Policies of Journal
Open Access Policy (HSJ)
Healing Sciences Journal (HSJ) is an open access journal published online and in print. All articles are free to read, download, and share from our website. No fee and no registration are required.
All published work in HSJ is shared under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. This allows others to use the work for non-commercial purposes as long as they give proper credit to the authors.
Copyright Policy (HSJ)
All work published in Healing Science Journal (HSJ) is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license.
Authors’ Rights
Authors keep full copyright of their manuscripts.
Authors give HSJ the right to publish their work.
After publication, authors may share or use their work anywhere without any restriction.
HSJ is not responsible for how the work is used by others after publication.
Editorial Policy (HSJ)
HSJ accepts manuscripts only if they follow ICMJE guidelines.
Submitted manuscripts must be original. They should not be published, submitted, or under review in any other journal.
Only ethical and plagiarism-free research will be considered.
Submission does not guarantee publication. All manuscripts will go through a double-blind peer review process.
HSJ follows ICMJE authorship rules. Only one article per issue can be published by the same author as the first author.
Authors must choose one corresponding author for all communication with HSJ.
Authors must sign an undertaking confirming that:
a. The work is original.
b. All authors meet ICMJE authorship criteria.
c. The work is not submitted anywhere else.Up to six authors are allowed for a single-center study. For multi-center or international studies, the Editorial Board will decide on the number of authors.
An author can publish only one article as first author in each issue.
Editorial Board members cannot publish their own articles in HSJ.
Any misconduct will be handled according to COPE guidelines.
HSJ will keep a full online archive of all published articles.
Conflict of Interest Policy (HSJ)
This policy is developed according to ICMJE and COPE guidelines.
1. Definition
A conflict of interest happens when an author, reviewer, or editor has any personal, financial, or professional connection that may influence — or may seem to influence — their work in the publication process.
2. Financial Conflict Disclosure (Authors)
Authors must report any financial or personal relationships that may affect their research.
These may include:
Grants
Payments or honoraria
Job promotions
Memberships
Benefits from individuals, companies, or organizations
If authors receive funding or support, they must clearly state how the funds were used and confirm that the data is original, accurate, and honest.
If there is no conflict and no financial support, authors must fill the “No Conflict of Interest” and “No Financial Support” forms available on the HSJ website.
3. Reviewers
Reviewers must inform HSJ if they have any conflict of interest — financial, personal, or professional — that could affect their review.
4. Publisher (HSJ)
HSJ will publish all disclosed conflicts of interest, financial support, and grant information along with the article.
Peer-Review Policy (HSJ)
HSJ uses a double-blind peer-review system. This means authors do not know the reviewers, and reviewers do not know the authors during the entire review process.
The Editorial Board keeps an updated list of qualified reviewers. Reviewers are chosen based on their experience and expertise. Authors may suggest reviewers, but the editors decide whether to use them or assign HSJ’s own reviewers.
Peer Review Process
Initial Check
HSJ first screens each manuscript and checks it for plagiarism.Reviewer Assignment
The manuscript is sent to at least two reviewers.
Reviewers get 2 weeks to complete their review.Feedback to Authors
Reviewer comments are sent to the corresponding author, who must submit corrections within 2 weeks.Re-evaluation
The corrected manuscript is returned to the same reviewer for re-checking.Final Review
After acceptance by reviewers, the manuscript goes to the editors for final formatting and approval.Delays or No Response
If a reviewer does not respond, HSJ sends a 1-week reminder.
If still no reply, the manuscript is sent to a third reviewer.
A third reviewer is also used when one reviewer rejects the manuscript before a final decision.
The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on publication.
Peer-review forms for Original Articles, Systematic Reviews, and Case Reports are available on the HSJ website.
Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers
Reviewers must:
Give a constructive and helpful review to improve the manuscript.
Submit comments within the deadline.
Declare any conflict of interest.
Report any suspected misconduct.
Suggest another reviewer if they cannot review the manuscript.
Keep the manuscript confidential.
Not use the manuscript’s content in their own research.
Not share the manuscript with anyone else.
Ensure the manuscript is ethical, scientifically sound, well-structured, and useful for medical knowledge.
Write the review in English only.
Plagiarism Policy (HSJ)
Plagiarism means copying someone else’s work or reusing your own previously published work without proper reference. This includes copying, pasting, or using large parts of any published or unpublished material without giving credit.
Submitting content without clear acknowledgment is considered plagiarism.
HSJ follows COPE, HEC Pakistan, and ICMJE guidelines.
Screening Process
All submitted manuscripts are checked for plagiarism using Turnitin before peer review.
| Similarity Index | HSJ Response |
|---|---|
| < 19% | Sent for further processing (no more than 5% from any single source) |
| 19% – 50% | Sent back to the corresponding author for revision |
| > 50% | Rejected immediately |
The similarity for AI-generated content must be less than 5%.
Handling Plagiarism (Publication Misconduct)
The corresponding author must give a written explanation within 2 weeks.
If the response is not acceptable, the case is sent to the Editorial Board.If plagiarism is found during peer review, the manuscript is rejected.
If plagiarism is found after publication:
The article will be retracted from the website.
A correction or erratum will be published.
Authors may be blacklisted for 2 years or more, depending on severity.
The journal may inform the institutional head, HEC, PMDC, or other relevant bodies.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy (HSJ)
HSJ follows ICMJE and COPE guidelines regarding AI use in research and writing.
AI tools cannot be authors.
AI can help with research, but it cannot replace human thinking, creativity, or ethics.
Any use of AI — for writing, images, tables, charts, or other work — must be mentioned in the Acknowledgments section.
Authors are fully responsible for the originality, honesty, and accuracy of AI-generated content.
Reviewers must be informed if AI tools were used in the manuscript.
The Editorial Board will regularly review and update the AI policy according to COPE and ICMJE guidelines.