentially with documented evidence, an opportunity to respond and proportionate correction, rejection or retraction. No external membership is implied.
Complaints and appeals
Authors and readers may submit a specific, evidence-based complaint or appeal to the official journal email. A person not responsible for the disputed decision reviews it where practicable; disagreement alone does not reverse a scholarly judgment.
Corrections and versioning
A published Version of Record is not silently replaced. Material changes create a linked correction with its own identifier, history and integrity fingerprint.
Retractions
Retracted records remain visible with a clear notice to preserve the scholarly record and prevent the disappearance of citation history.
Data protection and confidentiality
Public pages expose only publication metadata. Private author contact details, manuscripts, reviewer identities and confidential comments remain encrypted or access controlled and are used only for legitimate editorial operations.
Digital preservation
Published Versions of Record retain cryptographic fingerprints and immutable history. Production launch additionally requires current protected backups; external archival-network participation is claimed only after verified activation.
Copyright and licensing
Each record displays its applicable licence. No open licence is implied unless explicitly selected and authorised.
Fees and article processing charges
The current fee or waiver position is displayed in the publication information below. No undisclosed payment guarantees review, acceptance or publication, and professional membership does not alter editorial criteria.
DOI and indexing claims
DOI, ISSN, indexing and metrics appear only after formal assignment or verified inclusion. Placeholder identifiers are never presented as external registrations.
Publication information
Frequency: Continuous publication. Fees/APC: No author submission or publication fees. Editorial contact: info@iuoamc.uk.