Journal Policies

EDITORIAL POLICIES

The Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine publishes scientific papers and communications pertinent to internal medicine. These include basic research and clinical papers, case reports, articles on fundamental principles and reviews on recent developments in internal medicine. Manuscripts should be submitted to the PJIM official email (pjim@pcp.org.ph).

Copyright Statement

Manuscripts accepted for publication may be edited as the editors deem necessary and the copyright of the manuscripts becomes the property of the publisher. No part of any article or communication published in the journal may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher.

Statements and opinions expressed in articles and communications herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the editors and the publisher disclaims any responsibility or liability for all published materials.

Exclusive Submission/ Publication Policy
The PJIM accepts manuscripts with the understanding that they are not being considered or published elsewhere except as an abstract. A copyright transfer agreement signed by all authors should be submitted with the manuscript.

Ethics
All studies must comply with prescribed institutional and national guidelines for the ethical conduct of research work. Subjects should have written informed consent.

Conflict of Interest
Authors are also requested to indicate sources of research grants and any possible conflict of interest related to equity holdings of the sponsoring corporation or agency. Please see the section on Conflict of Interests below for more details.

 

CRITERIA FOR ACCEPTANCE OF ARTICLES

To be accepted for publication, submitted manuscripts must satisfy requirements across five core domains during peer review. Final editorial decisions are based on the aggregate score and reviewer recommendations within this framework.

Scope & Relevance

  • Alignment with Aims and Scope: The subject matter must directly align with the core focus and audience of the journal.
  • Target Audience Utility: The findings or narrative must offer clear value, application, or foundational insights to clinicians, researchers, educators, or policy makers in the field.

Methodological Rigor & Scientific Soundness

  • Study Design: The chosen design (e.g., randomized controlled trial, prospective cohort, qualitative study, systematic review) must be appropriate to address the research question or test the hypothesis.
  • Data Collection & Sample: Sampling methods, sample size (with power calculation where applicable), controls, and instruments must be clearly defined, justified, and validated.
  • Analytical Validity: Statistical or qualitative analyses must be robust, correctly applied, and transparently reported. Data must fully support the stated interpretations and conclusions without overreach.
  • Reproducibility: The methodology section must contain sufficient detail for independent researchers to replicate the protocol or analysis.

Originality & Contribution to the Literature

  • Novelty: The manuscript must present original data, novel conceptual frameworks, or a unique synthesis of existing knowledge.
  • Gap in Knowledge: The introduction must clearly establish what is currently known, identify the specific research gap, and explain how the study fills that gap.
  • Significance & Impact: Conclusions must advance current scientific understanding, inform clinical practice, or shape future research trajectories.

Ethical Compliance & Research Integrity

  • Ethical Approvals: Studies involving human participants, medical records, or animal subjects must explicitly state approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee, including reference/protocol numbers.
  • Informed Consent: Documentation of written or verbal informed consent (and assent where appropriate) from human participants or guardians must be explicit.
  • Plagiarism & Publication Ethics: Manuscripts must pass similarity index screening (plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or redundant publication).
  • COI & Funding Disclosures: All financial support, competing interests, and author contributions (CREDIT format recommended) must be fully declared.

Presentation, Structure & Language

  • Organization: Manuscript adheres to standard structural conventions (e.g., IMRAD: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion).
  • Clarity & Language: Written in clear, concise, and academically rigorous English (or primary journal language) with correct grammar and precise terminology.
  • Data Presentation: Tables, figures, and visual elements must be clear, self-explanatory, properly captioned, and necessary to the narrative without redundancy.
  • Referencing: Citations must be accurate, current, complete, and formatted strictly according to journal style (e.g., ICMJE/Vancouver, APA).

 

POLICY ON PLAGIARISM

PJIM adheres to strict publication standards and commits to publish only original scientific papers. Authors are expected to double check their manuscripts for plagiarism before these are submitted to the Journal. PJIM will however perform its own plagiarism check for the submitted paper.

 

POLICY ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The PJIM recognizes the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on scientific work. The Journal is presently developing a formal policy on the use of artificial intelligence in the production of scientific papers submitted. PJIM expects contributing authors to ensure the accuracy and originality of their submitted scientific work. Presently, the use of artificial intelligence technologies (Large Language Models, ChatGPT) does not fulfill the ICMJE and PJIM criteria for authorship. Authors must disclose use of this technology in their cover letter. The use of AI tools which do not fall under generative AI (i.e. tools for grammar checking, citation, and plagiarism detection) may be allowed but must be disclosed in the cover letter. The Journal likewise does not allow use of generative AI in the peer review process.

 

RETRACTION OF PUBLICATION DUE TO ERRORS OR OTHER ISSUES

In the event that an author decides to retract a publication due to errors or any other issues, he/she must inform the PJC and the editor in chief immediately and follow the instructions for retraction of publication.

For cases wherein information on serious errors or publication issues of a certain scientific work is made known to the Journal and the editor in chief, a formal investigation will be made by the Journal and the contributing author will be notified of the necessary steps to take.

 

PJIM POLICY ON DECLARATION OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST FOR EDITORS, EDITORIAL BOARD, REVIEWERS AND AUTHORS

Editors, editorial board members, reviewers and authors of the Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine are required to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 12 months of the beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 12-month time frame should be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work.

Interests that should be considered and disclosed include, but are not limited, to the following:

  • Funding: Research grants from funding agencies (please give the research funder and the grant number) and/or research support (including salaries, equipment, supplies, reimbursement for attending symposia, and other expenses) by organizations that may gain or lose financially through publication of this manuscript.
  • Employment: Recent (while engaged in the research project), present or anticipated employment by any organization that may gain or lose financially through publication of this manuscript. This includes multiple affiliations (if applicable).
  • Financial interests: Stocks or shares in companies (including holdings of spouse and/or children) that may gain or lose financially through publication of this manuscript; consultation fees or other forms of remuneration from organizations that may gain or lose financially; patents or patent applications whose value may be affected by publication of this manuscript.
  • Non-financial interests: In addition, all those mentioned above are requested to disclose interests that go beyond financial interests that could impart bias on the work submitted for publication such as professional interests, personal relationships or personal beliefs (amongst others). Examples include, but are not limited to: position on editorial board, advisory board or board of directors or other type of management relationships; writing and/or consulting for educational purposes; expert witness; mentoring relations; and so forth.

Funding information (given that funding is a potential conflict of interest (as mentioned above)) needs to be disclosed upon submission of the manuscript in the peer review system. When all authors have the same (or no) conflicts and/or funding it is sufficient to use one blanket statement. Authors are responsible for correctness of the statements provided in the manuscript. The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to reject submissions that do not meet the guidelines described herein.