Editorial Policies

Aims and Scope

Published quarterly, Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine, is an open access, peer-reviewed journal aimed to provide the very latest information both in research, practical and educational areas related to a wide range of fields across the forensic sciences. Fields include: forensic pathology and histochemistry, chemistry, biochemistry and toxicology, biology, serology, odontology, psychiatry, anthropology, digital forensics, the physical sciences, firearms, and document examination, as well as investigations of value to public health in its broadest sense, and the important marginal area where science and medicine interact with the law.

The journal publishers original research, reviews, case reports, commentaries, letters to the editor, clinical and laboratory observations by Russian and international authors, pertinent to readers in CIS countries and around the world.

In determining content, the primary considerations are excellence, relevance and novelty. The Journal emphasizes vigorous peer-review and accepts papers in Russian and English with most rapid turnaround time possible from submission to publication. Abstracts for all papers are available in both languages.

Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine is an official publication of the Russian Association of Forensic Medical Experts that partners with many prominent international and national organization in the same fields like Diagnostik & Forschungs INSTITUT FÜR GERICHTLICHE MEDIZIN. Therefore, it is in the key aims of the journal to facilitates relevant research and education in the focused fields according to the world’s highest standards.

Sections

REVIEWS

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

CASE AND TECHNICAL REPORTS

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

VIRTOPSY

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

GUIDELINES

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCEMENTS CONFERENCES (SUPPLEMENTS) EDUCATION

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

PRESS-RELEASE

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Publication Frequency

• Quarterly, 4 issues per year
• Continuously Ahead-of-Print (Online First)

The "Online First" service allows the accepted articles to be published online in a preliminary PDF format available for download.
Readers will access the article earlier on our site in the "Articles in press" section. At the same time, authors will gain the opportunity for their work to be cited with DOI (Digital Object Identifier), registered in the Crossref database, before the inclusion in a final print and online journal issue.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

This work is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) which allows users to read, copy, distribute and make derivative works for non-commercial purposes from the material, as long as the author of the original work is cited properly.

Archiving

The journal uses the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) to digitally preserve all the published articles. The PKP PN is a part of LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) program offers decentralized and distributed preservation, seamless perpetual access, and preservation of the authentic original version of the content.

Also, the journal makes full-text archives on the Russian Science Electronic Library (http://elibrary.ru/) platform.

Peer-Review

A double-blind peer review method is mandatory for processing of all scientific manuscripts submitted to the editorial stuff of Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine. This implies that neither the reviewer is aware of the authorship of the manuscript, nor the author maintains any contact with the reviewer.

1. Designated members of the editorial board and leading Russian/ international experts in the relevant fields of forensic medicine are selected and invited as independent peer reviewers by the Editor-in-chief or by his deputies. We aim to limit the review process to 2-4 weeks, though in some cases the schedule may be adjusted at the reviewer’s request.
2. Reviewer has an option to abnegate the assessment should any conflict of interests arise that may affect perception or interpretation of the manuscript. Upon the scrutiny, the reviewer is expected to present the editorial board with one of the following recommendations:
   - to accept the paper in its present state;
   - to invited the author to revise their manuscript to address specific concerns before final decision is reached;
   - to involve further reviewing by another specialist;
   - to reject the manuscript outright.
3. If the reviewer has recommended any refinements, the editorial staff would suggest the author either to implement the corrections, or to dispute them reasonably. Authors are kindly required to limit their revision up to 2 months and resubmit the adapted manuscript within this period for final evaluation.
4. We politely request that the editor be notified in writing should the author decide to refuse from publishing the manuscript. In case the author fails to do so within 3 months since receiving a copy of the initial review, the editorial board takes the manuscript off the register and notifies the author accordingly.
5. If the editorial board reaches final decision to reject a manuscript on the hearing according to reviewers’ recommendations, it duly notifies the authors of their decision via e-mail. The board does not accept previously rejected manuscripts for re-evaluation.
6. Upon the decision to accept the manuscript for publishing, the editorial staff notifies the authors of the scheduled date of publication.
7. Original reviews of submitted manuscripts remain deposited for 5 years.

Indexation

Articles in "Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine" are indexed by several systems:

• SCOPUS
• DOAJ
• Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI) – a database, accumulating information on papers by Russian scientists, published in native and foreign titles. The RSCI project is under development since 2005 by “Electronic Scientific Library” foundation (elibrary.ru).
• Google Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines. The Google Scholar index includes most peer-reviewed online journals of Europe and America's largest scholarly publishers, plus scholarly books and other non-peer reviewed journals.
• Dimensions
• CyberLeninka.
• WorldCat.
• Ulrich's Periodicals Directory.

Publishing Ethics and Malpractice Statement

1. Introduction & references

1.1. The publication in a peer reviewed journal serves many purposes outside of simple communication. It is a building block in the development of a coherent and respected network of knowledge. For all these reasons and especially for biomedical journals (whereas the ethical issues is extremely sensitive subject) it is important to lay down standards of expected ethical behavior by all parties involved in the act of publishing: the author, the journal editor, the peer reviewer, and the publisher (society).

1.2. Our responsibilities are to ensure the journal’s coherence to the most current ethical guidelines and policies at every stage (from designing and conducting research to properly wring and submitting a manuscript). Therefore, in our guidelines below we follow strictly those established by the relevant international bodies or consensus to include the following:

• WMA Declaration of Helsinki (ethical principles for medical research involving human and animal subjects)
• ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors)
• COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)
• CONSORT (randomized control studies)
• STROBE (observation studies)
• PRISMA (meta-analyses, systematic reviews and other evaluation studies)

We also encourage to check EQATOR (http://www.equator-network.org), one-stop-shop frequently to be fully updated on the most recent reporting guidelines and other resources relevant to research reporting.

1.3. Over 20 potential Malpractices are examined below (where all instances are underlined for your convenience). They that could be relevant not only to an author (see clauses 4.1 - 4.10) but also to an editor and a reviewer (see clauses 2.2.-2.6; 3.1.-3.6.) as result of their possible dereliction of professional duty.

2. Duties of Editors

2.1. Publication decision – The Editor of the Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine is solely and independently responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published, often working in conjunction with the relevant society owing the journal. The validation of the work in question and its importance to researchers and readers must always underwrite such decisions. The Editor may be guided by the policies of the Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine journal’s editorial board and constrained by such legal requirements as shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. The editor may confer with other editors or reviewers (or society officers) in making this decision.

2.2. Fair play – An editor should evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.

2.2.3. Libel and Defamation – An editor should be alert to language in both submitted manuscripts and also in peer review reports or correspondence which could give rise to legal action for defamation or negligent misstatement. Such language, which can be directed at corporate entities and associations as well as individuals, should not appear within published articles and should be removed from any peer review report or correspondence that is passed on to the author. If in doubt, editors should seek advice from the Publisher.

2.3. Confidentiality – The editor and any editorial staff of Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine shall not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

2.4. Disclosure and Conflicts of interest

2.4.1. Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s own research without the express written consent of the author. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.

2.4.2. Editors should recuse themselves (i.e. should ask a co-editor, associate editor or other member of the editorial board instead to review and consider) from considering manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or (possibly) institutions connected to the papers.

2.5. Vigilance over published record – An editor presented with convincing evidence that the substance or conclusions of a published paper are erroneous should coordinate with the publisher (and/or society) to promote the prompt publication of a correction, retraction, expression of concern, or another note, as may be relevant.

2.6. Involvement and cooperation in investigations – An editor should take reasonably responsive measures when ethical complaints have been presented concerning a submitted manuscript or published paper, in conjunction with the publisher (or society). Such measures will generally include contacting the author of the manuscript or paper and giving due consideration of the respective complaint or claims made, but may also include further communications to the relevant institutions and research bodies.

3. Duties of Reviewers

3.1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions – Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and through the editorial communications with the author may also assist the author in improving the paper. Peer review is an essential component of formal scholarly communication, and lies at the heart of the scientific method. Publisher shares the view of many that all scholars who wish to contribute to publications have an obligation to do a fair share of reviewing.

3.2. Promptness – Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor of Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine and exclude oneself from the review process.

3.3. Confidentiality – Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

3.4. Standard and objectivity – Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

3.5. Acknowledgement of Sources – Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also call to the editor’s attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.

3.6. Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

3.6.1. Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in a reviewer’s own research without the express written consent of the author provided that it is passed via editor-in-chief. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.

3.6.2. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.

4. Duties of Authors

4.1. Reporting standards

4.1.1. Authors of reports of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

4.1.2. Review and professional publication articles should also be accurate and objective, and editorial ‘opinion’ works should be clearly identified as such.

4.2. Data Access and Retention – Authors may be asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data (consistent with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases), if practicable, and should in any event be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.

4.3. Originality and Plagiarism

4.3.1. The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others, this has been appropriately cited or quoted.

4.3.2. Plagiarism takes many forms, from ‘passing off’ another’s paper as the author’s own paper, to copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another’s paper (without attribution), to claiming results from research conducted by others. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

4.4. Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication

4.4.1. An author should not in general publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal of primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.

4.4.2. In general, an author should not submit for consideration in another journal a previously published paper.

4.4.3. Publication of some kinds of articles (e.g., clinical guidelines, translations) in more than one journal is sometimes justifiable, provided certain conditions are met. The authors and editors of the journals concerned must agree to the secondary publication, which must reflect the same data and interpretation of the primary document. The primary reference must be cited in the secondary publication.

4.5. Acknowledgement of Sources – Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work. Information obtained privately, as in conversation, correspondence, or discussion with third parties, must not be used or reported without explicit, written permission from the source. Information obtained in the course of confidential services, such as refereeing manuscripts or grant applications, must not be used without the explicit written permission of the author of the work involved in these services.

4.6. Authorship of the Paper

4.6.1. Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors.

4.6.2. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the paper, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.

4.7. Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects

4.7.1. If the work involves chemicals, procedures or equipment that have any unusual hazards inherent in their use, the author must clearly identify these in the manuscript.

4.7.2. If the work involves the use of animal or human subjects, the author should ensure that the manuscript contains a statement that all procedures were performed in compliance with relevant laws and institutional guidelines and that the appropriate institutional committee(s) have approved them. Authors should include a statement in the manuscript that informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human subjects. The privacy rights of human subjects must always be observed.

4.7.3. In case of clinical trials authors are required to provide registration of clinical trials in a public trial registry at or before the time of first patient enrollment.

We accept publicly accessible registration in any registry that is a primary register of the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) or in ClinicalTrials.gov, which is a data provider to the WHO ICTRP.

4.8. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

4.8.1. All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.

4.8.2. Examples of potential conflicts of interest which should be disclosed include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed at the earliest possible stage.

4.9. Fundamental errors in published works – When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in a published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the editor of Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine journal and cooperate with Publisher to retract or correct the paper. If the editor or the publisher learn from a third party that a published work contains a significant error, it is the obligation of the author to promptly retract or correct the paper.

4.10. Libel and use of inclusive language - Inclusive language acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equal opportunities. Articles should make no assumptions about the beliefs or commitments of any reader, should contain nothing which might imply that one individual is superior to another on the grounds of race, sex, culture or any other characteristic, and should use inclusive language throughout. Authors should ensure that writing is free from bias, for instance by using ‘he or she’, ‘his/her’ instead of ‘he’ or ‘his’, and by making use of job titles that are free of stereotyping (e.g. ‘chairperson’ instead of ‘chairman’ and ‘flight attendant’ instead of ‘stewardess’).

5. Duties of Publisher (Society)

5.1. As a society-owned and published journal, Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine strives to ensure that all its policies and practices are of highest quality, ethically sound, and as transparent as possible. 

5.2. We have adopted policies and procedures, as stated above, that support editors, reviewers and authors of the Journal in performing their ethical duties under these ethics guidelines.

5.3. All editorial decisions shall be based on the quality of submissions and appropriate peer review, rather than on any political, financial, or personal influences from society staff or volunteer leaders.

5.4. Our journal website is the public-facing statement of ethical practices in journal publishing. Regardless of who hosts or maintains the website, the information contained on the website should be a clear and complete representation of standards and expectations for authors and reviewers including clear information about journal ownership and management.

5.5. In selecting service providers such as printers or advertising agencies we shall be fair and as transparent as possible while safeguarding confidential society information and

include mechanisms for managing potential conflicts of interest.

5.6. We shall support journal editors in the review of complaints raised concerning ethical issues and help communications with other journals and/or publishers where this is useful to editors.

5.7. In any particular cases we should provide specialized legal review and counsel if necessary.

Author fees

Publication in "Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine" is free of charge for all the authors.

The journal doesn't have any Arcticle processing charges.

The journal doesn't have any Article submission charges.

Plagiarism detection

Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine uses native Russian-language plagiarism detection software Antiplagiat to screen the manuscripts submitted. If plagiarism is identified, the COPE guidelines on plagiarism shall be followed.

Preprint and postprint Policy

Prior to acceptance and publication in "Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine", authors may make their submissions available as preprints on personal or public websites.

As part of submission process, authors are required to confirm that the submission has not been previously published, nor has been submitted. After a manuscript has been published in "Russian Journal of Forensic Medicine" we suggest that the link to the article on journal's website is used when the article is shared on personal or public websites.

Glossary (by SHERPA)

Adverticement and reprint policy

Our advertising policy is consistent with the principles mentioned in the Recommendations on Publication Ethics Policies for Medical Journals which issued by the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

http://www.wame.org/recommendations-on-publication-ethics-policie

1. The Eco-Vector’s journals generate revenue from advertising, which creates a potential conflict of interest. Editors’ decisions do not depend on the cost of advertising or producing reprints. Advertisers and sponsors have no influence over the editor’s decisions, regardless of the terms of advertising or other agreements.
2. All advertisements are subject to the approval of the Eco-Vector’s staff, which reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement at any time.
3. The functions of editors and advertising managers in Eco-Vector’s journals are separate.
4. In Eco-Vector’s journals professional (physician-directed) publications and web sites, the intentional placement of advertising adjacent to articles discussing the company or product that is the subject of the advertisement is prohibited. Advertising content must be distinguished from editorial and other materials so that the difference between them is obvious.
5. Eco-Vector will not publish “advertorial” content, and sponsored supplements must be clearly indicated as such. If a supplement did not undergo peer review or underwent a peer review-process different from the rest of the journal that should be explicitly stated.
6. All Eco-Vector’s journals have the right to refuse any advertisement that, in its sole discretion, is incompatible with its mission or inconsistent with the values of members, the publication/web site or the organization as a whole, and to stop accepting any advertisement previously accepted. Advertisements are subject to review by the editors and others at the Eco-Vector’s journals. In no case shall separate agreements with Eco-Vector’s journals or its subsidiaries supersede this policy.
7. Once an advertisement has been deployed online, it will be withdrawn from the journal site at any time if the Editor(s)-in-Chief or Eco-Vector’s staff request its removal.
8. Advertising for the following categories is prohibited:
   
   • Alcohol
   • Tobacco
   • Weapons, firearms, ammunition
   • Fireworks
   • Gambling and lottery
   • Pornography or related themes
   • Political and religious advertisements
   • Advertisements that claim to have a “miracle” cure or method
   • Advertisements that make unsubstantiated health claims for the products advertised
   • Advertisements directed at children
9. Advertisements may not be deceptive or misleading, and must be verifiable. Advertisements should clearly identify the advertiser and the product or service being offered. Exaggerated or extravagantly worded copy will not be allowed. Advertisements will not be accepted if they appear to be indecent or offensive in either text or artwork, or if they relate to content of a personal, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, or religious nature.
10. All advertisements are accepted and published by Eco-Vector on the warranty of the advertisement agency and advertiser that both are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter of the advertisement.
11. In consideration of publication of an advertisement, the advertiser and the advertisement agency, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless Eco-Vector, its officers, agents and employees against expenses (including legal fees) and losses resulting from the publication of the contents of the advertisement, including, without limitation, claims or suits for libel, violation of privacy, copyright infringement, or plagiarism.
12. Any references to Eco-Vector or its products or services in advertisements, promotional material, or merchandising by the advertiser or agency is subject to Eco-Vector’s written approval for such use.
13. All advertisements for drug-specific campaigns must comply with the relevant Russian legislation that regulates advertising. Advertisers should make available to Eco-Vector the marketing authorization and summary of product characteristics when submitting their advertisement. In the case of drug advertisements, proprietary names of pharmaceutical products must be accompanied by the chemical, generic, or official name; the quantity of all active substances must be stated along with the recommended dosage. Each page of an advertisement for a prescription-only medicine should be clearly labeled as intended for health professionals.
14. Advertisements for products not approved by the FDA or the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation that make any kind of health claims must carry the following disclaimer: “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and/or the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”
15. While Eco-Vector’s journals welcomes and encourages information-rich advertising, advertisements, advertising icons and advertiser logos must be clearly distinguishable from editorial content and may require special labeling to distinguish them as such. All advertisements must clearly and prominently identify the advertiser by trademark or signature.
16. Reprints should be published only in the form in which they were originally published in the journal (including subsequent corrections), so there should be no additions or changes in them.
17. Publisher is not responsible for incidental or consequential damage for errors in displaying or printing an advertisement.
18. Advertisements may not imply endorsement by the Eco-Vector’s journals or its publications/web sites except as may be provided for under a separate agreement — in which case advertising must be pre-approved to ensure adherence to the letter and spirit of that separate agreement.
19. The full rules for any market research or promotion associated with an advertisement must be displayed in the advertisement or available via a prominent link.
20. The following online advertising formats are prohibited:
    
    • Pop-ups and floating advertisements.
    • Advertisements that collect personally identifiable information from visitors without their knowledge or permission.
    • Advertisements that extend across or down the page without the visitor having clicked or rolled-over the advertisement.
    • Advertisements that send visitors to another site without the visitor having clicked the advertisement.

Eco-Vector’s journals published advertising policies are not exhaustive and are subject to change at any time without notice.

We partner with third-party advertising companies to serve ads and/or collect certain information when you visit our website. These companies may use cookies or web beacons to collect non-personally identifiable information [not including your name, address, email address or telephone number] during your visit to this website to help show advertisements on other websites also likely to be of interest to you.

For contact with the Advertisement department of the Publisher, please, follow the link https://eco-vector.com/