Citation Policy
Accurate and ethical citation practices are essential to uphold the credibility, reproducibility, and integrity of scientific research. Al Mustansiriyah Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (AJPS) is committed to maintaining high standards of scholarly communication by ensuring that all references are transparent, verifiable, and ethically used. The following guidelines define the expectations for authors, reviewers, and editors in relation to citation conduct.
- Clear and Accurate Source Attribution
All text, data, figures, or concepts derived from other works must be properly acknowledged. Direct quotations must appear in quotation marks and be accompanied by a precise reference. This requirement applies equally to any material reused from the author’s own prior publications to prevent self-plagiarism and ensure transparency. - Responsible and Justified Self-Citation
Self-citations are appropriate only when they make a genuine scholarly contribution to the current study. Overuse or irrelevant self-citation aimed at inflating citation metrics or creating an impression of continuity without substantive relevance is discouraged. - Verification and Authenticity of References
Authors must cite only those sources that have been personally read, understood, and verified. Copying citations from other reference lists without reviewing the original work, or including unverified or inaccessible sources, constitutes unethical practice. - Scholarly Merit and Citation Neutrality
Citations should reflect academic value and relevance to the research question or methodology. Preferential citation of one’s own publications, those of close collaborators, or those associated with the author’s institution or editorial board members should be avoided unless objectively justified. - Citation Quality and Source Reliability
References should primarily consist of peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and reputable academic publications. Non-scholarly materials such as commercial websites, promotional documents, unverified online content, or AI-generated references are not acceptable. - Prohibition of Citation Manipulation
In accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) standards, all forms of citation manipulation—including coercive citation, citation stacking, or the deliberate inclusion of irrelevant references—are strictly prohibited. Such actions undermine the credibility of both the journal and the scholarly record. - Accuracy and Completeness of Bibliographic Data
Authors bear full responsibility for ensuring the correctness of all reference information, including author names, article titles, publication years, DOIs, and page numbers. Fabricated, incomplete, or inaccurate references may lead to rejection or post-publication corrections. - Editorial and Reviewer Responsibility
Editors and reviewers must not pressure authors to cite specific publications, including their own work, unless these references are demonstrably necessary for strengthening the scientific content or context of the manuscript. - Consequences of Citation Misconduct
Any evidence of citation malpractice—such as excessive self-citation, citation cartels, or the use of unverifiable or AI-fabricated references—will be formally investigated following COPE guidelines. Confirmed violations may result in manuscript rejection, retraction, or sanctions against the authors.
