Advertising Policy

1.0 POLICY STATEMENT

The Gazette of Medicine (TGM) recognizes that responsible advertising may provide financial support for journal operations while maintaining the highest standards of editorial independence, scientific integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing. We committed to ensuring that advertising, sponsorship, and promotional activities do not influence editorial decisions, peer review processes, publication outcomes, or the scientific content of the journal. Advertisements shall be clearly distinguishable from editorial content and shall comply with applicable legal, ethical, and professional standards. The acceptance of an advertisement does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or approval of the advertiser, product, service, institution, or claims made therein by TGM, ARD-UPTH, the Editorial Board, reviewers, or affiliated institutions.

2.0 PURPOSE

This policy aims to:

· Safeguard the editorial independence and scientific credibility of TGM.

· Establish standards for the review, acceptance, publication, and removal of advertisements.

· Prevent conflicts of interest between advertisers and editorial activities.

· Protect readers, authors, reviewers, and stakeholders from misleading, deceptive, or unethical advertising.

· Promote transparency and accountability in all advertising relationships.

3.0 SCOPE

This policy applies to:

· Print advertisements

· Online advertisements

· Website banner advertisements

· Sponsored announcements

· Conference promotions

· Educational program advertisements

· Recruitment advertisements

· Sponsored supplements

· Digital marketing materials associated with TGM

· Email marketing campaigns conducted through TGM platforms

4.0 GUIDING PRINCIPLES

All advertising activities in TGM shall adhere to the following principles:

4.1 Editorial Independence

· Editorial decisions shall be based solely on:

· Scientific merit

· Methodological rigor

· Originality

· Relevance to the journal's scope

· Ethical compliance

Advertising relationships shall have no influence on manuscript submission, peer review, editorial decisions, acceptance, rejection, publication timing, or article placement.

4.2 Transparency

Advertisements shall be clearly identified as promotional material and shall never be disguised as editorial, scholarly, or peer-reviewed content.

4.3 Scientific Integrity

The scientific integrity of TGM shall take precedence over commercial interests at all times. Advertisements shall not compromise the quality, credibility, or independence of published content.

4.4 Ethical Responsibility

TGM shall only accept advertisements that promote ethical, lawful, and evidence-based products, services, and activities.

5.0 ACCEPTABLE ADVERTISING CATEGORIES

TGM may accept advertisements related to:

5.1 Healthcare and Medicine

· Medical equipment and devices

· Diagnostic tools

· Healthcare technologies

· Hospital and laboratory services

· Telemedicine solutions

5.2 Academic and Professional Development

· Medical conferences

· Scientific meetings

· Workshops and seminars

· Continuing Medical Education (CME)

· Professional certification programs

· Academic publishing services

5.3 Educational Institutions

· Universities

· Medical schools

· Residency and fellowship programs

· Postgraduate training opportunities

5.4 Health Publications

· Medical books

· Journals

· Clinical guidelines

· Educational resources

5.5 Recruitment Advertisements

· Medical job vacancies

· Fellowship opportunities

· Academic appointments

· Research positions

5.6 Public Health Campaigns

· Government-approved health campaigns

· Non-profit health promotion initiatives

· Disease prevention programs

Advertisements must be relevant to the interests of healthcare professionals, researchers, academics, policymakers, and students.

6.0 PROHIBITED ADVERTISEMENTS

The Gazette of Medicine shall not accept advertisements that:

6.1 Misleading Claims

· Make false or exaggerated claims

· Contain unsubstantiated medical assertions

· Misrepresent scientific evidence

· Promote miracle cures

6.2 Harmful Products

· Advertisements promoting:

· Tobacco products

· E-cigarettes and vaping products

· Recreational drugs

· Illegal substances

Unregulated health products shall not be accepted.

6.3 Offensive Content

Advertisements containing ;Hate speech, discrimination, harassment, defamatory statements, offensive imagery, obscene material shall be rejected.

6.4 Political Advertising

Political campaign advertisements, partisan political messaging, election-related promotions are not allowed unless directly relevant to public health policy and approved by the Editorial Board.

6.5 Predatory Academic Services

Advertisements promoting: Predatory journals, paper mills, ghostwriting services, fake conferences, fraudulent academic credentials shall be prohibited.

6.6 Conflicting Healthcare Practices

Advertisements promoting interventions that contradict established medical evidence or accepted public health standards shall not be accepted.

7.0 PHARMACEUTICAL AND MEDICAL DEVICE ADVERTISING

Advertisements for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and healthcare technologies must:

· Comply with applicable laws and regulations.

· Provide evidence of registration or approval by relevant regulatory authorities where applicable.

· Present information that is accurate, balanced, and evidence-based.

· Avoid misleading efficacy or safety claims.

Include appropriate risk information where necessary.

The Gazette of Medicine reserves the right to request supporting documentation before publication.

8. 0 ADVERTISEMENT REVIEW AND APPROVAL

8.1 Review Process

All advertisements shall undergo review before publication.

The review may assess:

scientific accuracy, ethical compliance, legal compliance, relevance to the journal audience

Potential conflicts of interest

8.2 Authority

The Editor-in-Chief and/or designated Publishing Committee shall have final authority regarding:

· Acceptance

· Modification

· Rejection

· Removal

of advertisements.

8.3 Right of Refusal

TGM reserves the right to reject any advertisement without obligation to provide detailed justification.

9.0  SEPARATION OF ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL CONTENT

To preserve reader trust:

9.1 Advertising Separation

Advertisements shall:

· Be visually distinct from editorial content.

· Be clearly marked as "Advertisement," "Sponsored Content," or similar designation.

· Not appear within the body of peer-reviewed articles.

· Not interfere with article readability or scientific interpretation.

9.2 Editorial Independence

Advertisers shall not:

· Influence article selection.

· Influence peer review.

· Access confidential manuscript information.

· Influence editorial decisions.

· Influence publication schedules.

10. SPONSORED CONTENT AND SUPPLEMENTS

Any sponsored supplement, special issue, or sponsored content must:

· Be clearly identified as sponsored.

· Disclose funding sources.

· Undergo independent editorial review.

· Comply with TGM's ethical and scientific standards.

The sponsor shall have no authority over editorial decisions regarding publication content.

11. CONFLICT OF INTEREST MANAGEMENT

TGM recognizes that advertising can create actual or perceived conflicts of interest. Appropriate safeguards shall therefore be maintained.

11.1 Editorial Staff

Editors and reviewers shall:

· Not participate in advertising sales.

· Not receive incentives linked to advertising revenue.

· Disclose relevant conflicts of interest.

11.2 Advertisers

Advertisers shall not:

· Participate in peer review.

· Influence editorial policy.

· Gain preferential publication treatment.

12. DIGITAL ADVERTISING

Online advertisements shall:

· Be clearly labeled.

· Not collect personal information without consent.

· Not contain malicious software.

· Not interfere with website functionality.

· Not redirect users to unsafe or deceptive websites.

Pop-up advertisements and intrusive advertising formats shall generally be avoided.

13.0 DATA PRIVACY AND USER PROTECTION

Any advertiser collecting personal information through linked websites must comply with applicable privacy and data protection laws.

The Gazette of Medicine is not responsible for privacy practices on third-party advertiser websites.

14.0 DISCLAIMER

Publication of an advertisement does not imply:

· Endorsement by TGM;

· Endorsement by ARD-UPTH;

· Endorsement by editors, reviewers, authors, or affiliated institutions;

· Verification of all advertiser claims.

Advertisers bear sole responsibility for the accuracy, legality, and compliance of their advertising content.

15.0 COMPLAINTS AND REPORTING

Readers, authors, reviewers, and stakeholders may submit complaints regarding advertising content.

Complaints should include:

· Description of concern

· Advertisement identification

· Supporting evidence (where available)

The Editorial Board shall investigate complaints and may:

· Request corrections

· Suspend advertisements

· Remove advertisements

Restrict future advertising by the advertiser where warranted.

16.0 SANCTIONS

Violation of this policy may result in:

· Advertisement rejection

· Advertisement withdrawal

· Suspension of advertising privileges

· Permanent exclusion from future advertising opportunities

· Notification of relevant regulatory authorities where necessary

17.0 POLICY REVIEW

This Advertising Policy shall be reviewed periodically by the Editorial Board of The Gazette of Medicine to ensure alignment with international publishing ethics standards, including principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and evolving scholarly publishing best practices.

CONTACT

The Editor-in-Chief

The Gazette of Medicine (TGM)

Journal of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD-UPTH)

University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH)

Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Email: [Insert Official Journal Email]

Website: [Journal Website]

Approved by: Editorial Board, The Gazette of Medicine