The OncoDaily Medical Journal (ODMJ) is dedicated to publishing high-quality oncology research and scholarship that advances clinical practice, scientific understanding, and health policy. ODMJ is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct. Our policies are informed by widely recognized best-practice guidance, including the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT), and other relevant EQUATOR Network guidelines.

Editorial oversight and decision-making

ODMJ’s editorial team oversees the full publication process, including initial assessment, peer review, post-acceptance editing, production, and publication. All submissions are first evaluated by ODMJ editors to determine relevance to scope, originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and overall contribution to the field. A submission may be declined if it is outside of the scope or does not meet the journal’s standards, enabling timely decisions for authors and efficient use of peer review.

As a commitment to the integrity of the scientific record, ODMJ editors continue to scrutinize manuscripts throughout revision and production. After acceptance, manuscripts undergo technical and scientific editing to improve clarity, consistency, accuracy, and accessibility for an international readership. Editors may query authors on inconsistencies, ambiguities, or reporting gaps as part of this quality-control process. Editorial decisions are made independently and are never influenced by commercial interests, advertising, sponsorship, or reprint considerations.

ODMJ aims to provide an initial editorial decision (for example, send for external peer review or decline without external review) within 5 working days of submission, subject to completeness of files and required declarations.

ODMJ publishes articles on a continuous basis. Accepted papers are published online as soon as the editorial and production processes are complete, ensuring the timely dissemination of new evidence.

Peer review

ODMJ uses external peer review for original research and for other article types when independent expert evaluation is appropriate. Reviewer reports are intended to help editors make fair decisions and help authors improve their work, while the decision to publish remains the responsibility of the editors. ODMJ expects all parties involved in peer review to maintain the confidentiality of submitted material and reviewer comments.

Peer review is conducted in a double-blind model (identities of both the author and the reviewers are hidden from each other) to ensure an unbiased assessment, focusing solely on the manuscript’s merit, not the author’s reputation or affiliation. Subject-matter experts typically review research manuscripts, and a statistical review may be requested when methods or analyses require specialist assessment. For randomized controlled trials and other studies where protocols or statistical analysis plans are essential to evaluate validity, ODMJ may request these documents and provide them to reviewers to support a thorough assessment.

If revision is invited, the revised manuscript may be returned to reviewers for additional comment when warranted. Following peer review, manuscripts may be discussed among editors to ensure consistent decision-making and to evaluate scientific importance, methodological strength, and completeness of reporting.

For additional procedural detail, see Peer Review.

Non-research content

ODMJ publishes a range of non-research content (for example, editorials, commentaries, correspondence, and perspectives). Some non-research submissions may undergo external peer review, particularly when they include original data or potentially practice-influencing claims. All accepted content is subject to editorial review and editing for accuracy, balance, and clarity.

Authorship, contributorship, and accountability

Authorship must meet ICMJE criteria. Authors are expected to have made substantial contributions to the work, participated in drafting or critical revision, approved the final version, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work. ODMJ requires transparency about individual contributions and may request a contributorship statement describing each author’s role. Authors must ensure that all eligible contributors are appropriately credited and that no guest, honorary, or ghost authorship is present. Disputes or misrepresentations related to authorship are treated as serious ethical concerns.

For research reporting primary data, ODMJ expects that more than one author has had appropriate access to and responsibility for the underlying data and can vouch for the accuracy and completeness of the reporting. ODMJ may request clarification regarding data access, verification, or provenance when needed.

Disclosure of assistance, originality, and prior dissemination

Any medical writing support, editorial assistance, statistical support, or other substantive help must be transparently acknowledged, including the source of funding for such assistance when applicable.

Submitted work must be original, must not have been previously published in a peer-reviewed journal, and must not be under consideration elsewhere. Prior dissemination as a preprint, conference abstract, poster, or oral presentation may be acceptable, but it must be disclosed at submission, along with any relevant identifiers or citations.

Competing interests and funding transparency

Transparency about relationships and activities that could influence (or be perceived to influence) the work is essential for editors, reviewers, and readers. Authors must disclose all relevant financial and non-financial competing interests, as well as all sources of funding and the role of funders in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, writing, and the decision to submit. ODMJ may request additional details when disclosures raise questions about potential bias, and disclosures are published with accepted articles. Peer reviewers must disclose any potential competing interests or close personal/professional connections that could affect impartiality, and should decline review when conflicts are substantive.

Editors are expected to actively manage competing interests. Editors with conflicts relevant to a submission will recuse themselves from editorial assessment and decision-making for that manuscript.

Research ethics, approvals, and consent

For studies involving humans, authors must confirm that appropriate ethics committee approval was obtained and that informed consent was secured when required. Research must be conducted in accordance with recognized ethical principles and applicable regulations. Manuscripts must include sufficient details about ethics approval, oversight bodies, and consent procedures to allow readers to assess ethical compliance. Human research must follow the Declaration of Helsinki, with ethical committee approval and informed consent documentation.

For identifiable patient information or images, authors must confirm that explicit consent for publication has been obtained and that documentation can be provided upon request. For studies involving human biological materials, authors must describe the source, consent, and ethics oversight.

For animal studies, authors must confirm compliance with recognized standards for humane care and use and relevant national or institutional regulations. Animal research must comply with institutional/national guidelines and the ARRIVE guidelines. Authors must report ethical approval and protocol numbers.

Reporting standards, registration, and reproducibility expectations

ODMJ expects manuscripts to follow appropriate reporting guidelines based on study design (for example, CONSORT for randomized trials, PRISMA for systematic reviews, STROBE for observational studies, STARD for diagnostic accuracy studies, ARRIVE for animal studies, etc.). Clinical trials and other studies requiring registration should include registry information and registration identifiers.

Methods must be described with enough detail to support evaluation and replication. ODMJ may request protocols, analysis plans, or other supporting documentation when needed to assess validity.

Data availability, data sharing, and code availability

ODMJ supports responsible data sharing and transparency. When the dataset underlying a study is central to the claims, authors should provide a clear data availability statement describing what data are available, where they can be accessed, and under what conditions.

For research where custom code is central to the conclusions, authors must include a code availability statement explaining whether and how the code can be accessed, including any restrictions. If code or data cannot be shared, authors must provide a clear justification. ODMJ may request access to data or code during review when necessary to evaluate key claims, while recognizing that journals do not routinely host or store raw participant-level datasets.

Maintaining the integrity of the scientific record

ODMJ considers safeguarding the accuracy and reliability of the scholarly record a core editorial responsibility. When concerns arise about a published article, we aim to inform readers promptly and act transparently. Depending on the situation, ODMJ may issue (alone or in combination): Correspondence (including author replies), editorial discussion (e.g., Comment/Editorial note), a Correction, an Expression of Concern, a Retraction, or—when extensive amendments are needed—a Retraction and Republication.

Scientific debate and correspondence

ODMJ welcomes post-publication scientific discussion. Substantive responses may be considered for publication as Correspondence, and we may invite the original authors to reply so the exchange can be published in context.

Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Updates

ODMJ is committed to maintaining the integrity and reliability of the scientific record. If concerns are raised about a published article, we will assess them promptly and transparently, giving authors an opportunity to respond and, when needed, requesting supporting documentation (for example, original data) and consulting relevant experts or institutions. Depending on the nature and severity of the issue, ODMJ may publish a Correction, Addendum, Editor’s Note, Editorial Expression of Concern, Retraction, or—when extensive amendments are required—a Retraction and Republication. Post-publication scientific discussion is welcomed, and substantive responses may be considered for publication as Correspondence, including invited replies from the original authors when appropriate.

For full details, please see Corrections & Retractions Policy

Use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools

Generative AI and AI-assisted tools may be used only to improve readability and language, under full human oversight. Any use must be disclosed in the manuscript in a transparent statement describing what tool was used and for what purpose. AI tools cannot be listed as authors and cannot replace core researcher responsibilities, such as generating scientific insights, interpreting data, or concluding. Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of the work.

To protect confidentiality, authors and reviewers must not upload unpublished manuscript content or sensitive data into external AI systems in ways that compromise privacy, intellectual property, or participant confidentiality.

Handling of misconduct, complaints, and appeals

ODMJ takes concerns about research integrity seriously. Allegations of misconduct (including plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, unethical research practices, undisclosed competing interests, duplicate publication, or authorship manipulation) are assessed in line with established ethical guidance. ODMJ screens all submissions before peer review (and may re-screen at revision) for potential plagiarism, redundant/duplicate publication, and inappropriate image manipulation. Screening may include similarity-checking software and editorial assessment of figures. When concerns are identified, the editorial office may request original/raw data (for example, uncropped gels/blots or source images), seek clarification from the authors, and take action in line with COPE guidance, which may include rejection or post-publication corrections.

Manuscript Withdrawal Policy

Authors may request to withdraw a manuscript during the peer review process. In some cases, an administrative fee may apply. Withdrawals requested after acceptance or during production may be subject to full publication charges unless justified.

Post-publication policies and maintaining the scientific record

ODMJ is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scientific record after publication. If significant issues are identified, ODMJ may publish corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions depending on the nature and severity of the problem and the outcome of any investigation. The purpose of these actions is to alert readers and correct the literature, not to punish authors. ODMJ may also facilitate scientific debate through correspondence or invited commentary when appropriate.

Equity, diversity, and respectful communication

ODMJ evaluates submissions on scientific merit and relevance without regard to nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, ethnicity, religion, political belief, or other protected characteristics. ODMJ encourages respectful, precise, and inclusive language and expects authors to report demographic variables thoughtfully where relevant and methodologically justified. Imagery and descriptions should avoid stigmatizing framing and should be clinically accurate and context-appropriate.

ODMJ supports accurate and transparent reporting of sex and gender in research. We encourage authors to follow the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) Guidelines, which provide a structured approach to considering and reporting sex and gender in study design, analysis, outcome reporting, and interpretation, where relevant.

EASE Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) Guidelines

Copyright and open access

ODMJ publishes articles as open access under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. Authors retain copyright and allow unrestricted sharing and reuse with appropriate attribution. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce any third-party copyrighted material, where required.

For additional details, see Copyright and Licensing as well as Open Access pages.

Archiving and Preservation

All published articles are permanently archived and preserved in digital format. The journal is in the process of establishing a formal preservation arrangement with a recognized digital archive such as the Internet Archive or LOCKSS to ensure long-term accessibility.

These policies are in line with recently issued guidance from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

ICMJE Guidance Notice
ICMJE Recommendations: Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors