Citation Policy

Citation Manipulation and Self-Citation Policy

Overview
The Journal of Medico Informatics (JoMI) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing. Citation practices must be guided solely by scientific relevance and scholarly merit. Any form of citation manipulation, including excessive, coercive, or inappropriate self-citation, is strictly prohibited. The journal adheres to internationally recognized ethical standards, including the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Definition of Citation Manipulation
Citation manipulation refers to any practice that artificially inflates citation counts or misrepresents the scholarly value of a manuscript. This includes, but is not limited to, coercive citation (pressuring authors to include irrelevant references), excessive self-citation, citation stacking among authors or journals, and the inclusion of references that do not meaningfully contribute to the scientific content of the work.

Policy for Authors
Authors must ensure that all cited references are accurate, relevant, and directly support the content of the manuscript. References should be selected based on scientific necessity and not to inflate the citation counts of specific authors, institutions, or journals. Excessive self-citation must be avoided unless clearly justified. In addition, authors must exercise caution when using artificial intelligence (AI) tools during manuscript preparation. AI-generated or AI-suggested citations must be carefully verified for accuracy and authenticity. The inclusion of "pseudo-citations", that is, fabricated, non-existent, or unverifiable references generated by AI tools, is strictly prohibited. Authors bear full responsibility for the validity, completeness, and correctness of all references cited in their work. Submission of manuscripts containing false or misleading citations may result in rejection or post-publication corrective action.

Policy for Reviewers
Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and unbiased evaluations. They must not recommend citation of their own work unless it is directly relevant, scientifically justified, and clearly enhances the quality or context of the manuscript. Any such recommendation must be accompanied by a clear justification explaining its necessity. Editors will assess the relevance of all suggested citations. Unjustified or excessive self-citation requests are considered a breach of publication ethics and may result in removal from future review assignments.
Reviewers should also remain vigilant for potential citation manipulation or the presence of inaccurate or fabricated references, and report such concerns to the editorial office.

Policy for Editors
Editors are responsible for ensuring that all citation practices within the editorial and peer review process adhere to ethical standards. They must not encourage authors to include citations to JoMI or any other journal unless such references are genuinely relevant and scientifically warranted. Editors should critically evaluate reviewer-suggested citations and identify any patterns of coercive or inappropriate citation behaviour.

Monitoring and Enforcement
JoMI actively monitors citation practices during both the peer review and post-publication stages. If citation manipulation, excessive self-citation, or the use of pseudo or AI-generated false references is identified, the journal may take appropriate corrective actions, including requesting revisions, rejecting the manuscript, issuing expressions of concern, or retracting the article in serious cases.

Commitment to Ethical Citation Practices
This policy ensures that citation practices in JoMI are grounded in academic integrity, transparency, and scholarly value. By preventing citation manipulation, limiting inappropriate self-citation, and prohibiting AI-generated pseudo-citations, the journal safeguards the credibility of published research and upholds the principles of responsible scholarly communication.