The Journal of Clinical Nephrology (JCN) maintains a rigorous peer-review process and editorial standards to ensure the publication of high-quality, original research. Editors play a crucial role in upholding scientific integrity, transparency, and fairness in the journal's editorial decisions.

Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for ensuring the quality and ethical standards of published research. They must:

• Oversee the peer-review process: Ensure fair, unbiased, and timely evaluations of submitted manuscripts.
• Maintain confidentiality: Editors must not disclose details about a manuscript under review.
• Ensure ethical compliance: Prevent research misconduct and uphold the journal’s ethical guidelines.
• Make decisions based on merit: Decisions should be made objectively, based on scientific quality and relevance.

Peer Review Process

Editors are responsible for managing a rigorous peer-review process to uphold scientific quality. They must:

• Select qualified reviewers: Choose independent and experienced reviewers in the field of nephrology.
• Ensure objectivity: Reviews must be conducted fairly, without bias or conflict of interest.
• Communicate feedback: Provide authors with constructive feedback for manuscript improvement.
• Decide based on merit: Final decisions should be made based on reviewer recommendations and scientific merit.

Conflicts of Interest

Editors must disclose and avoid conflicts of interest to ensure editorial independence. They should:

• Avoid handling conflicted manuscripts: Editors must not review manuscripts in which they have a personal or professional conflict.
• Ensure transparency: Any potential conflicts must be disclosed to the journal’s editorial board.
• Uphold fairness: Editorial decisions should not be influenced by external factors.

Publication Ethics and Misconduct

The JCN follows ethical publishing guidelines to prevent scientific misconduct. Editors must:

• Investigate ethical breaches: Address cases of plagiarism, data fabrication, and research misconduct.
• Take corrective actions: Retract or issue corrections for articles with confirmed misconduct.
• Follow COPE guidelines: Adhere to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) recommendations.

Corrections and Retractions

If significant errors or ethical concerns arise after publication, editors must:

• Issue corrections: Publish an erratum or corrigendum for minor errors.
• Retract articles: In cases of serious ethical violations or unreliable findings.
• Provide justifications: Clearly state reasons for retractions or corrections.

Editorial Independence

The editorial team of JCN must maintain independence and ensure that:

• Decisions are not influenced: Editorial choices should not be impacted by political, financial, or institutional pressures.
• Editorial policies remain unbiased: The journal must uphold academic excellence.
• Fair treatment of authors: All submissions must be handled professionally and transparently.

Transparency and Accountability

Editors should uphold transparency in editorial processes and be accountable for published content. They must:

• Ensure journal policies are accessible: Guidelines should be available to authors and readers.
• Address ethical concerns: Investigate complaints regarding published articles.
• Promote diversity and inclusivity: Support fair representation in publishing.

Contact for Editorial Guidelines

For any inquiries regarding editorial policies, please contact the editorial office at assistant-jcn@clinnephrologyjournal.org.