Editorial Policy

 TMJ EDITORIAL POLICY

Introduction

The Tanzania Medical Journal (TMJ) is a peer-reviewed, open-access medical journal committed to advancing health and medical knowledge relevant to Tanzania, East Africa, and the wider African region. The journal publishes high-quality original research, scholarly reviews, case reports, clinical perspectives, and commentaries that inform clinical practice, health systems strengthening, medical education, and public health policy.

TMJ is managed, and published by the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), serving as an academic platform for disseminating scientific work from Tanzania and the global health community. The journal is dedicated to fostering rigorous, ethical, and contextually relevant scholarship that contributes to improved health outcomes locally, regionally, and globally.

This Editorial Policy defines the principles and procedures guiding manuscript handling—from submission and peer review to editorial decision-making, publication, and post-publication updates. TMJ aligns its processes with internationally recognized standards, including the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices, ensuring integrity, transparency, and excellence across all stages of scholarly publishing.

Mission and Scope

TMJ’s mission is to promote evidence-based healthcare and strengthen health systems by disseminating robust, ethically conducted research originating from Tanzania, Africa, and beyond. The journal particularly welcomes research that addresses local and regional priorities, health equity, and implementation challenges in low - and middle-income country (LMIC) settings. TMJ publishes original research articles, short communications, review articles, case reports, clinical images, editorials, commentaries, perspectives, letters to the editor, and other scholarly contributions that fall within the broad fields of medicine, public health, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, laboratory sciences, and health policy.

Editorial Independence and Governance

TMJ maintains full editorial independence. Editorial decisions are made solely on the basis of the scientific quality, originality, clarity, and ethical integrity of the submitted work, regardless of the authors’ institutional affiliations, funding sources, or nationality. The Editor-in-Chief has ultimate responsibility for editorial content and journal decisions, supported by Associate Editors and the Editorial Board. Sponsors, advertisers, and partner institutions do not influence the selection, review, or publication of individual manuscripts.

Manuscript Types and Basic Limits

TMJ accepts the following manuscript types:

  • Original Research Articles (up to 4,000 words, excluding abstract, references, tables and figures)
  • Short Communications (up to 750 words)
  • Review Articles (up to 5,000 words, generally by invitation or pre-approved proposals)
  • Case Reports (up to 1,500 words; abstract up to 100 words)
  • Letters to the Editor (up to 450 words)
  • Editorials (up to 1,000 words, typically by invitation)
  • Obituaries and Tributes (up to 350 words)

Authors should consult the separate TMJ Author Guidelines for detailed formatting instructions for each article type.

Peer Review Process

General Principles

TMJ employs a double-blind peer review process: the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from each other. All submissions that pass initial editorial screening for scope, quality, and ethical compliance are sent to at least two independent expert reviewers. In the event of gross discordance between two reviewer’s outcomes, a tie-breaker review from a third reviewer is requested.  Where appropriate, an additional statistical review may be requested.

Reviewer Selection and Expectations

Reviewers are selected based on subject-matter expertise, publication record, and absence of conflicts of interest. They are expected to provide objective, constructive, and timely assessments of the work, focusing on scientific rigor, novelty, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s audience.

Possible Editorial Decisions

Following peer review and editorial assessment, decisions may include: accept; accept with minor revisions; revise and resubmit (major revisions); or reject. Revised manuscripts may be re-reviewed at the editor’s discretion. Final decisions rest with the Editor-in-Chief.

Reporting Guidelines

TMJ encourages adherence to appropriate reporting guidelines, such as Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) for randomized trials,
Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) for observational studies, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) for systematic reviews, Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (STARD) for diagnostic accuracy studies, and CARE for case reports. Authors should, where possible, include completed checklists as supplementary material.

Research Ethics and Regulatory Compliance

Human Participants

All research involving human participants must comply with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and local regulatory requirements. Manuscripts must clearly state that ethical approval was obtained from a recognized ethics review committee, including the name of the committee and approval number. Where required, clearance from the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) in Tanzania or equivalent national bodies must be reported. Informed consent (and assent where applicable) must be obtained from all participants or their legal guardians. Authors must describe how confidentiality and privacy were protected.

Patient Consent for Publication

For case reports, clinical images, or any content in which individuals might be identifiable, written consent for publication must be obtained from the patient or legal guardian and stated in the manuscript.

Animal Research

Studies involving animals must adhere to internationally accepted guidelines for animal welfare and must have prior approval from an appropriate institutional animal care and use committee. This approval must be reported in the manuscript.

Clinical Trials and Registration

Clinical trials must be prospectively registered in a publicly accessible trial registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov, Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR). The registration number should be included in the manuscript.

Authorship and Contributor Responsibilities

TMJ follows the ICMJE authorship criteria. To qualify as an author, individuals must meet all of the following conditions:

  • Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data;
  • Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content;
  • Final approval of the version to be published; and
  • Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Those who do not meet all four criteria should be acknowledged but not listed as authors (e.g., data collectors, funders, general supervision). TMJ recommends the use of the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) to describe each author’s contribution.

Ghost authorship, guest authorship, and honorary authorship are unacceptable and constitute publication misconduct.

Conflicts of Interest and Funding Transparency

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence the work or its evaluation. Authors must provide a funding statement specifying all sources of financial and in-kind support and clarifying the role of funders in study design, data collection, analysis, manuscript preparation, and decision to publish. Editors and reviewers with conflicts of interest related to a manuscript will recuse themselves from the review and decision-making process.

Plagiarism, Data Integrity, and Misconduct

TMJ is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity. All submissions are screened for plagiarism and inappropriate text reuse using similarity-detection software. Plagiarism; fabrication or falsification of data; inappropriate image manipulation; redundant or duplicate publication; and undisclosed conflicts of interest are considered serious breaches of ethics. When potential misconduct is suspected, TMJ will follow COPE flowcharts and procedures, which may include requesting explanations from authors, consulting institutions, or retracting publications. Sanctions may include rejection of manuscripts, retraction of published articles, and/or temporary or permanent bans on future submissions.

Data Sharing, Transparency, and Reproducibility

TMJ encourages transparency and reproducibility in research. All manuscripts must include a Data Availability Statement specifying whether data are available, where they are stored, and under what conditions they may be accessed. When feasible and ethically permissible, datasets and analytic code should be shared via reputable repositories, with appropriate safeguards for confidentiality and local regulatory requirements. Authors should clearly describe methods and analyses in sufficient detail to allow replication by other researchers.

Use of Preprints and AI-Assisted Tools

Preprints

TMJ will consider manuscripts that have been previously posted on recognized preprint servers, provided that this is disclosed at submission and the preprint is appropriately cited. Authors are responsible for updating preprints with links to the published version once available.

AI-Assisted Writing and Tools

Authors must disclose any substantive use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools (e.g., for text generation, translation, or image creation) in the Methods or Acknowledgements section. AI tools cannot be credited as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all manuscript content.

Open Access, Copyright, and Licensing

Article Processing Charges (APCs) 

TMJ does not charge any APCs, submission fees, or publication fees. Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) fully supports the cost of maintaining the journal to promote open-access publication and equitable global access to scientific knowledge.

Advertising and Sponsorship Policy 

Advertising does not influence editorial decisions. TMJ only accepts ethical, health-related advertisements that align with public health values. Sponsored supplements, if any, undergo full independent peer review to ensure scientific integrity.

Misconduct Investigation Policy 

Investigations follow COPE flowcharts. Sanctions may include manuscript rejection, retraction, author bans, and institutional notification. TMJ investigates all concerns related to: 

  • Peer-review manipulation
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest
  • Unethical research practices
  • Image manipulation
  • Data fabrication/falsification
  • Plagiarism

Authorship Changes Post-Submission 

Changes after acceptance are only permitted under exceptional circumstances. Requests to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission must include: 

  • Editorial approval
  • Written consent from all authors (including those being added/removed)
  • A formal written request from the corresponding author

Duplicate and Redundant Publication 

Suspected duplication will be investigated using COPE procedures and may result in rejection, retraction, or author sanctions. TMJ prohibits duplicate submission, redundant publication, or “salami slicing.” Manuscripts must be original, not published elsewhere (except as a preprint), and not under consideration by any other journal. 

Archiving and Digital Preservation 

TMJ ensures long-term digital preservation through: 

  • Compatibility with LOCKSS/CLOCKSS digital preservation technologies
  • Secure offsite digital backups
  • DOI-based permanent indexing
  • MUHAS institutional repositories

Data and Materials Availability Policy 

To strengthen transparency and reproducibility, authors must provide a Data Availability Statement indicating whether data, analytic code, protocols, or supplementary materials are publicly available and where they may be accessed.  When sharing is restricted due to ethical or regulatory reasons, authors must state the justification and conditions under which data may be accessed.

Preprint Policy 

Preprints are not considered prior publication. TMJ accepts submissions that have been previously posted on reputable preprint servers, including medRxiv, bioRxiv, and Research Square. 

Authors must: 

  • Agree to update the preprint with the final published DOI once available
  • Provide the DOI or link to the preprint
  • Disclose preprint posting during submission

Version of Record 

The final published article constitutes the Version of Record. It is permanently archived, citable, and assigned a DOI. Minor errors may be corrected through correction notices, while major concerns may require expressions of concern or retractions, handled strictly under COPE guidelines.

Open Access Publishing Model 

TMJ operates under a fully open-access publishing model, ensuring that all published articles are freely accessible without subscription or access fees. This approach supports equitable dissemination of knowledge, especially for researchers and practitioners in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). TMJ is managed and published by the MUHAS.

Publishing Policies

TMJ’s publishing policies align with international standards used by leading global medical journals (ICMJE, COPE, WAME), and major publishers such as Elsevier, BMJ, Lancet, NEJM, and PLOS). These policies ensure transparency, quality, permanence, and ethical management of published scientific work. TMJ is an open-access journal. All articles are freely available online immediately upon publication. Unless otherwise stated, TMJ publishes work under the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Authors retain copyright of their work while granting TMJ a licence to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

TMJ is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in editorial decisions, peer review, and authorship. The journal actively encourages submissions from early-career researchers, women, and under-represented groups, particularly from Africa and other LMIC settings. TMJ supports equitable research partnerships and expects transparency in reporting the roles and contributions of local collaborators in multi-country studies.

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

The TMJ operates as a fully open-access journal and is managed and published by MUHAS. In alignment with MUHAS’s commitment to promoting equitable access to scientific knowledge, TMJ does not currently charge any Article Processing Charges (APCs), submission fees, or publication fees. TMJ aims to support researchers in Tanzania, the African region, and other low- and middle-income countries by removing financial barriers to publication. All costs associated with editorial management, peer review, production, online hosting, and archiving are fully supported by MUHAS.

Advertising and Sponsorship

Advertising and sponsorship do not influence editorial decisions. Any advertising content will be clearly distinguished from editorial content. TMJ does not accept advertisements for products or services that conflict with public health interests or ethical standards.

Privacy, Confidentiality, and Data Protection

TMJ treats all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must not disclose or use unpublished information from submissions for personal advantage. Personal data collected during submission and peer review are handled in accordance with applicable data protection regulations and are used only for editorial and publication purposes.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision may submit a reasoned appeal to the Editor-in-Chief. Appeals will be reviewed by an independent editor or external advisor not involved in the original decision. Complaints regarding editorial conduct, peer review, or publication ethics may be directed to the Editor-in-Chief, and, where relevant, handled in line with COPE guidance.

Submission Requirements and Editorial Timelines

Submissions to TMJ must include: the main manuscript; a cover letter; ethical approval documentation (where applicable); a completed authorship and conflict-of-interest declaration; high-quality tables and figures; and a Data Availability Statement. Detailed formatting and submission instructions are provided in the TMJ Author Guidelines. TMJ aims to acknowledge receipt of submissions within one-week, complete initial editorial screening within two weeks, and obtain peer-review reports within 6–8 weeks. Timelines may vary depending on reviewer availability and manuscript complexity, but the editorial office will strive to keep authors informed of significant delays.