The Journal of Sports Medicine and Therapy (JSMT) is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in scientific publishing. Authors submitting manuscripts to the journal must adhere to ethical guidelines to ensure transparency, integrity, and credibility in sports medicine and rehabilitation research.

Authorship and Contribution

All authors listed on a manuscript should have made significant contributions to the research and writing process. Authors must:

• Substantially contribute to the conception, methodology, experimentation, or analysis of the study.
• Be involved in drafting, reviewing, or revising the manuscript critically.
• Approve the final version before submission.
• Agree to be accountable for the integrity and accuracy of the research.

Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

Originality and Plagiarism

The JSMT upholds strict policies against plagiarism and duplicate publication. Authors must:

• Ensure their manuscript is original and free from plagiarism.
• Properly cite and credit all sources, including figures, tables, and datasets.
• Refrain from submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously.
• Avoid self-plagiarism by properly referencing their own previously published work.

Plagiarism in any form, including data fabrication or falsification, will lead to immediate rejection or retraction.

Data Integrity and Reproducibility

Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and reproducibility of their research findings. The journal expects:

• Raw data to be available for editorial review if requested.
• Proper documentation of experimental procedures, clinical trials, and statistical methods.
• Transparency in numerical analysis, biomechanical modeling, and sports performance assessments.

Any manipulation or fabrication of data will be considered a serious ethical violation.

Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence their research findings, including:

• Financial relationships with sports organizations, pharmaceutical companies, or medical device manufacturers.
• Personal or professional affiliations that may bias the study.
• Any external funding received for the research.

Failure to disclose conflicts of interest may result in retraction or rejection of the manuscript.

Ethical Approval and Compliance

For research involving human subjects, physiological studies, or clinical trials, authors must:

• Obtain approval from a recognized ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB).
• Ensure compliance with ethical guidelines such as the Declaration of Helsinki.
• Secure informed consent from all study participants or their legal guardians.

Studies involving animals must adhere to institutional and international ethical guidelines for animal research.

Patient Confidentiality and Consent

The JSMT places a strong emphasis on patient privacy. Authors must:

• Ensure that identifying details (e.g., names, images, or personal information) are anonymized unless explicit consent is obtained.
• Provide written consent for any case reports or studies involving individual patients.
• Comply with HIPAA, GDPR, or other relevant data protection regulations.

Failure to obtain appropriate consent will result in manuscript rejection.

Corrections and Retractions

The JSMT maintains a policy for correcting errors and addressing ethical concerns. Authors must:

• Inform the journal immediately if they discover significant errors in their published work.
• Cooperate with the editorial board in issuing corrections or retractions when necessary.
• Report any suspected research misconduct related to their study.

Articles found to contain ethical violations or unreliable findings may be subject to retraction.

Submission Declaration

By submitting a manuscript to the JSMT, authors confirm that:

• The manuscript has not been submitted or published elsewhere.
• All co-authors have reviewed and approved the submission.
• The work complies with ethical research and publication guidelines.

For any ethical concerns or clarifications, authors are encouraged to contact the editorial office.