JIEPH Crossmark Policy Statement

1. About Crossmark

Crossmark, a service provided by Crossref, offers a standard, recognizable way for readers to verify the current status of a published work. By clicking the Crossmark logo on any JIEPH article (HTML or PDF), readers are directed to the most up-to-date version of the content and can determine whether the article has been updated, corrected, retracted, or flagged with an expression of concern after publication.

JIEPH applies Crossmark to all peer-reviewed scholarly content published by the journal, including original research articles, reviews, short communications, case reports, editorials, commentaries, perspectives, letters to the editor, and supplements.

2. Editorial Policies and Peer Review

JIEPH is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET). All manuscripts submitted to JIEPH undergo a structured editorial workflow comprising:

• Initial editorial screening for scope, scientific soundness, ethical compliance, and adherence to the journal’s Instructions to Authors.
• Double-blind peer review by a minimum of three independent expert reviewers, with statistical review where appropriate.
• Editorial decision-making by the JIEPH Editorial Office based on reviewer recommendations.
• Revision, copyediting, and proofing prior to publication.

Full details of JIEPH editorial and peer review policies are available at: https://afenet-journal.org/authors/instructions-to-authors/

3. Publication Ethics and Author Responsibilities

JIEPH adheres to the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations. Authors are required to comply with the journal’s standards on:

• Authorship and contributorship
• Originality and avoidance of plagiarism (including AI-generated content)
• Reference integrity and verifiability
• Conflict of interest disclosure
• Ethical approval and informed consent for research involving humans or animals
• Adherence to relevant reporting guidelines (e.g., CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, PRISMA-ScR, COREQ, SRQR)
• Data availability and transparency

Full ethical requirements are described in the JIEPH Instructions to Authors and the AFENET Editorial Policy.

4. Reporting Concerns About Published Content

Readers, authors, reviewers, institutions, and other stakeholders are encouraged to report any concerns about content published in JIEPH, including but not limited to:

• Suspected research or publication misconduct
• Plagiarism or duplicate publication
• Data fabrication or falsification
• Image manipulation
• Authorship disputes
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest
• Undisclosed use of artificial intelligence (AI)
• Fabricated, inaccurate, or unverifiable references
• Compromised peer review

Concerns should be submitted in writing to the JIEPH Editorial Office at: editor@afenet-journal.net

All concerns are handled in line with COPE flowcharts and guidance, treated confidentially, and investigated promptly and impartially. Complainants are informed of the outcome where appropriate.

5. Post-Publication Updates: Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

Following publication, JIEPH content may be updated through one of the following Crossmark-registered mechanisms, in line with COPE guidance:

5.1 Correction (Corrigendum / Erratum)

A correction is issued when a small portion of an otherwise reliable publication is found to be misleading or inaccurate, including:

• Honest errors by authors (corrigendum)
• Errors introduced during production by the publisher (erratum)
• Incorrect authorship listings
• Minor inaccuracies in tables, figures, references, funding, or acknowledgments

Corrections do not replace the original article. Both the original article and the correction notice remain permanently available and are bidirectionally linked.

5.2 Retraction

JIEPH will retract an article in accordance with the COPE Retraction Guidelines (2025) where there is clear evidence that:

• The findings are unreliable due to major error, fabrication, falsification, or manipulation
• The article reports unethical research
• The article contains plagiarism or constitutes redundant/duplicate publication
• The peer review process was compromised (e.g., fake reviewers, paper mills, citation manipulation)
• Authorship cannot be verified or there are serious concerns about accountability
• There is undisclosed use of artificial intelligence (AI) in generating content
• There are undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect the findings
• The findings have been published elsewhere without proper attribution or permission

Retraction notices will:

• Be freely accessible to all readers
• Be clearly identified as retractions
• Be bidirectionally linked to the retracted article
• State who is retracting the article
• State the reason(s) for retraction
• Avoid defamatory or libellous statements

The retracted article remains available on the JIEPH website with a clear “RETRACTED” watermark applied to the HTML and PDF versions, ensuring permanency of the scholarly record.

5.3 Expression of Concern

JIEPH may publish an Expression of Concern when:

• There is inconclusive evidence of research or publication misconduct
• An institutional investigation is pending or unlikely to be conclusive within a reasonable time
• There are credible concerns about the integrity of the work that warrant alerting readers prior to a definitive decision

Expressions of concern are linked to the article via Crossmark and may later be replaced by a correction, retraction, or withdrawal of the concern based on the outcome of further investigation.

5.4 Withdrawal (Pre-publication)

Articles posted as “in press” or “ahead of print” may be withdrawn prior to formal publication if substantive issues are identified. A withdrawal notice replaces the article and explains the reason.

6. Permanency of Content

JIEPH is committed to the permanency of the scholarly record. The following principles apply:

• All published articles are assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and are intended to remain permanently accessible.
• Original articles are never removed following correction or retraction; they remain available with a clear notice of correction or retraction applied.
• All updates (corrections, retractions, expressions of concern) are bidirectionally linked to the original article through Crossmark and Crossref metadata.
• JIEPH content is preserved through participating digital preservation services and is openly accessible under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
• In exceptional circumstances where content must be removed (e.g., legal infringement, defamation, or threat to personal safety), JIEPH will retain bibliographic metadata and publish a notice explaining the removal.

7. Crossmark Metadata Deposited by JIEPH

For each article, JIEPH deposits the following Crossmark-relevant metadata with Crossref:

• DOI and article-level identifiers
• Publication history (received, accepted, published dates)
• License information (CC BY 4.0)
• Funding information (where declared)
• Author ORCID identifiers (where provided)
• Update notices (correction, retraction, expression of concern), where applicable

8. Appeals and Complaints

Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision or a post-publication action (correction, retraction, or expression of concern) may submit a formal written appeal to the JIEPH Editorial Office at editor@afenet-journal.net, in line with the journal’s Appeals and Complaints Policy. Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or a delegated senior editor not previously involved in the decision, in accordance with COPE guidance.

9. Contact

JIEPH Editorial Office
African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET)
Email: editor@afenet-journal.net
Website: https://afenet-journal.org 

10. Statement of Participation

“Crossmark, from Crossref, provides a standard way for readers to locate the current version of a piece of content. By clicking the Crossmark button, readers can determine whether changes have been made after publication. JIEPH is a participating Crossmark member and applies the Crossmark logo to all scholarly content published by the journal.”