Policy

Editorial Policies and Publication Ethics Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

Chief Responsibilities of Editors

i. The Chief Editors and/or Editors hold the responsibility of making final decisions on all manuscripts submitted to the journal. These decisions are based on the research's validity, originality, novelty, and its relevance to the journal’s scope. Editors must also ensure that all published materials are appropriately archived, with digital support from the publisher when required.

ii. The Chief Editors and/or Editors must assess manuscripts impartially, prioritizing their intellectual merit, and uphold confidentiality throughout the review process. Additionally, they are responsible for selecting which articles to publish and determining the timing of their publication.

Editors with the Publisher

i. Editors work closely with the Publisher to continually improve the journal, update policies as necessary, and ensure the quality of published content. They make independent decisions regarding the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts, based on their quality and relevance to the journal’s scope.

ii. The Chief Editors, Editors, and editorial board members are responsible for establishing procedures to resolve any disagreements or conflicts among stakeholders. They assist the Publisher in investigating suspected misconduct related to both published and unpublished papers, ensuring an impartial investigation by considering the perspectives of all parties involved. Additionally, they collaborate with the Publisher to address any issues related to intellectual property violations and legal concerns.

Editors with Authors

i. Editors should actively engage with authors to address their needs and incorporate their feedback in order to enhance the journal’s processes and management.

ii. Editors must vigilantly check for any instances of research or publication misconduct by authors. They should also ensure that all submitted and accepted manuscripts undergo plagiarism checks using plagiarism-detection software to identify any fabricated or plagiarized content.

iii. Editors are responsible for ensuring that authors properly acknowledge any research funding, grants, written informed consent for publication involving human data, and obtain all necessary permissions (such as animal ethics or research permits) in their submitted articles.

iv. Editors must ensure that publishing guidelines and author instructions are readily accessible to authors. They should provide authors with complete peer reviewer reports, unless the reports contain offensive or inappropriate content, and allow authors to respond to reviewers’ comments.

Editors with Reviewers

i. Editors are responsible for ensuring that all published articles are reviewed quickly by qualified and impartial reviewers who have the relevant expertise and no conflicts of interest. They maintain a list of suitable reviewers and exclude those who consistently submit low-quality reports.

ii. Editors may provide guidance to reviewers in preparing their reports. Reviewers should treat the manuscript as confidential and avoid sharing it with others. They must also disclose any potential conflicts of interest. Editors ensure that reviewers are able to freely express their views, especially regarding publication ethics, manuscript validity, and originality.

iii. Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest before agreeing to review a manuscript and may choose not to review a submission if they have a conflict of interest or lack the necessary expertise.

iv. Reviewers should evaluate submissions in a fair, objective, and professional manner. They are expected to report any ethical issues to the Chief Editor and remain vigilant for plagiarism or redundant publication.

v. Reviewers must maintain confidentiality about the manuscript's content and adhere to the review timeline. If necessary, they can request an extension, subject to approval from the Chief Editor or Editor(s).

Editors with Editorial Board Members

i. Chief Editors are responsible for selecting qualified editorial board members who can actively contribute to the journal's operations and management. They should provide clear guidelines on the roles and responsibilities of board members and consult them on enhancing the journal's direction and addressing challenges.

ii. Chief Editors and/or Editors must ensure that editorial board members receive appropriate training and the necessary technological tools to perform their editorial duties effectively.

iii. Editorial board members should play an active role in the journal's development, support its growth, and serve as ambassadors. They are expected to promote the journal and review any tasks assigned to them.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Chief Editors and Editors must maintain confidentiality regarding any manuscript under review and refrain from using its data for personal advantage. They must also avoid any personal or financial interests that could influence their professional judgment in the evaluation of a manuscript. If a conflict of interest arises, they are obligated to disclose it and recuse themselves from making editorial decisions related to the manuscript in question. Although Chief Editors and Editors may submit manuscripts to the journal for consideration, they must clearly declare this in the submission and refrain from participating in the review process or making any editorial decisions regarding their own work.

Timeliness of the Publication Process

Chief Editors and Editors are responsible for overseeing the entire publication process, from manuscript submission to final publication or rejection, ensuring that each stage is completed in a timely manner. They must ensure that each issue is published on schedule, monitor the performance of reviewers and editors, address any backlog of accepted manuscripts, and provide swift responses and decisions.

Errata, Retractions, and Clarifications

Following the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines, the journal will promptly publish errata, retractions, or clarifications when necessary, especially if competing interests arise after publication. A direct link between the original article and the errata or the corrected articles will be provided for all online journals.

Duties and Chief Responsibilities of Authors

Authorship

The journal defines an author as someone who has made substantial contributions to the design, execution, and interpretation of the research, in addition to writing the manuscript. All individuals who have significantly contributed should be listed as co-authors. Every co-author who has contributed appropriately must agree to the manuscript submission. Any requests for adding or removing authors, whether before or after publication, must be approved by the Chief Editors or Editors. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all authors have consented to and approved the manuscript submission to the journal.

Author Responsibilities

Authors are expected to present their results in a clear and honest manner, ensuring that data is not fabricated, falsified, or manipulated. The methods should be described in enough detail for others to replicate the findings. If authors identify any errors in their published work, they must promptly inform the Chief Editor or Publisher, so corrections or retractions can be made if necessary. Authors are responsible for submitting only original and new work, avoiding the submission of previously published material or simultaneous submissions to other journals. They may submit their work elsewhere only after receiving a formal rejection or approval to withdraw from the journal. Authors must make meaningful contributions to the research and take responsibility for any shortcomings in their work.

Research Misconduct

Plagiarism, fabrication, and falsification of data are considered research misconduct. Authors must refrain from these actions in their submitted manuscripts.
All articles submitted to the journal are screened for plagiarism and AI-generated content. The journal uses Turnitin and iThenticate for this process, and any plagiarism above 15 percent is not acceptable.
Any instances of plagiarism or research misconduct will be reported to the Chief Editors, and an investigation will be conducted with the help of the Publisher.

Image Manipulation

Manipulating images in a way that alters results or compromises their integrity is prohibited. Enhancements for clarity, such as adjusting brightness, contrast, or color balance, are allowed as long as they do not obscure or distort the original data. Any improper manipulation of images may lead to rejection of the manuscript and further investigation.
Any images suspected of manipulation will be reviewed by the Chief Editors, and primary data may be requested for comparison. Manipulated images may lead to the manuscript being rejected and considered as research misconduct.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publications

i. Authors using previously published figures, data, or copyrighted materials must:

Acknowledge the sources in the manuscript.
Obtain permission from the original publisher.
Cite the original work and the copyright holder in the figure or table caption.

ii. Authors must confirm that their manuscript has not been submitted or published elsewhere (except for preprint servers).

iii. Submitting or publishing the same essential research in more than one journal simultaneously is unethical.

iv. Authors may submit or publish a similar manuscript as part of a thesis, lecture, or abstract.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

i. Transparency is crucial in research and publication. Authors must disclose any financial or personal interests that could influence their professional judgment.

ii. Failure to disclose conflicts of interest may undermine the journal’s credibility. All authors must declare any conflicts of interest during manuscript submission.

Availability of Materials and Data Access

i. Upon acceptance of the manuscript, authors must agree to make sample materials and data available to the scientific community for non-commercial purposes. This may include biological samples, sequence data, statistical data, etc.

ii. Manuscripts must provide sufficient details for other researchers to replicate the work. However, authors' legitimate interests will be protected, and appropriate agreements may restrict the use of materials or data.

Biosecurity, Animal Use, and Research Permits

The journal discourages the use of infectious agents or materials that could be used as biological weapons and may evaluate such manuscripts.
Research involving animals or humans must comply with the relevant laws. Authors must obtain approval from Institutional Animal/Human Ethics Committees and provide documentation upon request.
Research involving biological resources must be accompanied by permits from the relevant government department. The permit number or reference must be mentioned in the methods section.
Authors must ensure informed consent was obtained for human subjects and respect their privacy rights.

Reporting Guidelines

Guideline	Type of Study	Source
STROBE	Observational studies including cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies	https://www.strobe-statement.org/
CONSORT	Randomized controlled trials	https://www.consort-spirit.org
SQUIRE	Quality improvement projects	https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/squire/
PRISMA	Systematic reviews and meta-analyses	https://www.prisma-statement.org
STARD	Studies of diagnostic accuracy	https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/stard/
CARE	Case Reports	https://www.care-statement.org/checklis t
AGREE	Clinical Practice Guidelines	https://www.agreetrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/AGREE-Reporting-Checklist-2016.pdf

Article - Processing charges (APC)

Indian Authors are required to pay 4,720/- INR per manuscript .
Foreign Authors are required to pay $55 per manuscript .

Indian Authors		Foreign Authors
APC [INR]	4000	APC [USD]	$55
18% GST	720	No Tax	No Tax
Total	4720 INR	Total	$55

APC Waivers: We believe APCs should not hinder quality publication. Corresponding authors may request waivers from the Editor-in-Chief.

The Journal does not charge any fees for withdrawal.

Authors coming from the countries included in the “United Nations list of Least Developed Countries” are entitled to ask for a waivers.

Authors should apply for waiver after receiving the acceptance letter.
All applications are subject to approval by the publisher/editor in chief.
Discounts may not be transferred to a different author.

Reviewer Suggestions

The journal follows a double-blind peer review process. Authors can suggest suitable reviewers for their manuscript and may request exclusion of individuals with potential conflicts of interest. However, the final decision on reviewers is made by the editors.

Confidential Process

All communication between the authors and the journal, including email exchanges and reviewers' reports, must be treated as confidential. Authors are prohibited from posting any confidential materials on websites or publishing them without the journal's prior permission, regardless of whether the manuscript is accepted or rejected.

Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer Review Ethics

The journal operates under a double-blind peer-review process. The Chief Editor/Editors will select and appoint potential reviewers, ensuring that they possess relevant expertise in the field, are willing to provide full cooperation, and have adequate time to review the assigned manuscript. Reviewers' comments will assist the Chief Editor/Editors in making publication decisions and guide authors in improving the quality of their manuscripts.
Reviewers must evaluate all submissions objectively, fairly, and professionally. When recommending the acceptance of a manuscript, reviewers should ensure that the manuscript meets the following criteria: originality, significance, importance to the research community in the field, relevance to scientists in related disciplines, and the support of its conclusions by evidence. Reviewers must also verify that the methods are clearly explained and that all relevant works are properly cited.
Reviewers should refrain from making comments or statements that are offensive, libelous, or discourteous. They must adhere to the guidelines set by the journal concerning the scope, content, and quality of their review and comply with the publication policy established by the Publisher.
Reviewers must meet the deadlines set for reviewing a manuscript. Typically, a manuscript should be reviewed within two weeks. If an extension is needed, it must be approved by the Editors. Reviewers may also be asked by the Editors to provide further feedback on a revised manuscript.
Reviewers must maintain confidentiality throughout the peer-review process. All communication between reviewers and journal editors, as well as any manuscript received for review, must be treated as confidential and should not be disclosed or discussed with anyone at any stage.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when a reviewer has a financial or personal interest that could influence their professional judgment regarding the manuscript. Potential reviewers whose research competes with that of the authors will not be appointed.
Reviewers must disclose any potential financial or personal conflicts (if any) to the Editors before agreeing to review a manuscript. The Editors will decide whether to disqualify reviewers with such potential conflicts.
Reviewers may choose to decline to review any manuscript if they feel there is a conflict of interest or if they lack the necessary knowledge to conduct a fair and thorough review.

Copyright and Licensing

All articles published in Oral Sphere Journal of Dental and Health Sciences are open access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. This licence permits others to share, copy, distribute, adapt and build upon the work in any medium or format for non-commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and source, a link to the licence is provided, and any changes made are indicated.

Copyright is retained by the author(s). Authors are required to submit a signed Open Access Licence Agreement Form with their manuscript. By signing this form, the author(s) confirm that:

The author(s) retain full copyright and ownership of the article.
The author(s) grant the Publisher a non-exclusive right to publish the article and to distribute it permanently under the CC BY-NC 4.0 licence.
The work is original, has not been published elsewhere, and all co-authors have approved submission.

Because the article is published under a non-commercial licence, commercial reuse by a third party requires permission from the copyright holder. Such requests may be directed to the author(s), or to the Publisher acting on the author(s)' behalf, at permission@fontfusionspublication.com.

Authors may deposit the final published version (version of record) in an institutional or subject repository, on a personal or departmental website, or on a preprint server, immediately on publication and with no embargo, provided a link to the published article on the journal's website is included and the journal and Publisher are credited as the original source with a correct citation.

Handling Publication Malpractice or Research Misconduct

The Journal adopts the U.S. Public Health Service's definition of research misconduct (42 CFR Part 93, June 2005), which includes:

Fabrication: Creating false data or results and reporting them.
Falsification: Altering research materials, equipment, or data to misrepresent research.
Plagiarism: Using another person's work, ideas, or data without proper credit.

Research misconduct excludes honest errors or differences of opinion. The Journal also follows the COPE, WAME, and ICMJE guidelines for journal editors and publishers.

Any research misconduct complaints should be directed to the Chief Editors. The Journal adheres to COPE’s Ethical Oversight Flowcharts to handle issues like plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated data, authorship disputes, and reviewer misconduct. Research misconduct must be supported by compelling evidence and intentional or reckless actions. If misconduct is found, the corresponding author will be notified for comments, and peer review may be requested. The author’s institution may also be informed for investigation.

For clear plagiarism, the manuscript may be rejected or revised, while published articles may face retraction or corrigendum. Respondents have access to all related materials and may appeal the decision within 30 days.

The Journal will correct or amend peer-reviewed articles through erratum, corrigendum, retraction, or addendum. Sanctions for serious misconduct may include article retraction or submission bans. Investigation reports may be published on the journal’s website, with identities of those involved in misconduct anonymized.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Oral Sphere Journal of Dental and Health Sciences (OSJDHS) recognizes the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies, including large language models (LLMs), chatbots, image-generation tools, and other automated systems, in scholarly research and publishing. The journal supports the responsible use of such technologies while maintaining the principles of scientific integrity, transparency, accountability, confidentiality, originality, and human oversight.

This policy applies to authors, reviewers, editors, editorial staff, and the publisher.

Use of Generative AI by Authors

Authors may use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies to support certain aspects of manuscript preparation, provided that such use does not compromise the accuracy, originality, integrity, or confidentiality of the work.

Permitted uses may include:

language improvement, grammar and spelling correction;
improvement of readability and clarity;
translation or assistance with language;
formatting assistance;
assistance with brainstorming or organizing ideas;
assistance with coding or programming, provided that the resulting code and outputs are independently verified;
assistance with data analysis or visualization, provided that the methods, outputs, and results are independently verified by the authors.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and scientific validity of the entire manuscript, including any content produced or modified with the assistance of AI.

AI-generated content must be critically reviewed and verified by the authors because generative AI systems may produce inaccurate, incomplete, biased, fabricated, or misleading information, including nonexistent or incorrect references.

Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies in the preparation of a submitted manuscript when such use goes beyond routine spelling, grammar, formatting, or basic language correction.

The disclosure should identify:

the name of the AI tool or system used;
the version or model, where available;
the purpose for which it was used; and
the part of the manuscript, research process, analysis, or figure to which the AI tool contributed.

Where applicable, AI use should be described in the Acknowledgments section for writing or language assistance and in the Methods section when AI was used for data analysis, data processing, image generation, coding, or other research-related activities.

A suitable disclosure statement may be:

“The authors used [name of AI tool/model] for [describe purpose, e.g., language editing and improvement of readability]. All AI-assisted content was reviewed and verified by the authors, who take full responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the final manuscript.”

If generative AI was not used, no AI disclosure is required.

AI Cannot Be an Author

Generative AI systems, chatbots, LLMs, or other AI-assisted technologies cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of a manuscript.

AI systems cannot assume responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, originality, ethical conduct, or accountability of published research. Authorship therefore remains restricted to individuals who meet the journal's authorship requirements.

Authors are responsible for all material submitted to the journal, including material generated or modified with AI assistance.

Accuracy, Originality, Plagiarism, and References

Authors must independently verify all AI-generated or AI-assisted content before submission.

In particular, authors must ensure that:

factual statements are accurate;
statistical analyses and numerical results are correct;
clinical or scientific conclusions are supported by evidence;
citations and references are authentic, relevant, and accurately represented;
AI-generated references are independently verified;
no fabricated references, data, quotations, or sources are included;
no copyrighted material is reproduced without appropriate permission;
AI-assisted text or images do not result in plagiarism, inappropriate duplication, or unattributed use of another person's work.

Generative AI tools must not be used as a substitute for primary scientific sources. AI-generated information should not be cited as the primary scientific evidence supporting a claim.

Authors remain responsible for appropriate attribution and citation of the original sources on which their manuscript is based.

AI-Generated Images, Figures, and Other Visual Material

The use of generative AI to create, modify, enhance, or manipulate images, figures, illustrations, graphical abstracts, or other visual material must be disclosed to the journal.

AI-generated or AI-modified images must not:

fabricate or selectively manipulate research findings;
alter clinical, radiographic, histological, microscopic, or experimental findings in a misleading manner;
create or modify research data;
misrepresent the underlying study or experimental observations.

Where AI is used to generate or substantially modify a figure or image, authors should provide appropriate disclosure in the figure legend, Methods section, or other relevant part of the manuscript.

For research images, authors must preserve the integrity of the original data and must comply with the journal's policies concerning image manipulation and research integrity.

AI Use in Data Analysis and Research

AI-assisted tools may be used in research activities such as coding, statistical analysis, data processing, or modeling when scientifically appropriate.

When AI materially contributes to these activities, authors must disclose:

the AI tool or model used;
the purpose of its use;
relevant prompts or methodological information where necessary for reproducibility;
the nature of the AI-assisted analysis; and
the procedures used to verify the resulting output.

AI-generated analyses must be independently checked by appropriately qualified researchers.

The use of AI does not transfer responsibility for the research methodology, analysis, or conclusions from the authors to the AI system.

Use of AI by Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers must maintain the strict confidentiality of all manuscripts, supplementary materials, data, figures, and information received during peer review.

Reviewers must not upload, paste, submit, or otherwise transfer a manuscript or confidential manuscript material into a generative AI system when confidentiality cannot be assured.

Reviewers must not use generative AI to independently generate or replace their substantive peer-review assessment.

AI-assisted tools may only be used for limited purposes, such as language or formatting assistance, where permitted by the journal and where confidentiality is maintained. Any permitted use must be disclosed to the handling editor.

Reviewers remain fully responsible for the accuracy, fairness, originality, confidentiality, and appropriateness of their review.

Use of AI by Editors and Editorial Staff

Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and associated materials.

Editors and editorial staff must not upload confidential manuscripts, reviewer reports, author correspondence, unpublished data, or other privileged information into external generative AI systems unless the journal has verified that appropriate confidentiality and data-protection safeguards are in place and such use is permitted under journal policy.

Generative AI must not replace the independent editorial judgment of the Editor-in-Chief or handling editor.

Editors remain responsible for:

editorial decisions;
assessment of manuscript quality;
ethical and integrity investigations;
peer-review decisions;
verification of concerns identified by automated systems; and
the accuracy of published material.

Automated Screening and AI-Detection Tools

The journal may use automated or AI-assisted tools for purposes such as:

plagiarism and text-similarity screening;
detection of image manipulation or duplication;
identification of potential research-integrity concerns;
language and copyediting support;
metadata and production workflows.

However, automated tools are considered supporting tools only and do not independently determine whether a manuscript is accepted, rejected, or considered unethical.

Any significant concern identified through an automated system must be reviewed and evaluated by a qualified human editor or designated editorial staff member before an editorial decision is made.

The journal acknowledges that AI-detection systems may produce false positives and false negatives. Therefore, an AI-detection score alone will not constitute evidence of misconduct.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

Authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff must exercise caution when using AI systems that process manuscript-related information.

Confidential, unpublished, personal, patient-identifiable, proprietary, or otherwise sensitive information must not be entered into external AI systems unless appropriate confidentiality, privacy, and data-protection safeguards have been established.

The journal's existing policies relating to patient confidentiality, research ethics, personal data protection, and manuscript confidentiality remain fully applicable.

Undisclosed or Inappropriate AI Use

Failure to disclose material use of generative AI, deliberate submission of fabricated AI-generated information, use of AI to manipulate research findings, or inappropriate use of confidential manuscript material may constitute a breach of the journal's publication-ethics standards.

Where concerns arise, the journal may request clarification or additional information from the authors and may take appropriate editorial action in accordance with its policies on research integrity and publication ethics.

Depending on the circumstances, actions may include:

requesting correction or clarification;
rejection of the manuscript;
correction of a published article;
retraction of a published article; or
referral of the matter for further investigation where appropriate.

Human Responsibility and Oversight

The use of generative AI does not diminish or transfer the responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors, or the publisher.

Human oversight is required at every stage of the scholarly publishing process.

Authors remain responsible for the scientific content and integrity of their work. Reviewers remain responsible for the content and confidentiality of their reviews. Editors remain responsible for editorial decisions and the integrity of the publication process.

Policy Updates

Because AI technologies and their associated risks are rapidly evolving, Oral Sphere Journal of Dental and Health Sciences may periodically review and update this policy to reflect developments in scholarly publishing, research-integrity standards, data protection, and recommendations from recognized organizations.