Waiver Eligibility

Authorship

MDJI may grant waivers for authorship eligibility in the following circumstances:

• Student Authorship: Primary authorship can be granted to a student for a project completed as part of their coursework, provided a faculty member acts as a corresponding author ensuring the integrity of the work.
• Collaborative Work: MDJI may consider waiving authorship requirements for extensive editorial contributions from a faculty member if a student is the primary author of a project but requires significant assistance with academic writing or research protocols. In such cases, a clear explanation of the faculty member's contribution should be provided in the cover letter.

Previously Published Work

MDJI may consider waivers for previously published work on a case-by-case basis. Here are some scenarios where a waiver might be applicable:

• Limited Circulation: If the original work was published in a venue with limited circulation, such as a conference proceeding or a departmental newsletter, MDJI may consider a waiver, especially if the new submission offers substantial new data, analysis, or interpretation.
• Self-Archiving: Pre-prints posted on institutional repositories or personal websites generally do not constitute prior publication. However, authors should disclose any such pre-prints when submitting their manuscript.
• Substantive Revisions: If the previously published work has been significantly revised and expanded to constitute a new and distinct contribution to the field, a waiver may be granted. The extent of revisions should be clearly explained in the cover letter.

Waiver Request Process

Authors requesting a waiver from MDJI's authorship or publication policies should submit a detailed explanation along with their manuscript. The explanation should address the specific policy being waived and provide justification for the waiver request.

Additional Considerations

• MDJI reserves the right to reject waiver requests at its discretion.
• Editors may request additional information from authors to clarify the authorship or publication history of a manuscript.
• For complex cases, MDJI may consult with editorial board members or external reviewers to determine the eligibility of a manuscript.

Conclusion

MDJI recognizes that there may be situations where strict adherence to its authorship and publication policies might hinder the dissemination of valuable scholarship. The waiver process allows MDJI to consider such cases on a merit-based system while ensuring the quality and originality of the work it publishes.