Scientific integrity in health science journals

Analysis of the guidelines for article submission

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/biblios.2025.1310

Keywords:

Scientific integrity, Plagiarism, Ethics, Similarity software, Ethical guidelines, Scientific journals

Abstract

Objective. Scientific integrity is a fundamental pillar for the advancement and credibility of science and should be encouraged in all scientific fields. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the scientific integrity guidelines in health-related journals indexed in the SciELO database. The research focuses on identifying the implementation of good scientific practice policies, the use of similarity detection software, data management policies, and the intellectual property criteria adopted.

Method. The study adopts a mixed approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods, through content analysis of the guidelines for submitting articles. The sample includes 362 magazines and journals in the area of Health Sciences, active in the SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online) database. The data was collected between September 20, 2023 and March 16, 2024, in order to guarantee the timeliness and relevance of the information analyzed. A data collection protocol was drawn up, containing approximately 26 fields, to systematize the collection of information on the guidelines of each journal.

Results. An analysis of the research corpus revealed that 79%, approximately 275, of the journals examined have ethical guidelines for publications or at least mention adherence to ethical committees and protocols, such as ICMJE and COPE, with particular emphasis on journals classified as Qualis B1 to A1. The adoption of text similarity detection software is one of the primary measures to combat misconduct, with about 65% of the journals employing such systems for oversight. Among the most commonly used tools are CrossRef Similarity Check (14%), iThenticate (13%), and Turnitin (9%).

Conclusions. Based on the sample collected in this study, it was possible to observe that most of the journals analyzed have ethical guidelines, although some organizations do not make their editorial policies available in their entirety, or do not have them at all. We also observed that plagiarism is a permanent concern among the sample of journals. It is important to emphasize that anti-plagiarism software should not be used as the only evaluation method, but rather as a complement to human critical analysis. We highlight the high rate of affiliation to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), which is a favorable expression of support for the topic. Finally, we suggest the need for journals to update their guidelines in view of the new ethical challenges of today, such as the use of Artificial Intelligence.

Author Biographies

Ednéia Silva Santos Rocha, University of São Paulo

She holds a PhD in Science and Technology Policy from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), a master's degree in Science, Technology and Society from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and a degree in Library Science from the São Paulo State University Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP). She is currently a PhD Professor at the University of São Paulo (USP), linked to the Department of Education, Information and Communication at the Ribeirão Preto Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters (FFCLRP/USP), where she coordinates the undergraduate course in Library and Information Science and supervises internships. In postgraduate studies, she is linked to the Postgraduate Program in Information Science at the School of Communications and Arts (ECA/USP).

Sofia Dias de Sousa, University of São Paulo

Master's student in the Postgraduate Program in Information Science at the School of Communications and Arts of the University of São Paulo (ECA-USP). BA in Library and Information Science from the Ribeirão Preto School of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters at the University of São Paulo (FFCLRP-USP). During my undergraduate studies, I was awarded a research grant by the Unified Scholarship Program (PUB), in the research project Scientific integrity in scientific journals in the health area: Content analysis of the guidelines for submitting articles.

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Published

2025-03-14

How to Cite

Rocha, E. S. S., & Sousa, S. D. de. (2025). Scientific integrity in health science journals: Analysis of the guidelines for article submission. Biblios Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, (88). https://doi.org/10.5195/biblios.2025.1310

Issue

No. 88 (2025)

Section

Original

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Copyright (c) 2025 Ednéia Silva Santos Rocha, Sofia Dias de Sousa

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