Peer-Reviewed, Practical Education for Geriatric Care

‍Editorial Policy

The Canadian Geriatrics Society Journal of CME (CGS-JCME) is the official publication of the Canadian Geriatrics Society (CGS), a national not-for-profit organization representing the medical specialties of Geriatric Medicine and Care of the Elderly.
The Journal’s mission is to advance continuing medical education (CME) in the care of older adults through the publication of high-quality, evidence-based educational content relevant to clinicians world-wide.

‍Editorial Independence:
The Editorial Board operates with full academic and editorial independence. Decisions regarding content, acceptance, or rejection of manuscripts are based solely on scientific merit, educational value, and relevance to the field of geriatrics, and are not influenced by the CGS Executive, sponsors, or any other outside entity.

‍Selection of Editors:

Editors are recommended by Division Heads of university academic Divisions of Geriatric Medicine and Care of the Elderly across Canada or selected based on their recognized leadership in Geriatric Medical Education. Selection factors include

1. Demonstrated commitment to medical education initiatives (e.g., medical residency training program leadership);

2. Past publications in Geriatrics or Medical Education;

3. Experience in peer review of scientific or medical education manuscripts.

The Editorial Board strives for demographic and geographic diversity, as well as the inclusion of early-career educators to ensure continuity and succession planning.

Responsibilities of Editors:
Editors are responsible for:

• Setting the overall direction and thematic focus of the Journal;

• Consulting with the CGS membership to identify high-priority educational topics;

• Identifying and inviting expert authors;

• Conducting initial quality assessments of submitted articles to determine suitability for peer review (editors must recuse themselves from handling any submission where a potential conflict exists)

• Reviewing and synthesizing peer reviewer feedback; and

• Working with the Editor-in-Chief and publisher to finalize content for publication.

‍ ‍Any concerns regarding editorial conduct are referred to the Executive of the Canadian Geriatrics Society, which functions independently from the Editorial Board and has the authority to request resignation of an editor if warranted. The Executive Committee of the Canadian Geriatrics Society has the authority to remove an editor who refuses to resign.

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All submissions to the CGS-JCME undergo editorial assessment by a member of the Editorial Board. Manuscripts meeting the Journal’s scope and quality standards are sent for external peer review.

Peer Review Process:

• The Journal employs a single-blind peer review process (reviewers know the authors’ identities, but authors do not know reviewers’ identities).

• Each article is reviewed by at least one external reviewer with subject-matter expertise and by an editor with subject matter expertise. If no editor has subject matter expertise, then two external reviewers are employed.

• Reviewers are asked to evaluate manuscripts based on scientific accuracy, educational value, clarity, and relevance to geriatric practice.

• The final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the Editorial Board.

Editors and reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest prior to participation in the review process. Editors must recuse themselves from handling any submission where a significant potential conflict exists.

The Canadian Geriatrics Society Journal of CME does not accept any commercial advertising.
This policy ensures the Journal remains entirely free from industry influence. The Journal is wholly owned, funded, and operated by the Canadian Geriatrics Society, a registered not-for-profit professional society.

The Canadian Geriatrics Society Journal of CME follows the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS2).
The Canadian Geriatrics Society Journal of CME will only include review of research that meets the following internationally accepted ethical standards:

• Their studies received approval from an appropriate Research Ethics Board (REB), where applicable;

• The study complied with all relevant national and institutional ethical standards;

• All data are presented honestly and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation.

• Informed Consent Policy

  • For all studies involving human participants, authors must confirm that written informed consent was obtained from participants or their legally authorized representatives.

  • If images, case reports, or other identifiable materials are used, authors must ensure that subjects have given permission for publication. Identifying information should be omitted unless essential and consented to in writing.

Authors must include an ethics statement in their manuscript when applicable.

The CGS-JCME follows COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines regarding post-publication issues.

Corrections:
When minor errors are identified that do not affect the validity or integrity of the work, a correction notice will be published in the next issue and linked to the original article online.

Retractions:
If a published article is found to contain major errors, ethical breaches, plagiarism, or data falsification that invalidate its findings, the Editorial Board will issue a formal retraction. Authors will be invited to cooperate in the process. The retraction notice will state the reason for retraction and remain linked to the original article.

Editorial Expressions of Concern:
If serious concerns arise but the validity of an article cannot be fully assessed (e.g., ongoing investigation), the Editorial Board may issue an Editorial Expression of Concern to alert readers. Once investigations conclude, the notice will be updated or replaced by a correction or retraction as appropriate.

In cases where reader disagreement does not involve factual errors but differing interpretations, readers are invited to submit a Response or Commentary for publication to facilitate scholarly dialogue.

‍Any allegation of editorial misconduct or conflict of interest will be referred to the Executive Committee of the Canadian Geriatrics Society. The Executive, operating independently of the Editorial Board, has the authority to investigate the matter and, if necessary, request the resignation of the editor involved. The Executive Committee of the Canadian Geriatrics Society has the authority to remove an editor who refuses to resign.

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