Copyright Policy

last updated 23/12/2024

1. Introduction

The Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal (PAFMJ) adheres to ethical and legal standards regarding copyright to protect the rights of authors and maintain the integrity of published content. This Copyright Policy outlines the rights and responsibilities of authors, the journal, and users of PAFMJ content.

2. Submission and Copyright Agreement

2.1 Originality Requirement:
Any article submitted to PAFMJ must be original and not previously submitted to or published by any other journal, either in part or in full. Authors are required to confirm that their submission is original by signing a submission agreement.

2.2 Author Copyright and Licensing:
Authors retain the copyright to their work but grant PAFMJ the exclusive right to publish, reproduce, and distribute the work under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License (CC BY-NC). This license allows others to share the work with proper attribution, provided it is for non-commercial purposes.

2.3 Content Ownership on PAFMJ Website:
All content created and published by PAFMJ (such as editorials, announcements, or non-article materials) remains the property of PAFMJ. However, for articles and materials submitted by external authors, copyright remains with the authors, and submission or publication by PAFMJ does not transfer copyright ownership to the journal.

2.4 Proofreading and Finalization:
Authors will be required to assist the editors in the final proofreading of their articles before publication. Even after acceptance, the publication of an article can be declined by PAFMJ based on the decision of the editorial board.

3. Data Sharing Policy

PAFMJ requires data generated by research to be made openly and publicly available upon publication. This includes clinical trials, which must have a data-sharing plan as per ICMJE guidelines. 

4. Use and Distribution

4.1 Permissions for Non-Commercial Use:
Users may copy, distribute, display, and perform the work, as well as create derivative works for non-commercial purposes, provided appropriate attribution is given to the authors and the journal.

4.2 Commercial Use:
Any commercial use of the work requires additional permissions from the authors.

5. Attribution and Citation

5.1 Attribution Requirement:
Users must provide proper attribution to the original work, including the author's name, the article title, and the source (PAFMJ), in line with the Creative Commons License.

5.2 Citation Guidelines:
Proper citation guidelines as specified by PAFMJ must be followed when citing articles from the journal.

6. Copyright Infringement

6.1 Reporting Infringement:
Authors and users are encouraged to report any suspected copyright infringement to the PAFMJ editorial office (pafmj@pafmj.org).

6.2 Action on Infringement:
PAFMJ will take appropriate measures, including legal action, to address copyright infringement if necessary.

7. Review and Updates

This policy will be periodically reviewed and updated as needed to remain compliant with copyright laws and best practices in scholarly publishing.