Prior Publication Policy

The policy applies to prior dissemination through:

• preprint servers;
• conference abstracts;
• conference posters;
• conference presentations;
• theses and dissertations;
• institutional repositories;
• research reports;
• protocol publications;
• trial registry records;
• systematic-review registrations;
• working papers;
• government or institutional reports;
• websites;
• translated publications;
• secondary publications; and
• previous journal articles using overlapping data.

Authors are expected to ensure that:

• the manuscript has not already been published in substantially the same form;
• the principal findings are not being presented as novel if they have already been formally published;
• overlapping publications are cited and disclosed;
• related manuscripts under consideration elsewhere are disclosed where relevant;
• prior dissemination is identified during submission; and
• the submitted work does not mislead editors or readers concerning novelty.

Authors may deposit manuscripts on recognised preprint servers before submission or during the editorial process.

Authors should:

• disclose the existence of the preprint at submission;
• provide the preprint DOI or permanent URL where available;
• ensure that the preprint is not misrepresented as a peer-reviewed JPMHR publication;
• inform the journal if the preprint changes materially during review; and
• update the preprint record with the final citation and DOI once the Version of Record is published, where the platform permits.

A preprint should not ordinarily be cited as evidence that the work has already undergone formal journal peer review.

JPMHR may consider manuscripts based on work previously presented as:

• a conference abstract;
• poster;
• oral presentation;
• scientific meeting presentation;
• conference slide deck; or
• brief abstract published in conference proceedings.

Authors should disclose material prior presentation where relevant.

If a full-length article or substantially complete paper has already been published in formal conference proceedings, the degree of overlap must be disclosed and may require editorial assessment before the manuscript can be considered.

JPMHR may consider manuscripts derived from:

• doctoral theses;
• master's dissertations;
• professional research dissertations;
• institutionally archived theses; or
• other formally submitted academic research.

Authors should disclose the relationship to the thesis or dissertation and provide a repository link where appropriate.

The journal article should be prepared as a distinct scholarly publication and should not simply reproduce an entire thesis chapter without appropriate adaptation, attribution, and consideration of third-party rights.

Authors should:

• cite the published protocol;
• identify the protocol DOI or registration record;
• describe material changes from the protocol;
• distinguish prespecified analyses from post hoc analyses where relevant; and
• avoid reproducing substantial protocol text unnecessarily.

Examples include:

• clinical trial registries;
• PROSPERO or comparable review registries;
• prospective study registries;
• registered reports;
• protocol repositories; or
• other recognised research-registration systems.

Registration information should be disclosed accurately and should be consistent with the submitted manuscript.

Relevant prior reports may include:

• government reports;
• institutional research reports;
• funder reports;
• technical reports;
• working papers;
• white papers; or
• public health reports.

Editors will consider:

• whether the earlier document constituted formal publication;
• the extent of textual and data overlap;
• whether the journal article adds substantial scholarly value;
• whether the prior document is cited;
• whether rights permit republication; and
• whether readers would be misled concerning novelty.

Prior posting may include:

• personal websites;
• institutional webpages;
• research group websites;
• online repositories;
• public working-paper platforms;
• professional networks; or
• other openly accessible sources.

Editors will consider whether the material functions as a preprint, preliminary dissemination, or prior formal publication.

Prior discussion through:

• press releases;
• news reports;
• interviews;
• institutional announcements;
• conference publicity;
• social media; or
• public scientific communication

does not ordinarily preclude journal publication.

Authors should avoid publicly presenting unreviewed findings as if they were already validated through JPMHR peer review.

Duplicate publication may involve substantial overlap in:

• study population;
• research question;
• data;
• analysis;
• results;
• figures or tables;
• conclusions; or
• manuscript text.

Republishing essentially the same study with minor title, wording, or authorship changes does not create a genuinely new publication.

Authors using data that overlap with another publication should:

• cite related publications;
• disclose the shared dataset;
• explain the distinct research question;
• identify differences in outcomes or analyses;
• avoid presenting previously published results as new; and
• provide related manuscripts to the editor if requested.

Fragmenting one study into multiple minimally distinct papers solely to increase publication count may constitute inappropriate redundant publication.

Appropriate secondary publication generally requires:

• editorial awareness and agreement;
• clear citation of the primary publication;
• transparent identification as a secondary publication;
• appropriate permission where required;
• respect for applicable copyright and licences;
• an appropriate reason for republication; and
• no attempt to present the material as wholly original.

Examples may include carefully justified publication for another audience or language where scholarly transparency is preserved.

A translated publication may be considered only where:

• the original publication is clearly identified;
• appropriate editorial permission exists where required;
• copyright and licensing conditions permit the translation;
• the translated work is explicitly labelled as a translation or secondary publication; and
• readers are not misled concerning originality.

Editors may consider:

• whether the papers address genuinely distinct hypotheses;
• whether outcomes differ meaningfully;
• whether methods and participant samples substantially overlap;
• whether readers would benefit from separate reports;
• whether related publications are cited; and
• whether division of the research obscures the full scientific context.

Authors should clearly identify:

• the original dataset;
• previously published analyses;
• the new research question;
• new methods or analyses;
• which findings are novel; and
• any limitations arising from secondary analysis.

Re-analysis must not be described as an entirely new participant cohort if it uses previously reported subjects.

Where applicable, authors should provide:

• preprint URLs or DOIs;
• conference citations;
• thesis repository links;
• protocol publications;
• trial or review registrations;
• related published articles;
• related manuscripts under consideration;
• prior reports containing the same data; and
• an explanation of material overlap.

Full disclosure does not automatically result in rejection. It allows the editor to make an informed assessment.

Limited overlap may sometimes occur in:

• standard methodological descriptions;
• technical terminology;
• protocol-related material; or
• other content where substantial rewording could reduce accuracy.

However, extensive duplication of introductions, discussions, conclusions, or previously published interpretation may require revision or further editorial assessment.

Previous work should be cited where it is the source of ideas, methods, data, or wording that requires attribution.

Authors must ensure that they have lawful rights to reuse:

• previously published figures;
• tables;
• images;
• questionnaires;
• substantial text;
• translations; or
• other copyright-protected material.

A manuscript may be eligible for JPMHR despite a disclosed preprint, but the same manuscript should not ordinarily be under active consideration by another journal at the same time.

Editors may consider:

• publication status of the earlier material;
• extent of data overlap;
• extent of textual overlap;
• novelty of the submitted analysis;
• whether prior dissemination was disclosed;
• whether previous work is properly cited;
• copyright and licensing considerations;
• whether readers could be misled; and
• whether the submission provides sufficient additional scholarly value.

Before publication, JPMHR may:

• request clarification;
• request related publications;
• require appropriate citation;
• require manuscript revision;
• reject the manuscript; or
• investigate possible publication misconduct.

After publication, possible actions include:

• correction;
• clarification;
• Expression of Concern;
• retraction where duplicate publication materially compromises the scholarly record; or
• other proportionate integrity action.

• ICMJE Recommendations
• COPE Guidance and Resources
• Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing

Reference to external guidance does not imply membership, accreditation, certification, or endorsement unless independently established.