Editorial policies

Editorial policies

Editorial policies

This page brings together the editorial policies of the Brazilian Journal of Health and Pharmacy (BJHP, electronic ISSN 2596-321X). The mission, scope, typology of works, publication workflow and submission languages are described on the Aims and Scope page. The organisation, operation and general guidelines of the journal are governed by Deliberação CRF-MG nº 5/2026, publicly available on the Transparência portal.

Open and Free Access

The BJHP is a freely accessible electronic journal. It provides immediate open access to its content, in accordance with the principles of Open Science, on the understanding that making scientific knowledge freely available promotes wider democratisation of learning.

All published content is available without embargo and without any requirement of registration, subscription or payment, allowing anyone to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, index, transmit as data to software or use the full texts for any lawful purpose, under the terms of the licence adopted by the journal.

Publication Fees and Charges

The BJHP does not charge fees at any stage of the editorial process. There are no submission, review, copy-editing or publication fees, nor Article Processing Charges (APCs) or equivalent charges, for scientific articles or technical notes.

Authors of scientific articles and technical notes published in the BJHP retain full and unrestricted copyright and publishing rights over their works. Submission to and publication in the BJHP do not entail assignment, transfer or exclusive licensing of economic copyright to the journal or to the Conselho Regional de Farmácia do Estado de Minas Gerais (Regional Pharmacy Council of the State of Minas Gerais, CRF/MG).

Accepted works are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence, applied by the authors themselves as rights holders. The licence allows anyone to copy, redistribute, adapt and transform the content, including for commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the authors, that the link to the original publication in the BJHP is indicated, and that any changes made are stated.

The BJHP publishes previously unpublished works. On submission, authors declare that the work has not been previously published in another journal and is not under simultaneous consideration elsewhere. This condition does not create subsequent exclusivity: once published, the work remains under the authors' ownership and under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 licence.

Authors may enter into separate, additional contracts for the non-exclusive distribution of the published version, and may deposit it in digital repositories, academic social networks and personal or institutional pages, under the terms set out in the Repository Deposit and Self-Archiving Policy.

Publication is governed by Lei nº 9.610/1998 (Brazilian Copyright Act).

Repository Deposit and Self-Archiving Policy

The BJHP authorises the deposit and self-archiving of submitted and published works in institutional repositories, subject repositories, preprint servers, academic social networks, personal pages and institutional pages, with no requirement of prior permission, no embargo period and no restriction as to the repository chosen by the authors.

This authorisation covers the three versions of the work, as set out below.

Submitted version (preprint)

The manuscript in the form in which it was sent to the BJHP, before peer review. Deposit is permitted at any time, including before submission. Prior posting on recognised preprint servers does not constitute previous publication and does not preclude submission to the BJHP. Authors are encouraged to update the preprint record with the full reference and the DOI of the published version once the work has been accepted.

Accepted version (author accepted manuscript)

The manuscript following peer review and incorporation of the requested changes, before final copy-editing. Deposit is permitted immediately upon notification of the acceptance decision, without embargo. Authors are encouraged to indicate that the file is the accepted version and to add the reference to the published version as soon as it becomes available.

Published version (version of record)

The final copy-edited file published by the BJHP. Deposit is permitted immediately upon publication, without embargo, in any repository or platform, given that the published version is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

Applicable conditions

For all deposited versions, authors must state the full bibliographic reference of the publication in the BJHP, include the DOI assigned to the work and retain the indication of the CC BY 4.0 licence. Wherever possible, the deposit should link to the published version on the journal's website.

This policy constitutes the official statement of the BJHP on repository deposit and self-archiving, for the purposes of registration in directories of editorial policies and in indexing databases.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

The BJHP recognises that generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools may assist certain stages of scientific and technical-scientific production, such as support for language editing, organisation of ideas, preliminary translation, synthesis of information, preparation of visual materials and improvement of textual clarity. Their use must observe the principles of research integrity, transparency, authorial responsibility, confidentiality, personal data protection, respect for copyright and preservation of human authorship.

This policy is grounded in Portaria CNPq nº 2.664, of 6 March 2026, which establishes the CNPq Policy on Integrity in Scientific Activity; in Lei nº 13.709/2018 (Brazilian General Data Protection Law); in Lei nº 9.610/1998 (Brazilian Copyright Act); and in other ethical and editorial standards applicable to scholarly communication.

Use by authors

The use of GAI tools by authors is not prohibited by the BJHP, provided that it is ethical, transparent, responsible and compatible with research integrity. Authors who use GAI at any stage in the preparation of a scientific article or technical note must declare such use at the time of submission, stating at least:

  • the tool used;
  • the purpose of the use;
  • the stage at which it was employed;
  • how the generated content was reviewed, verified and validated by the authors.

The declaration must appear in the cover letter and, where relevant, in a specific section of the manuscript or technical note, at the discretion of the Editorial Board. The use of GAI does not replace the authors' responsibility for the submitted content. Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, technical and scientific validity, ethical adequacy, bibliographic references, data, images, interpretations, recommendations and conclusions presented in the work. GAI tools may not be listed as authors or co-authors, since they do not assume public responsibility for the content, are not accountable for the integrity of the work and do not meet the authorship criteria adopted by the BJHP. The submission of text, images, tables, data, references, analyses, recommendations or any other GAI-generated content as though it were exclusively human production, without adequate declaration of its use, is prohibited.

The use of GAI is likewise prohibited in order to:

  • fabricate, alter or manipulate data, images, results, citations or references;
  • create non-existent or inaccurate bibliographic references;
  • replace the authors' critical analysis, scientific interpretation or professional judgement;
  • conceal plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication or improper use of sources;
  • produce content that infringes copyright, confidentiality, privacy, personal data protection or applicable ethical standards.

Where the work involves personal data, sensitive data, information on research participants, medical records, confidential institutional documents or information protected by confidentiality, authors must not enter such material into GAI tools without a legal basis, institutional authorisation and adequate safeguards for security, privacy and data protection, in accordance with the legislation in force.

Failure to declare the use of GAI, when identified during the editorial process, may result in a request for clarification, return of the work for correction, rejection of the submission or other appropriate editorial measures. When identified after publication, it may give rise to the publication of a correction, an editorial statement, a retraction or other measures provided for in the BJHP policies.

Use by reviewers and editors

Manuscripts, technical notes, review reports, data, supplementary documents and other materials received in the editorial process are confidential. Reviewers and editors must preserve the confidentiality of the information to which they have access during editorial assessment.

The use of GAI tools by reviewers to prepare review reports is not recommended by the BJHP. Reviewers must not enter manuscripts, technical notes, excerpts of the work, data, images, results, supplementary documents or any confidential information into external GAI tools, particularly where there are no institutional guarantees of privacy, information security and non-retention of data.

Editorial assessment and peer review must remain under human responsibility. GAI tools must not replace the critical, technical, scientific, ethical and editorial judgement of reviewers and editors.

Should any GAI resource exceptionally be used in supporting editorial activity, such use must respect the principles of confidentiality, transparency, impartiality, personal data protection, copyright and human responsibility, without compromising the confidentiality of the peer review process or the autonomy of the editorial decision.

Reviewers and editors remain responsible for the content of the review reports, recommendations and editorial decisions issued within the scope of the BJHP.

Author Responsibility

The content, data, interpretations, recommendations and opinions expressed in scientific articles and technical notes submitted to or published in the BJHP are the sole responsibility of their authors and do not necessarily express the opinion of the CRF/MG or of the Editorial Board of the BJHP. It is the authors' responsibility to ensure the originality of the work, the accuracy of the information presented and compliance with the journal's guidelines, including those relating to the use of GAI.

The BJHP reserves the right to refuse or to retract, at any time, manuscripts or technical notes containing content or language of a racist, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic, ableist or otherwise discriminatory nature, or that are incompatible with the ethical, scientific and editorial principles of the journal.

The corresponding author assumes responsibility for the submission, for the integrity and accuracy of the information presented, for the ethical and legal compliance of the work, for declaring any use of GAI, and for ensuring that the other authors are aware of and agree with the submitted content and the documents sent to the BJHP.

Plagiarism and Textual Similarity

All manuscripts and technical notes submitted to the BJHP undergo originality checks and textual similarity detection, using dedicated software, before being sent to reviewers. It is the corresponding author's responsibility to ensure the originality of the work, the appropriate citation of the sources used and compliance with the copyright legislation in force, as well as to ensure that textual authorship has not been delegated to unauthorised GAI tools.

Works showing evidence of plagiarism, undeclared self-plagiarism, improper reproduction of third-party content, inappropriate manipulation of citations or textual similarity incompatible with the journal's editorial standards may be rejected at any stage of the editorial process. High levels of textual similarity, particularly above 20%, will be assessed by the handling associate editor, taking into account the nature of the text, the extent of the matching passages, the presence of appropriate citations, the use of standardised methodological wording and any overlap with the authors' own previous works.

Figures, tables, charts, photographs, illustrations or other previously published or third-party materials may only be used where there is express authorisation from the copyright holder, a compatible use licence or evidence of public domain status, and the source must be duly indicated. Where materials are taken from image banks, digital platforms, web pages, books, articles or technical outputs, authors must comply with Lei nº 9.610/1998 and other applicable rules, this requirement extending to artificially generated graphic resources.

Figures, tables and charts should preferably be original and produced by the authors themselves. Where third-party material is used, its inclusion must be justified, limited to what is strictly necessary and accompanied by the corresponding authorisation or evidence of a use licence, where applicable.

Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest may arise when authors, reviewers or editors have interests, relationships or affiliations, whether declared or not, that may influence, or be perceived as capable of influencing, the preparation, assessment or editorial decision-making on scientific articles and technical notes submitted to the BJHP. Such conflicts may be personal, commercial, political, academic, institutional or financial in nature.

On submitting a scientific article or technical note, authors are responsible for recognising and declaring any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest related to the work, including personal, professional, institutional, academic, political or commercial affiliations that may have influenced its development, writing, interpretation or presentation. The deliberate omission of potential conflicts of interest constitutes an ethical breach and may lead to rejection of the manuscript or retraction of the publication.

All sources of funding, institutional support, scholarships, sponsorships, consultancy work, provision of services, receipt of fees, supply of materials, medicines, equipment, software, technical support or any other support received from funding agencies, public or private institutions, professional organisations, associations, companies or commercial entities, including pharmaceutical industries, laboratories, clinics, private hospitals, pharmacies and drugstores, must be declared. Where no conflicts of interest exist, authors must include an explicit statement to that effect in the manuscript, in accordance with the BJHP template.

Where the scientific article or technical note derives from an undergraduate final project, dissertation, thesis, institutional project, technical report or activity linked to a course, programme, service or institution, this origin must be stated in the manuscript, with mention of the corresponding institution. The supervisor or coordinator of the work must be included as an author whenever they meet the authorship criteria adopted by the BJHP, particularly where they have contributed substantially to the conception, design, methodological guidance, analysis, interpretation of data, writing or critical revision of the intellectual content of the manuscript.

Should authors have any doubts as to what may constitute a potential conflict of interest, they should contact the BJHP Administrative Secretariat before or during the submission process.

Editors and reviewers must likewise declare any conflict of interest that may influence, or be perceived as capable of influencing, their assessment or editorial decision. Where the conflict compromises their impartiality, the editor or reviewer must recuse themselves from taking part in the assessment of or decision on the manuscript.

Editorial Responsibility

Editorial decisions at the BJHP are the responsibility of its Editorial Board, with the support of the CRF/MG editorial team, and are based exclusively on criteria of originality, relevance, methodological quality and adherence to the journal's scope. The composition, qualification criteria, terms of office and responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief, the Associate Editors, the Editorial Advisory Council and the Guest Editors are defined in Deliberação CRF-MG nº 5/2026 and presented on the Editorial Board page. Editorial and administrative contact channels are available on the Contact page.

Publication of the BJHP is funded in full by the CRF/MG.

Digital Preservation

The BJHP applies digital preservation procedures to its content, with published articles archived in the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN), ensuring the integrity and long-term accessibility of the journal's publications, in accordance with Article 5, paragraph 2, of Deliberação CRF-MG nº 5/2026.

Persistent Identifiers and ORCID

Each article published by the BJHP is assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) through Crossref, which is stated in the bibliographic reference of the work. An ORCID record is required from all authors and co-authors at the time of submission, in accordance with the Author Submission Guide.

Publication Ethics and Editorial Integrity

The BJHP follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in handling matters of publication ethics and editorial integrity. Cases of misconduct, including plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, improper authorship, duplicate publication and undeclared conflicts of interest, are investigated by the Editorial Board. Where necessary, the journal adopts post-publication correction measures, such as errata, correction notices, expressions of concern or retractions.