Editorial Policies

Guiding principles that ensure integrity, transparency, and excellence in every publication of the Journal of Cancer Genetics and Biomarkers (JCGB).

• JCGB publishes all content under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, enabling unrestricted sharing and adaptation with attribution.
• No subscription or paywall barriers—accepted articles are freely available immediately upon publication.
• Authors retain copyright and may archive any version of their manuscripts in institutional or subject repositories.
• Funding compliance: JCGB’s CC BY policy satisfies mandates from Plan S, NIH, Horizon Europe, Wellcome Trust, and other major funders.

• JCGB operates a single-blind peer review system by default (reviewers anonymous, authors known).
• Authors may request double-blind review by submitting anonymised manuscripts and indicating the request in their cover letter.
• Each submission is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with expertise in cancer genetics, biomarker science, or relevant methodologies.
• Editors assess reviewer feedback, consider compliance with policies, and deliver clear decision letters (accept, minor revision, major revision, or decline).
• Appeals: Authors may appeal decisions by emailing [email protected] with detailed justification and evidence. Appeals are reviewed by an independent editor.

• The Editor-in-Chief and the editorial board hold full responsibility for acceptance decisions.
• Commercial partners, sponsors, or membership arrangements do not influence editorial outcomes.
• Guest editors for special issues collaborate with JCGB section editors to maintain consistent standards and handle conflicts of interest.
• Editors recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where personal or financial conflicts exist.

• Authors must disclose all financial relationships, advisory roles, equity interests, patents, and affiliations that could be perceived as influencing the research.
• Use the ICMJE disclosure form and submit during ManuscriptZone submission.
• Reviewers and editors must declare conflicts before accepting assignments.
• Conflict statements appear in published articles for transparency.

• List all funding sources, grant numbers, and funder roles in the research process.
• State whether funders had influence over study design, data collection, analysis, or publication decisions.
• If no funding was received, include the statement “This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.”

• Provide Institutional Review Board (IRB) or ethics committee approval numbers.
• Describe informed consent procedures and adherence to the Declaration of Helsinki.
• Use de-identified data when possible; justify any exceptions.
• For genomic data from indigenous or vulnerable populations, document community engagement and data sovereignty practices.

• Adhere to institutional and national guidelines (e.g., AAALAC, EU Directive 2010/63/EU).
• Report IACUC approval numbers and compliance with ARRIVE guidelines.
• Describe housing conditions, analgesia, humane endpoints, and justification for animal models.

• Register trials in publicly accessible databases (ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO ICTRP) prior to participant enrollment.
• Follow CONSORT, REMARK, or SPIRIT guidelines as appropriate.
• Disclose interim analyses, protocol deviations, and data monitoring processes.

• All submissions must include a data availability statement describing datasets, repositories, and access conditions.
• Encourage deposition of genomics data in GEO, SRA, EGA, dbGaP, or equivalent repositories.
• Provide code via GitHub/GitLab with DOI archiving (e.g., Zenodo) for reproducibility.
• Controlled-access datasets should specify Data Use Agreements and contact details for access requests.
• Failure to provide verifiable data may delay publication or result in rejection.

• JCGB requires adherence to appropriate guidelines (CONSORT, PRISMA, STROBE, ARRIVE, REMARK, STARD, CARE).
• Submit completed checklists as supplementary files.
• Editors may request additional information if reporting standards are not met.

• JCGB screens manuscripts with iThenticate.
• Unattributed copying, redundant publication, or data fabrication will result in rejection and notification to authors’ institutions.
• When reusing text (e.g., methods), provide citations and clearly indicate reuse.
• Simultaneous submissions to multiple journals are prohibited.

• Follow the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) authorship criteria.
• Provide CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) statements assigning roles (Conceptualization, Data Curation, Formal Analysis, etc.).
• Designate a corresponding author responsible for communication throughout submission and post-publication.
• Changes to authorship after submission require consent from all co-authors and editorial approval.

• Post-publication issues (errors, ethical concerns, data inconsistencies) should be reported to [email protected].
• JCGB follows COPE workflows to evaluate concerns and determine corrective actions.
• Corrections, errata, or retractions are clearly linked to the original article and indexed promptly.

• JCGB currently does not host third-party advertisements.
• Sponsored supplements or special issues must adhere to all editorial policies and disclose funding sources prominently.
• Commercial involvement cannot influence peer review outcomes or editorial decisions.

• JCGB investigates misconduct—including plagiarism, image manipulation, and undisclosed conflicts—following COPE guidelines.
• Sanctions range from manuscript rejection to retraction and prohibition of future submissions.
• Suspected clinical fraud or patient harm may be reported to regulatory authorities.

• Provide objective, evidence-based evaluations within agreed timelines.
• Maintain confidentiality—do not share manuscripts or use unpublished data for personal advancement.
• Disclose conflicts of interest immediately.
• Use respectful language and offer constructive feedback.

• Editors must champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in reviewer selection and authorship outreach.
• Recuse themselves from manuscripts involving close collaborators, students, or personal relationships.
• Participate in annual training on research integrity, bias awareness, and data governance.
• Support transparent communication with authors and reviewers.

• Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a formal letter detailing reasons and any supporting evidence.
• Complaints about editorial conduct or peer review process should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief via [email protected].
• All appeals are reviewed by an independent editor not involved in the original decision.

• JCGB reviews these policies annually to reflect evolving legal, ethical, and scientific standards.
• Authors will be notified of significant policy changes affecting submissions in progress.

Stakeholders—including authors, reviewers, patient advocates, and funders—are invited to suggest policy improvements. Send recommendations to [email protected]; the editorial board evaluates proposals during quarterly governance meetings.

• Authors must disclose any use of generative AI tools (e.g., language models) in drafting text, analysing data, or creating figures. Responsibility for accuracy remains with the authors.
• AI-generated images or datasets must be clearly labelled and accompanied by validation explaining their role in the study.
• Reviewers and editors are prohibited from uploading manuscripts into public AI tools to preserve confidentiality; internal, access-controlled tools may be used for grammar checks or plagiarism screening.
• Datasets used to train AI systems described in JCGB submissions must be documented with provenance, licensing, and bias assessments. Provide model cards or similar transparency reports when feasible.

• JCGB expects authors to avoid stigmatizing language and to use person-first terminology when describing patient cohorts.
• Sex and gender should be reported accurately and respectfully. When sex-based analyses are not possible, provide justification.
• Encourage reporting of ancestry, race, and ethnicity with nuance and sensitivity, acknowledging sociocultural contexts.

• All image adjustments must apply equally across the entire image and maintain data integrity. Do not erase, add, or enhance features selectively.
• Provide original, uncropped images during peer review for verification when requested.
• Image manipulation detected post-publication may result in corrections or retractions.

• JCGB welcomes post-publication commentary via letters to the editor or scholarly responses. Submissions should reference the DOI of the original article and present evidence-based critique.
• Authors are encouraged to engage constructively with legitimate critiques and may submit clarifications or follow-up analyses.
• The editorial office monitors social media and community forums for substantive discussions; when appropriate, we invite experts to formalise conversations within the journal record.

Last updated: September 2025. JCGB reserves the right to update policies at any time in response to emerging ethical or legal requirements.