Cerasus Journal of Medicine (CJM) is an international, peer-reviewed medical journal that operates on a double-blind evaluation system and publishes high-quality research across all fields of medicine. The journal adheres to the highest ethical and scientific standards, following the guidelines of COPE, ICMJE, Declaration of Helsinki, and WAME to ensure integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing.

Author Responsibilities

Authors must:

Submit only original, unpublished manuscripts that are not simultaneously under consideration elsewhere.

Provide documented ethical approval and informed consent for studies involving human participants, animals, biological materials, or sensitive data.

Avoid all forms of research and publication misconduct, including plagiarism, duplication, data fabrication, falsification, and redundant publication.

Meet the ICMJE authorship criteria; honorary, guest, or ghost authorship is strictly prohibited.

Provide valid ORCID iDs for all authors.

Disclose all actual or potential conflicts of interest transparently.

Acknowledge all funding sources, institutional contributions, and relevant support.

Ensure the accuracy, reliability, and reproducibility of the research data.

Revise manuscripts promptly and thoroughly in accordance with editorial and reviewer comments.

Editor Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for:

Ensuring an impartial, unbiased, and scientifically robust evaluation of all submitted manuscripts.

Declining to handle any manuscript for which they have actual or potential conflicts of interest.

Maintaining strict confidentiality regarding all submitted materials, including manuscript content, author identities, and reviewer reports.

Selecting highly qualified reviewers and ensuring the integrity and transparency of the double-blind peer-review process.

Providing clear, consistent, and well-substantiated justifications for all editorial decisions.

Addressing ethical concerns or allegations of misconduct through fair, transparent, and systematic procedures aligned with international best editorial practices.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must:

Conduct objective, constructive, and timely evaluations based solely on scientific merit.

Maintain complete confidentiality and refrain from sharing or using manuscript content for personal or professional gain.

Decline review invitations when conflicts of interest exist or when they lack the necessary expertise to provide a qualified assessment.

Provide evidence-based, respectful, and improvement-oriented feedback to support the advancement of scientific quality.

Report any suspected ethical violations—such as plagiarism, data manipulation, or duplicate publication—directly and promptly.

Peer-Review Process

Cerasus Journal of Medicine (CJM) employs a rigorous double-blind peer-review system, ensuring anonymity for both authors and reviewers throughout the evaluation process.

Manuscripts that successfully pass the preliminary editorial screening are assigned to at least two independent experts with relevant academic competence.

Editorial decisions—accept, revise, or reject—are based on reviewer reports, scientific merit, methodological soundness, and overall contribution to the field.

The average peer-review duration is 40-60 days, although this may vary depending on the reviewer's availability and the revision requirements.

Plagiarism and Similarity Check Policy

All manuscripts submitted to CJM are screened for originality as part of the editorial evaluation process. The journal follows strict guidelines to prevent plagiarism and unethical text reuse. Detailed procedures, similarity thresholds, and author responsibilities are outlined in the CJM Plagiarism Policy. Authors are required to review and comply with the full policy, available on the journal’s dedicated plagiarism policy page.

Research Ethics

Human and Animal Research

Studies involving humans must have ethics committee approval, comply with the Declaration of Helsinki, and include informed consent procedures.

Clinical trials must provide registry details.

Animal studies must adhere to recognized international standards of animal welfare.

Data Availability Policy 

The CJM supports research transparency and encourages authors to make the data underlying their findings available whenever ethically, legally, and institutionally appropriate. Authors should include a Data Availability Statement in their manuscripts indicating whether the supporting data are publicly available, available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, or cannot be shared due to ethical, legal, or confidentiality restrictions. The Editorial Board may request access to the underlying research data during the peer-review process or after publication to verify the validity and integrity of the reported findings. Authors are expected to retain the original research data and cooperate with such requests. Any form of data manipulation, including fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, or intentional omission of research data, constitutes serious scientific misconduct and will be handled in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics and COPE guidelines.

Conflict of Interest Policy

All authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose any financial, personal, institutional, or professional conflicts of interest that may influence the research or evaluation process.

Individuals with declared conflicts must be recused from the editorial decision-making or review process to ensure impartiality and integrity.

Reporting Guidelines

Authors must prepare and report their manuscripts in accordance with internationally recognized reporting guidelines that are appropriate for the study design. The journal recommends the use of reporting standards developed by the EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency of Health Research) Network to promote the completeness, transparency, accuracy, and quality of published research.

Depending on the study type, authors should adhere to the relevant reporting guideline, including but not limited to the following:

Where applicable, authors should submit the appropriate reporting guideline checklist together with their manuscript. Any required supporting documents, such as flow diagrams (e.g., the CONSORT Flow Diagram), should also be provided at the time of submission.

Authors are encouraged to consult the EQUATOR Network (https://www.equator-network.org) to identify the reporting guideline most appropriate for their study design.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy

CJM acknowledges the increasing importance of AI tools in academic workflows. To protect research integrity and ensure transparency, the following rules apply:

Acceptable AI Use

AI tools may be used for:

Language editing and grammar improvement.

Statistical assistance or computational support.

Non-manipulative image processing.

Coding, data visualization, or technical formatting.

Prohibited AI Use

AI tools must not be used to:

Generate scientific content, results, hypotheses, or interpretations.

Fabricate, falsify, or manipulate data, images, or references.

Write substantial portions of the manuscript.

Perform any action that compromises the integrity or originality of the work.

Mandatory AI Disclosure

Authors must explicitly disclose all AI tool usage in the Methods or Acknowledgments section, specifying the tool and purpose.

Failure to disclose constitutes academic misconduct.

Example disclosure:

“ChatGPT (OpenAI) was used for language editing only; no AI tool was used to generate scientific content or interpret findings.”

AI cannot be an Author.

AI tools cannot meet authorship criteria and, therefore, may not be listed as authors.

Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all submitted content.

Retraction, Withdrawal, and Correction Policy

Retraction

Retraction may occur when:

Plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification is confirmed.

Duplicate publication is detected.

Major errors fundamentally affect the study’s conclusions.

Ethical violations compromise scientific reliability.

Retracted articles remain publicly accessible with a “RETRACTED” watermark and an explanatory retraction notice.

Withdrawal

Withdrawal requests must include a formal written justification.

Unjustified withdrawal requests submitted after peer review has begun may be classified as unethical publishing behavior.

Corrections

Corrections (corrigenda, errata, or addenda) are issued when minor errors do not invalidate the overall findings but require clarification.

Expressions of Concern

An expression of concern may be issued if allegations of ethical misconduct or questions regarding the scientific reliability or integrity of a submitted or published article necessitate further investigation. Throughout the investigation, the journal may request explanations, supporting documentation, or additional information from the authors and, where appropriate, seek input from relevant institutions, ethics committees, or other competent authorities. Following the completion of the evaluation, the journal may publish a correction, an expression of concern, a withdrawal notice, or a retraction, as appropriate to the findings.

Change of Authorship

CJM recognizes the authorship information provided in the Title Page submitted with the manuscript as the definitive author list. Accordingly, authors are responsible for ensuring that the list of authors is complete and accurate at the time of submission. Any request to modify the authorship after submission—including the addition or removal of an author, changes in author order, or other authorship revisions—will be considered only with the approval of the Editorial Board. Such requests are evaluated in accordance with the relevant COPE guidelines and flowcharts.

To request an authorship change, the corresponding author must submit a formal letter to the Editor explaining the reason for the proposed revision. The request must include written confirmation from all listed authors indicating their agreement with the change and bear the signatures of each author. If the Editorial Board approves the request, a revised License to Publish and Author Declarations Form reflecting the updated author list must be completed and submitted before further processing of the manuscript.

Disclaimer

The views, interpretations, and opinions expressed in articles published in CJM  are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the positions of the journal, the Editor-in-Chief, the Editorial Board, or the Publisher. Neither CJM , its Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board, nor the Publisher accepts responsibility or liability for the content of published articles or for any consequences arising from their use. The authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and content of their work.

Complaints and Appeals

CJM is committed to addressing complaints and appeals in a fair, transparent, and timely manner. Complaints related to the editorial process—including, but not limited to, delays in manuscript handling, editorial decisions, or publication ethics—are first reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief. When appropriate, the Editor-in-Chief may consult the Associate Editors and members of the Editorial Board to ensure an impartial evaluation of the matter.

Authors, reviewers, and readers who wish to submit a complaint or appeal may contact the Editorial Office at kubilay.issever@giresun.edu.tr. All submissions will be carefully assessed, and appropriate action will be taken in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies and the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.

Complaints Regarding the Content of a Manuscript

Complaints concerning the content of a submitted manuscript are evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief, who considers the authors’ arguments together with the reviewers’ reports and any other relevant information. Following this assessment, the Editor-in-Chief may decide to:

• uphold the original editorial decision;

• accept the appeal and initiate a re-evaluation of the manuscript; or

• request an additional assessment from an independent reviewer, when deemed appropriate.

The outcome of the evaluation is communicated to the corresponding author together with the reasons for the decision, where applicable. Once the review of the complaint or appeal has been completed, the decision of CJM is considered final.

Complaints About Editorial Processes

Complaints related to the journal’s editorial and publication processes are managed by the Editor-in-Chief. Issues such as delays in manuscript handling, communication, or other aspects of the editorial workflow are reviewed to identify the underlying cause and determine whether corrective action is required. When appropriate, the Editor-in-Chief may consult members of the Editorial Board during the evaluation. Authors are informed of the outcome of the review whenever necessary.

Complaints About Publication Ethics

Complaints concerning publication ethics, including the conduct of authors, reviewers, or editors, are assessed by the Editor-in-Chief in accordance with the journal’s ethical policies and the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Where necessary, the Editorial Board participates in the evaluation of the case to ensure an objective and thorough review. The complainant is kept informed of the progress of the investigation when appropriate, and a response outlining the journal’s decision and any actions taken is provided upon completion of the assessment.

Editorial Independence and Editor Authorship

CJM is committed to maintaining editorial independence and ensuring a transparent editorial process. Editorial decisions are made exclusively on the basis of the scientific quality, originality, validity, and relevance of submitted manuscripts, without influence from the journal owner, publisher, sponsoring organizations, or any external parties.

When an editor submits a manuscript to CJM, that editor is completely excluded from every stage of the editorial evaluation and peer-review process for the submission. The manuscript is assigned to another qualified editor or an independent member of the Editorial Board, who manages the review process and makes all editorial decisions independently. Editors who are authors of a submitted manuscript have no access to reviewer identities, reviewer reports, editorial discussions, or decision-making related to their own work, thereby ensuring an impartial, fair, and transparent evaluation process.

Misconduct Handling and Editorial Communication

Misconduct Handling

CJM investigates all allegations of ethical misconduct through a structured process involving:

Initial editorial review of the concern

Request for author clarification or supporting documentation

Consultation with reviewers or external experts, if needed

Implementation of appropriate actions, including revision requests, rejection, correction, retraction, or institutional notification

Special Issues and Supplements

Any special issues or supplementary issues published by Cerasus JM are managed in accordance with the same editorial policies and quality standards applied to regular issues. All manuscripts submitted to these issues are subject to the journal’s standard peer-review process, publication ethics principles, and conflict of interest requirements.

Where guest editors are appointed, they are required to adhere to the journal’s editorial policies and ethical standards and to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest. The Editor-in-Chief maintains overall responsibility for the editorial oversight and final publication decisions for all content included in special issues and supplements.

If a special issue or supplement receives financial support or sponsorship, the source of such funding will be transparently disclosed in the published issue to ensure accountability and transparency.

Official Editorial Communication Address

All manuscript submissions, editorial evaluations, revision requests, reviewer reports, editorial decisions, and post-acceptance processes are conducted through the DergiPark online submission system.

The official editorial communication addresses of Cerasus Journal of Medicine are kubilayissever@gmail.com and kubilay.issever@giresun.edu.tr. These addresses are used only for matters that cannot be handled through the DergiPark system, including ethical inquiries, complaints, appeals, authorship clarification, suspected misconduct, technical problems, and other formal administrative correspondence.

Authors are responsible for regularly checking both the DergiPark system and their registered e-mail addresses for updates regarding their submissions. Failure to respond to editorial requests within the specified time may delay the review or publication process and may result in administrative action, including withdrawal of the manuscript from the editorial process.

Submissions sent directly by e-mail are not considered for evaluation. All manuscripts must be submitted through the DergiPark online submission system.