Ethical Considerations and Editorial Policies

1. Adherence to ICMJE Recommendations:

• PRISM adheres to the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journal produced by the International Committee on Medical Journal Ethics (ICMJE).

• Manuscripts meeting ICMJE Recommendations will be accepted for review, with the understanding that PRISM may stipulate revisions based on its specific policies.

2. Authorship:

• Authorship designation requires substantial contributions in conception, design, acquisition, analysis, interpretation of data, drafting, revising critically, final approval, and accountability for the work.

• Eligibility criteria for the first author include current enrollment in an American or Canadian graduate health professional program or recent graduation with a majority of the work completed as a student.

• Shared first authorship is allowed, with clear designation methods outlined in the Author Contributions section.

3. Prior and Duplicate Publication:

• PRISM publishes only original content and maintains a no-prior-publication policy.

• Manuscripts under consideration must not be previously published or concurrently submitted elsewhere, with exceptions for specific situations outlined in the guidelines.

4. Conflicts of Interest and Disclosures:

• Disclosures of conflicts of interest, including financial disclosures, are required for all submissions.

• PRISM lists study sponsorship and posts online disclosure forms for primary research articles.

• Editors assess the relevance and significance of disclosed conflicts of interest to maintain the journal's integrity.

Editorial Processes

1. Appeals:

• Authors can appeal editorial decisions by submitting a written request detailing the case for publication.

• The inclusion of new referees in the review process is generally discouraged but may be considered based on a sound argument or complaint against original referees.

2. Corrections/Errata:

• Corrections are accepted for errors in published articles and submitted through the journal's submission system.

• Authors are encouraged to report errors introduced during the publishing process.

3. Embargo:

• PRISM does not impose an embargo on discussions of published articles between acceptance and publication.

4. Publication Online Ahead of Print:

• Articles are published online ahead of print, with special issues potentially having print publication.

5. Editor and Staff Submissions:

• Individuals involved in PRISM's production may submit articles but must adhere to the same technical and editorial standards.

• Double-blind peer review is employed, ensuring fairness, and disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is mandatory.

Open Access, Copyright, and Permissions

1. Open Access:

• All articles are open access, published under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License, with authors retaining copyright.

2. Compliance with Funding Agency Requirements:

• Funding sources must be clearly stated, and articles automatically fulfill accessibility requirements for various funding bodies.

Research Ethics

1. Studies Involving Human and Animal Subjects:

• Studies must comply with ethical guidelines, with explicit approval information required for human and animal subject research.

• Identifiable human data must be handled with care, and informed consent is mandatory.

2. Inclusion of Identifiable Human Data:

• Nonessential identifiable data must be omitted unless informed consent for publication is obtained.

Complete Instructions for Authors

1. Components Required:

• Manuscripts must include a concise title, author information, statement of significance, limitations statement, structured disclosure statement, and adhere to AMA Manual of Style for references.

2. Submission Types:

• PRISM accepts Original Research Articles, Brief Communications on Original Research, Case Reports, Innovation Reports, Literature Reviews, Methods Papers, Commentaries, Perspectives, Letters to the Editor, and submissions in the Humanities and Ethics section.

3. Submitting a Manuscript:

• Authors should review the submission checklist and follow instructions for preparing a manuscript, including registering on the online portal.

4. Manuscript Processing:

• Submissions undergo initial processing, review, and double-blind peer review. Decisions include requesting revisions, acceptance, or rejection.

5. Rejected Manuscripts:

• Authors may appeal rejections by presenting their case in writing. Rejected manuscripts may be suggested for submission to other journals.

6. Editing and Proofs:

• Accepted manuscripts undergo copyedits, and authors review proofs before publication.

7. Reprints:

• PRISM, being an online, open-access journal, does not require reprints, but special requests for hard or digital copies can be accommodated.

8. Advertising:

1. PRISM does not allow advertising on its website or in any submissions.

These guidelines are subject to periodic review and updates. Authors are encouraged to consult the latest version before submitting manuscripts to PRISM.