Kmed Journal adheres to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria for authorship. To qualify as an author, an individual must meetall four of the following criteria:

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content
3. Final approval of the version to be published
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved

All persons designated as authors must meet all four criteria, and all who meet the four criteria should be identified as authors. Those who do not meet all four criteria should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section.

The following authorship practices are strictly prohibited:

• Improper authorship: Listing individuals as authors who do not meet all ICMJE criteria (e.g., department heads who did not contribute substantively)
• Gift authorship: Granting authorship as a favour or in expectation of reciprocal authorship
• Ghost authorship: Excluding individuals who made substantial contributions from the author list
• Guest authorship: Including individuals solely for the perceived prestige or credibility they might bring

Any instances of inappropriate authorship that come to light will be investigated according to COPE guidelines and may result in rejection or retraction.

The corresponding author is the primary contact for the editorial office and is responsible for:

• Ensuring all listed authors have approved the final manuscript and agreed to its submission
• Communicating with all co-authors throughout the review and publication process
• Ensuring that all co-authors have disclosed conflicts of interest
• Managing all correspondence with the journal during submission, review, and publication
• Ensuring proper acknowledgement of all contributors

Changes to the authorship list after submission (additions, deletions, or reordering) are handled with great caution. Any request for authorship changes must be accompanied by:

• A letter signed byall authors, including the individual proposed for removal, agreeing to the change
• A detailed explanation of the reason for the change
• Evidence that the change is justified by the ICMJE criteria

Changes after acceptance are rarely permitted. Authorship disputes are referred to the authors' institutions for resolution.

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in the Acknowledgements section, with their specific contribution described. This includes:

• Technical assistance or data collection
• Writing assistance or language editing
• Administrative support
• Financial or material support

All individuals listed in the Acknowledgements must give written permission to be named.

Note: These policies are subject to periodic review and update. Authors, reviewers, and readers should check this page for the most current version. Material changes to policies will be announced via the journal website and communicated to registered users. For questions or clarifications about any policy, please contact the editorial office at support@kmedjournals.com.