Publication Ethics

Publication ethics principles applied in the journal Lekarz Wojskowy (Military Physician)
Publication ethics principles applied in the journal Lekarz Wojskowy (Military Physician) are aimed at preventing unethical publishing practices and ensuring the reliability and integrity of scientific publications.

Manuscripts submitted for publication are evaluated in accordance with international and national ethical standards, in particular:
• the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
https://publicationethics.org
• the “Code of Ethics for Researchers” (Polish Academy of Sciences, 2017),
• “Good Practices in Peer Review Procedures in Science”,
• principles of research integrity and respect for intellectual property (Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poland).

Editorial standards and prevention of misconduct
The Editorial Board of Lekarz Wojskowy:
• prevents ghostwriting and guest authorship, which are considered manifestations of scientific misconduct,
• complies with applicable copyright laws, including Polish law,
• takes measures to prevent plagiarism and self-plagiarism,
• reserves the right to retract an article (including after publication) in cases of:
o unreliable data,
o fabrication or falsification,
o plagiarism / violation of ethics.

Plagiarism screening
All manuscripts submitted to the journal Lekarz Wojskowy are subject to verification using the iThenticate (Crossref Similarity Check):
https://www.crossref.org/services/similarity-check/
The system enables analysis of textual similarity between the submitted manuscript and previously published scientific articles as well as other materials available online. A similarity report is generated for each submission, indicating potential overlaps and the extent of similarity with other publications.
In cases of elevated similarity levels, the manuscript is subject to individual editorial assessment. If irregularities or excessive similarity to previously published content are identified, the manuscript may be rejected or returned to the author for revision before proceeding to further stages of the editorial and peer review process.
The use of similarity checking procedures aims to ensure high ethical standards of scientific publishing and to confirm the originality of published works.

Procedures in cases of misconduct
In the event of suspected misconduct, the Editorial Board:
• follows procedures in accordance with COPE guidelines,
• may refer the case to appropriate institutions, including:
o the Disciplinary Officer of the Military Institute of Medicine – National Research Institute (in the case of affiliated researchers),
o other scientific institutions or relevant authorities, where justified.

Use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools
Authors are required to disclose the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the preparation of the manuscript. AI tools cannot be listed as authors of the publication or held responsible for its content. Authors bear full responsibility for the content of the manuscript, including its reliability, originality, and the proper use of AI tools.

Editorial process and confidentiality
The Editorial Board ensures:
• a reliable and professional editorial process,
• confidentiality of the peer review process,
• protection of personal data in accordance with applicable laws, including GDPR.