The Journal of Community Systems for Health (JCSH) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. The journal follows the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expects all authors, reviewers, and editors to adhere to these standards.

Allegations of misconduct

JCSH takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously. Misconduct includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, image manipulation, and unethical research practices.

All allegations are handled in accordance with COPE guidelines. The journal will:

• Conduct an initial assessment of the concern;
• Request explanations and supporting evidence from the authors;
• Where appropriate, contact the authors’ institutions or relevant bodies;
• Take corrective actions, which may include rejection of the manuscript, publication of corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions.

The journal is committed to handling all cases confidentially, fairly, and transparently.

Anonymisation, confidentiality and informed consent

Research involving human participants must ensure respect for privacy, dignity, and confidentiality. Authors are required to:

• Remove or anonymise identifying information unless explicit consent for publication has been obtained;
• Confirm that informed consent was obtained for participation and, where applicable, for publication of identifiable data (e.g., images, case details);
• Include a statement on ethics approval and participant consent in all relevant manuscripts.

The journal expects compliance with international ethical standards, including the Declaration of Helsinki.

Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions if they believe a decision was made in error. Appeals must:

• Be submitted in writing to the editorial office;
• Clearly outline the reasons for the appeal and provide supporting evidence.

Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and, where appropriate, an independent editor or editorial board member not involved in the original decision. The outcome of the appeal is final.

Contact: jcsh.epigh@umu.se

Author Fees

JCSH is a fair (diamond) journal and there are no article processing charges (APCs).

Authorship and contributorship

Authorship should be based on substantial contributions to:

• The conception or design of the work;
• Data collection, analysis, or interpretation;
• Drafting or critically revising the manuscript.

All authors must:

• Approve the final version of the manuscript;
• Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal and ensuring that all authors meet authorship criteria.

Changes to authorship (addition, removal, or order) after submission require written consent from all authors and justification.

Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

Complaints

The journal has a transparent procedure for handling complaints about:

• Editorial decisions;
• Peer review processes;
• Ethical concerns;
• Published content.

Complaints should be submitted to jcsh.epigh@umu.se. All complaints are treated confidentially and addressed in line with COPE recommendations.

Conflicts of interest

All participants in the publication process must disclose any conflicts of interest that could influence the work.

Conflicts may include:

• Financial relationships;
• Institutional affiliations;
• Personal or professional relationships.

Authors must include a conflict of interest statement in their manuscript. Editors and reviewers must declare conflicts and recuse themselves where necessary.

The journal has procedures to manage conflicts both before and after publication.

Copyright

Authors retain copyright of their work. By submitting to JCSH, authors grant the journal a licence to publish and disseminate the article.

Copyright terms are clearly stated on the journal website and within each published article.

Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions

JCSH is committed to maintaining the accuracy of the scholarly record.

• Corrections are issued for minor errors that do not affect the validity of the findings.
• Expressions of concern may be issued when serious concerns arise but investigations are ongoing.
• Retractions are issued when findings are unreliable due to misconduct or error.

All actions are clearly labelled and linked to the original article.

Corresponding author contact

The journal ensures transparency by including the corresponding author’s contact details in all published articles.

Ethics approval

All research involving human participants or animals must have appropriate ethical approval.

Authors must:

• Provide the name of the approving ethics committee;
• Include approval/reference numbers where applicable;
• Confirm that informed consent was obtained.

Where ethical approval is not required, authors must provide a clear justification.

Funding

Authors must disclose all sources of funding, including:

• Funding bodies;
• Grant numbers;
• The role of funders in study design, analysis, or publication.

A funding statement must be included in all published articles.

Journal and article identifiers

JCSH provides:

• A valid ISSN;
• A unique and persistent identifier (e.g., DOI) for each article.

These ensure accessibility, citation, and long-term discoverability.

Licensing

All articles are published under a clearly stated licence (e.g., Creative Commons), which defines how the work may be used, shared, and reproduced.

Licensing terms are displayed on the journal website and within each article.

Long-term digital preservation

JCSH ensures long-term preservation of its content through recognised archiving systems (e.g., LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, or institutional repositories). This guarantees continued access to published content even in the event of technical failure or discontinuation.

Peer Review

JCSH operates a rigorous peer review process to ensure the quality and integrity of published research.

• Manuscripts are evaluated by at least two independent reviewers;
• The journal uses a [insert model: single-blind/double-blind/open] review system;
• Editors oversee reviewer selection and final decisions;
• Reviewers are expected to maintain confidentiality and declare conflicts of interest.

Authors are informed of decisions and provided with reviewer feedback.

Website and accessibility

The journal website uses secure HTTPS protocols to ensure safe access. The website provides clear, transparent information on editorial processes, policies, and author guidelines.