About the Journal

«Forensic Medical Examination» is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original articles covering issues of modern theory and practice of forensic medicine. The main goal is to create an effective platform for exchanging opinions and experiences, and to establish cooperation between leading scientists and practitioners in the field of forensic medicine, medical law, criminology, pathological anatomy, and related disciplines from various regions of Ukraine and the world.

The subject matter of the journal "Forensic Medical Examination" consists of previously unpublished articles not submitted for publication to any other publishers, containing original results of theoretical, experimental, or applied research covering issues of forensic medical examination, medical law, thanatology, traceology, forensic toxicology, pathological anatomy, biomedical technologies in criminology, and other related fields.

The editorial board maintains a position of open experience and continuously works to popularize the scientific achievements of its authors.

The medical scientific-practical journal "Forensic medical examination" was founded in December 2010.

Journal title transliteration: Sudovo-medychna ekspertyza (Online)

Abbreviated journal title: SME (Online)

Cluster: Biology, biotechnology, medicine, and rehabilitation

Specialties: I2 Medicine

Year of foundation: 2010

ISSN 2218-838X (Print), ISSN 2707-8728 (Online)

Certificate of State Registration series KV No. 25013-1453PR dated 03.09.2021

Printed media identifier in the Register of Media Entities R30-03649 according to the Decision of the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine dated 28.03.2024 No. 1037

Scope and Topics

Organization and development prospects of forensic medical examination in Ukraine

Controversial, current, and problematic issues

Medical law

Pathological anatomy

Original research

Analytical review articles

Case reports

New publications

Scientific life news (information about past and upcoming conferences)

Educational and methodological works

History pages and anniversaries

Peer Review Process

All articles undergo double-blind peer review.

The article must be checked for spelling and stylistic errors. The editorial board reserves the right to correct terminological and stylistic errors, remove illustrations that are not directly related to the text of the article, and shorten the text of the article.

Articles sent to authors for correction (e.g., in case of an incorrectly formatted reference list) must be returned to the editorial office no later than 10 days after receipt. Returning the article at a later date changes the original date of its submission, and it will be re-registered.

Materials that violate bioethical requirements, are incorrect in content, contain gross statistical errors that cannot be corrected, are returned to the authors. In case of a refusal to publish the article, a motivated letter is sent to the author. A copy of the article remains in the editorial archive in electronic form.

Adhering to ethical norms, the author is responsible for ensuring that the submitted manuscript is an original, previously unpublished work and is not submitted for publication to other journals. The list of authors includes only those who, in accordance with the ethical norms of the academic community, can be considered authors.

The journal's editorial office performs editing and translation of the full text of the article, the summary, and the extended summary for the Open Journal Systems (OJS) website from the original language into English by an English-language editor upon individual request by the author

DOUBLE-BLIND PEER REVIEW POLICY

          To ensure the objectivity of expert evaluation and maintain high standards of scientific publications, all materials submitted to the editorial board undergo a mandatory double-blind peer review procedure.

1. Basic Principles

  1. Platform for Work: submission of manuscripts, their review, and subsequent processing are carried out exclusively through the URAN online platform (Open Journal Systems). The use of this resource is mandatory to guarantee transparency, clear recording of all stages of work, and adherence to the principles of academic ethics. Manuscripts sent to the editorial email address will not be considered.
  2. Ensuring Anonymity in OJS: throughout the review process, the technical capabilities of the URAN platform make it impossible to identify the parties: reviewers are not disclosed the authors' details, and authors are not disclosed the reviewers' details.
    • For Authors: when uploading materials, it is necessary to remove any information indicating authorship from the text file. The OJS system automatically hides metadata from the registration form (names, place of work) from reviewers, if provided for by the journal's settings. Despite this, the responsibility for properly anonymizing the manuscript text lies with the author.
    • For Reviewers: the system guarantees that reviewers do not have access to information about the authors until the conclusion is provided.
  3. Number of Experts: each manuscript that successfully passes the initial screening is sent for evaluation to at least two external independent experts who are recognized specialists in the relevant field of knowledge.
  4. Timelines: the editorial board endeavors to conduct reviews promptly. A decision on whether to send the manuscript for external review is made within 1-2 weeks. The completion of the review process is estimated to take 4 to 8 weeks after the materials are sent to reviewers.

 2. Stages of Review

  1. Editorial Assessment: after submission via the website, the manuscript is analyzed by members of the editorial board for compliance with the journal's thematic scope, adherence to formatting rules, and checked for plagiarism. If the work does not meet the basic criteria or its scientific value is insufficient, the editorial board reserves the right to reject it without involving external reviewers to save the authors' time.
  2. Double-Blind Peer Review: upon successful completion of the initial screening, the Editor-in-Chief or Executive Secretary, using the URAN platform database, assigns the manuscript for review to at least two independent experts. The system's tools allow for assessing the qualifications of potential reviewers, their previous experience, and current workload. Invitations are sent automatically; the reviewer can accept or decline via the system interface. Experts receive the anonymized manuscript text (in PDF or HTML formats) and a standardized form to complete in OJS. The system clearly tracks deadlines: the review must be provided within 4 weeks. Automatic reminders about the approaching deadline help maintain the overall review schedule (4-8 weeks).
  3. Final Decision: based on the received reviewer reports and their own analysis, the editorial board, chaired by the Editor-in-Chief, makes one of the following decisions: accept the work for publication, return it for revision considering the comments, or reject it. The responsibility for the final decision lies with the Editor-in-Chief. The entire history of actions and comments is recorded in the system, creating a detailed audit trail, which is key to process transparency. The author receives a notification by email and can view the decision and the texts of the anonymous reviews in their personal account on the URAN platform.

 3. Obligations and Ethical Principles of Reviewers

  1. Confidentiality: manuscripts provided for review are confidential materials. Experts are prohibited from discussing their content with third parties or using the information obtained for their own purposes until official publication.
  2. Conflict of Interest Resolution: should any circumstances arise that could be interpreted as a potential conflict of interest (e.g., joint scientific work with the author, affiliation with the same institution, personal relationships), the reviewer is obliged to immediately inform the editorial board and decline to participate in the review if it could affect the impartiality of the conclusions.
  3. Impartiality and Constructiveness: the review must be based on objective, reasoned, and constructive comments. Personal attacks on the author are unacceptable. The expert should provide clear recommendations aimed at improving the quality of the research and the text.

 4. Requirements for Authors

  1. Ensuring Anonymity: when submitting the manuscript, authors must independently remove from the file and its properties all data that could identify them (names, affiliations, information about grants or acknowledgments). References to their own previous work should be phrased in the third person (e.g., "as was demonstrated previously [1]" instead of "as we showed in previous work [1]").
  2. Adherence to Academic Integrity: authors are obliged to strictly follow the journal's policy regarding authorship determination, avoiding conflicts of interest, and ensuring the uniqueness of the manuscript (simultaneous submission of materials to multiple publications is not permitted).

Publication Frequency

The journal is published in print with a frequency of 2 issues per year (once every 6 months). An identical full-text electronic version is published online after the release of the print version.

Open Access Policy

The "Forensic medical examination" journal practices an immediate open access policy to its published content, supporting the principles of free distribution of scientific information and global knowledge exchange for the sake of general social progress.

Users are permitted to read, download, copy, and distribute the content for educational and scientific purposes, provided that authorship is credited.

 Publication Ethics of the Scientific Journal "Forensic medical examination"

The activities of the "Forensic medical examination" journal are based on the principles of academic integrity, professional ethics, and adherence to international standards in scientific publishing. The editorial board, authors, reviewers, and publisher are committed to upholding the high ethical standards outlined below, which align with the recommendations of leading international organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) , https://publicationethics.org/, the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) https://www.wame.org , and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) https://www.icmje.org/ .

Duties of Authors

Originality and Research Integrity: Authors must submit only original work. Any borrowings must be accompanied by appropriate citations. Data fabrication, falsification of results, and plagiarism in any form are unacceptable.

Authorship: Only individuals who have made a significant contribution to the research and manuscript preparation may be included in the list of authors. All authors are collectively responsible for the content of the publication.

Conflict of Interest: Authors are obliged to disclose any financial or other conflicts of interest that could have influenced the results or interpretation of the research.

Ethics of Working with Research Subjects: For research involving humans or animals, authors must provide evidence of approval from the relevant bioethics committee and adherence to international ethical standards.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Authors are obliged to indicate the use of AI technologies in the preparation of the manuscript. Responsibility for the accuracy of the presented information, including the verification of bibliographic sources generated using AI, rests entirely with the authors.

Concurrent Submission: Submitting a manuscript that is under consideration by another publication is prohibited.

Duties of Reviewers

Objectivity and Constructiveness: Peer review must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is unacceptable. Comments should be reasoned and aimed at improving the quality of the publication.

Confidentiality: Any information obtained during the peer review process is confidential and may not be used by the reviewer for personal advantage.

Timeliness: Reviewers must inform the editorial office if they are unable to complete the review within the specified timeframe or if there is a conflict of interest that prevents an objective assessment.

Identification of Misconduct: A reviewer who identifies similarities between the submitted manuscript and another published work, or signs of plagiarism, must inform the Editor-in-Chief.

 Duties of the Editorial Board and Editor-in-Chief

Fairness and Impartiality: The editorial board evaluates manuscripts solely based on their scientific merit, without bias regarding the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or citizenship.

Confidentiality: The editorial board must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, and potential reviewers.

Decision-Making: The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the final decision regarding the publication of materials, made based on the reviewers' reports, the work's scientific significance, and its relevance to the journal's scope.

Conflict of Interest: The editorial board must avoid real or potential conflicts of interest between authors, reviewers, and members of the editorial board

Policy on Identified Ethical Violations

Complaints: The journal takes all allegations of ethical misconduct seriously. Complaints are reviewed by the editorial board and a specially created commission.

Investigation: Upon receiving evidence of misconduct (plagiarism, data fabrication, improper authorship, etc.), the editorial board takes all necessary measures to investigate, including contacting the authors' institutions.

Retraction: If a violation is confirmed after publication, the article may be retracted. Corresponding information about the retraction is posted on the journal's website and distributed to indexing databases. Retraction is a measure to correct the scientific record and prevent the dissemination of unreliable data.

Open Access Policy and Copyright

The "Forensic medical examination" journal adheres to an open access policy. All published articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses/ , which allows for the free use, distribution, and adaptation of the material provided the original work is properly cited. Authors retain the copyright to their work and grant the journal the right of first publication.

These principles are aimed at maintaining high standards of scientific publication, ensuring trust in the results of research in the field of forensic medicine, and protecting the rights of all participants in the publishing process.

         The scientific journal "Forensic Medical Examination" adheres to the diamond open access model, which provides free access to all publications for both authors and readers without any restrictions.

 1. General Principles of diamond open access policy:

  1. No Cost for Authors: the journal does not charge authors any fees for manuscript submission, review, editing, or publication (no submission fees or article processing charges, APC).
  2. No Cost for Readers: all journal content is fully accessible for reading, downloading, searching, or linking to the full texts of published articles without needing prior permission from the publisher or author.
  3. Compliance with International Standards: the journal's policy is developed in accordance with the principles of leading international organizations, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA).

 2. Copyright and Licensing

  1. Retention of Copyright: authors retain full copyright to their publications and do not transfer it to the publisher.
  2. Creative Commons License: all articles are published under the free Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0 International). This license allows third parties to freely distribute, edit, supplement, and use the materials for any purpose, provided proper attribution is given to the original work.
  3. Rights for Reuse: authors grant the journal non-exclusive rights for first publication, necessary for carrying out editorial and publishing procedures.

 3. Technical Standards and Infrastructure

  1. Persistent Identifiers (PID): the journal ensures that each published article is assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) through international registration agencies (CrossRef or DataCite) to ensure long-term referencing and discoverability of publications.
  2. ORCID: the editorial board recommends that authors use unique researcher identifiers (ORCID) for proper identification of authorship and affiliation.
  3. Metadata: all publications are accompanied by high-quality metadata in standard, compatible formats (including DOI, ISSN, license information, author data, and affiliations).

4. Long-Term Preservation and Archiving

  1. Archiving Strategy: the journal ensures long-term preservation of digital content through participation in international archiving programs, specifically the PKP Preservation Network (PN), CLOCKSS, http://forensic.bsmu.edu.ua/issue/archive, or through collaboration with institutional repositories: the "Intellectual Funds of BSMU" repository, Periodicals of BSMU http://dspace.bsmu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/6
  2. Self-Archiving: authors are permitted to deposit all versions of their articles (preprints, accepted manuscripts, published versions) in institutional or subject repositories, as well as on personal web pages, with a mandatory link to the version of the article on the journal's website via its DOI.

 5. Ethical Principles and Transparency

  1. Adherence to COPE Ethical Standards: the journal follows COPE recommendations on publication ethics for all participants in the publishing process — editors, reviewers, and authors. Any cases of academic integrity violations are handled according to COPE algorithms.
  2. Journal Funding: information regarding the funding sources and support of the journal is publicly available on the official website to ensure transparency.

POLICY ON THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN THE PREPARATION OF SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

 1. Introduction

This policy establishes clear rules regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-based tools (hereinafter – "AI tools") in the process of preparing and submitting scientific manuscripts. The goal is to ensure academic integrity, transparency, and author accountability, as well as adherence to principles set forth by leading international associations such as COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics), WAME (World Association of Medical Editors), and OASPA (Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association).

2. General Principles

Authors bear sole responsibility for the content of their scientific works, including those parts created using AI tools. The use of AI should be considered exclusively as an auxiliary tool that does not replace the researcher's critical thinking, intellectual contribution, and scientific judgment.

3. Permitted Use of AI Tools

Authors are permitted to use AI tools for the following purposes:

  1. Text Preparation and Optimization: improving the overall readability of the material, checking grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
  2. Literature Search: conducting preliminary searches for scientific sources and organizing bibliographies (with mandatory subsequent verification by the author).
  3. Stylistic Editing: improving sentence structure and style of presentation without altering the essence of the scientific content.
  4. Preliminary Formatting: bringing the manuscript structure into compliance with the journal's requirements.
  5. Generating Ideas or Hypotheses: using AI as an auxiliary tool in the initial stages of research work.

 4.Prohibited Use of AI Tools

Authors are strictly prohibited from:

  1. Generating Core Scientific Content: using AI to write the main sections of the manuscript, specifically the "Introduction," "Methodology," "Results," "Discussion," and "Conclusions." These sections must be the direct result of the authors' intellectual work.
  2. Creating, Analyzing, and Interpreting Data: generating simulated or falsified data, as well as their analysis and interpretation using AI without proper control and verification by the author.
  3. Generating Reference Lists: creating fabricated citations, bibliographic lists, or entries. All references suggested by AI must be carefully checked by the author for accuracy, reliability, and relevance.
  4. Attribution of Authorship: no artificial intelligence entity (e.g., a large language model) can be listed as an author of a publication. The institution of authorship implies responsibility for the work, the ability to bear intellectual accountability, and approval of the final version of the manuscript, which is impossible for AI. This position is fully aligned with the recommendations of COPE, WAME, and OASPA.
  5. Breach of Confidentiality: uploading confidential, unpublished data, or materials protected by copyright to publicly available AI tools, which may lead to information leakage and copyright infringement.

 5. Disclosure Requirements

If AI tools are used at any stage of manuscript preparation, authors are required to provide full and transparent disclosure of this information.

  • Methodology Section: a separate subsection must be included in the article (e.g., "Declaration on the Use of Artificial Intelligence"), detailing the name of the AI tool, its version and developer, the specific purpose of use (e.g., "for language and style improvement," "for literature search"), and clearly indicating which parts of the manuscript were prepared with its assistance.
  • Acknowledgments Section: authors may also mention the use of AI tools in the "Acknowledgments" section. Example wording: "The authors used [Tool Name] to improve readability and check grammar of the manuscript. After using this tool, the authors carefully reviewed and edited the content and take full responsibility for the content of the publication."

6. Manuscript Submission Procedure

When submitting a manuscript to the editorial board, authors are required to:

  1. Complete the relevant declaration regarding the use of AI in the submission form.
  2. Clearly indicate in the comments for the editor which AI tools were used and for what purpose.

Inaccurate disclosure or deliberate concealment of information about the use of AI will be considered by the editorial board as a violation of academic integrity norms.

 7. Consequences of Violating the Policy

Violation of the provisions of this policy, including providing false information or using AI in a prohibited manner, entails consequences proportionate to the severity of the violation:

  1. Rejection of the manuscript from consideration;
  2. Retraction of an already accepted article;
  3. Rejection of future manuscripts from the author(s);
  4. Informing the affiliated institution of the author about the identified violation.

COPE: Position Statement on Authorship and AI – clear stance on the impossibility of AI authorship.

WAME: Recommendations on ChatGPT and Chatbots in Relation to Scholarly Publications – detailed recommendations regarding the use of chatbots, including disclosure requirements.

OASPA: ChatGPT and Scholarly Publishing – information for authors regarding the use of ChatGPT, with an emphasis on transparency.

The editorial board and editorial council of the journal include leading specialists in forensic medicine and pathomorphology from Ukraine and foreign countries (Swiss Confederation, Federal Republic of Germany, Slovak Republic, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Turkey, Italian Republic, Romania, Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina).

The establishment of the journal has fostered fruitful cooperation between clinicians and theorists from various specialties through discussions on issues within interested professional circles. The journal "Forensic Medical Examination" is held in high esteem among scholars in higher education institutions and research establishments in Ukraine and abroad.

POLICY ON PLAGIARISM PREVENTION AND ENSURING ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

          In its publishing activities, the scientific journal "Forensic Medical Examination" adheres to the fundamental principles of academic integrity, strictly following international standards of publication ethics. The editorial board regards plagiarism in any form as a gross violation of scientific ethics and an unacceptable practice that discredits both the author and the publication.

1. Responsibility of Authors

Submitting a manuscript to the editorial board of the journal "Forensic Medical Examination" automatically signifies that the author(s) are familiar with this policy and accept full personal responsibility for compliance with the norms of academic ethics. Authors are required to guarantee:

  • Originality of the Work: the manuscript is the result of the author's (or group of authors') own intellectual efforts and has not been previously published in other publications in any language, nor is it under consideration by other editorial boards.
  • Correctness of Borrowings: the use of text fragments, ideas, data, or graphic materials belonging to third parties (including the authors' own previously published works) must be accompanied by correct and unambiguous references to the source.
  • Reliability of Citations: all cited sources must be carefully verified and correspond to reality; including works in the bibliography that were not used in the preparation of the article is unacceptable.

2. Verification Procedure and Software

To objectively control the originality of texts, the editorial board implements a mandatory multi-level verification system for all submitted manuscripts.

  1. Verification Tools: to detect textual similarities and borrowings, the journal uses specialized plagiarism detection software – the StrikePlagiarism system, which allows comparative analysis against a wide range of open scientific and academic sources.
  2. Verification Stages:
    • Primary screening of the manuscript for improper borrowings is carried out immediately after the materials are received by the editorial board.
    • Based on the data obtained, a reasoned conclusion on the originality of the text and the presence (or absence) of signs of plagiarism is prepared, which is considered when deciding whether to admit the manuscript for review.

3. Criteria for Originality and Decision-Making

Based on the verification results from the StrikePlagiarism software suite, the editorial board applies a differentiated approach to evaluating manuscripts, based on the text uniqueness indicator:

  • High Level of Originality (above 85%): the manuscript meets the journal's originality requirements, passes the initial screening, and is admitted to the double-blind peer review stage on a general basis.
  • Medium Level of Originality (from 75% to 85% inclusive): the material requires additional analysis by the author. In this case, the manuscript may be returned for revision with a recommendation to carefully check the correctness of all citations, the technique of referencing, and to eliminate potential technical overlaps that do not constitute substantive plagiarism.
  • Low Level of Originality (less than 75%): this indicator suggests a high risk of improper borrowings. The manuscript is rejected without the right for further consideration as not complying with the journal's academic integrity policy. In cases of gross violations, the editorial board reserves the right to inform the institution affiliated with the author.

 4. Forms of Plagiarism and Response to Violations

The editorial board qualifies as plagiarism any actions aimed at appropriating authorship of another's work or part thereof, including:

  • reproducing text fragments without proper reference to the source;
  • compiling texts of other authors without independent processing of the material;
  • paraphrasing content without indicating the source;
  • self-plagiarism (republication of one's own previously published materials without significant reworking and proper citation).

Detection of plagiarism at any stage – from initial review to an already published article – is grounds for refusal of publication or for retraction of the article, with subsequent notification of the scientific community.

Journal History

The scientific-practical journal "Forensic medical examination" was founded in December 2010 (Certificate of State Registration KB No. 25013-1453PR dated 03.09.2021). By the Decree of the Higher Attestation Commission of Ukraine No. 1-05/8 dated 22.12.2010, the journal was certified as a specialized scientific publication in medical sciences.

By the Decision of the Department for Attestation of Highly Qualified Personnel of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No. 1328 dated 21.12.2015, the journal was certified and re-registered as a professional publication in medical sciences for the specialty "Forensic Medical Examination".

The journal was included in the List of specialized scientific publications of Ukraine, Category "B", by the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No. 735 dated 29.06.2021 "On Approval of the Decision of the Attestation Board of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine".

The co-founders of the publication are: Bukovinian State Medical University, Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Association of Forensic Medics of Ukraine, and the State Specialized Institution "Main Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine".

The journal provides for the publication and discussion of issues regarding the organization and development prospects of forensic medicine, results of scientific research, case reports, publication of lectures, review articles, and clinical guidelines based on evidence-based medicine. It also publishes historical materials, conference announcements and proceedings, as well as reviews of monographs and educational materials.

The main goal of the journal is to highlight modern aspects of the development and organizational principles of forensic medical examination in Ukraine and abroad, to discuss current problems and advanced technologies in this field, and to form the scientific and clinical worldview of forensic medical experts through interdisciplinary integration.

The editorial board and the editorial council of the journal include leading specialists in forensic medical examination and pathomorphology from Ukraine and foreign countries (Swiss Confederation, Federal Republic of Germany, Slovak Republic, Republic of Moldova).

The establishment of the journal has facilitated fruitful cooperation among forensic medicine specialists by providing a platform for discussing issues within a dedicated professional community. The "Forensic medical examination" journal is highly respected among scientists from higher education institutions and research establishments in Ukraine and abroad.

The journal is distributed according to the register to all major libraries, state institutions, and educational establishments in Ukraine. The electronic version of the journal is archived in the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine).