Access
Open access & licensing
Published JCGB articles are available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. Authors retain copyright and may archive their work.
Journal of Cancer Genetics and Biomarkers
Editorial policies
The standards that guide ethical review, transparent reporting, research integrity, and post-publication stewardship at JCGB.
Foundations for a fair editorial decision
These commitments apply from submission through review and publication. They set the expectation for authors, reviewers, editors, and the journal.
Review
Peer-review model
JCGB uses single-blind review by default. Authors may request double-blind review with an anonymised manuscript and a cover-letter request. Reviewers are selected for relevant subject expertise, and editors communicate the decision and reviewer feedback.
Independence
Editorial independence & conflicts
Editorial decisions are the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief and editorial board. Financial, personal, or professional conflicts must be disclosed, and editors or reviewers recuse themselves where appropriate.
Transparency
Funding, authorship & contributions
Authors should identify funding, funder roles, relevant competing interests, and author contributions. The corresponding author is responsible for communication; authorship changes require agreement from all authors and editorial approval.
Research integrity before publication
Authors must give reviewers enough information to evaluate ethical oversight, reproducibility, completeness, and the reliability of the reported work.
Human & clinical research
Report ethics approval, informed consent, and appropriate trial registration. Follow study-design guidance such as CONSORT, REMARK, or SPIRIT when applicable.
Animal research
Report ethics approval and relevant welfare safeguards, including humane endpoints and the rationale for the chosen model. Use ARRIVE guidance where applicable.
Data, code & reporting
Include a data-availability statement, identify access conditions, and provide appropriate reporting checklists. For genomics data and code, use suitable repositories and document controlled access where necessary.
Conduct, disclosure & quality checks
JCGB’s policies address the integrity of the manuscript, the review process, and the evidence presented to readers.
Originality
Plagiarism, duplicate submission & image integrity
Submissions are screened for similarity. Unattributed copying, redundant publication, simultaneous submission, fabrication, and inappropriate image manipulation are not acceptable. Authors may be asked for original or uncropped image files during review.
Reviewers
Confidential, constructive review
Reviewers should provide evidence-based feedback, preserve manuscript confidentiality, disclose conflicts promptly, and use respectful language. Unpublished material must not be used for personal advantage.
AI use
Responsible use of artificial intelligence
Authors must disclose generative-AI use in text, analysis, figures, or datasets and remain responsible for accuracy. Reviewers and editors must not upload manuscripts to public AI tools. AI-related data provenance, licensing, and bias considerations should be documented where relevant.
Representation
Inclusive, respectful reporting
Use non-stigmatising language, report sex and gender accurately, and describe ancestry, race, and ethnicity with appropriate scientific and sociocultural care.
After a decision or publication
Editorial responsibility continues after a manuscript is assessed. The journal provides routes for appeals, concerns, corrections, and substantive scholarly discussion.
Appeals
Appeals & complaints
Authors may submit a reasoned appeal or concern to the editorial office. Appeals are assessed by an editor not involved in the original decision where appropriate.
Record
Corrections, retractions & expressions of concern
Reported errors, ethical concerns, or data inconsistencies are evaluated using COPE-aligned processes. Corrections, errata, retractions, and expressions of concern are linked to the affected article when issued.
Dialogue
Post-publication dialogue
Evidence-based letters and scholarly responses should identify the relevant article DOI. Authors may respond with clarifications or follow-up analyses.
Updates
Policy revisions
JCGB reviews its policies as ethical, legal, and scientific standards develop. Significant changes affecting active submissions are communicated to authors.
Need a policy clarification?
For an editorial-policy question, an appeal, or a post-publication concern, contact the JCGB editorial office at [email protected]. For manuscript preparation, review the Author Instructions before starting a submission.
Prepare your manuscript with the policies in view.
Use the Author Instructions to check reporting, ethics, data availability, and submission requirements before uploading your files.