Publication Ethics Policy

The Journal of Clinical Nephrology (JCN) is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of ethical publishing and scientific integrity. We adhere to the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and other recognized international ethical standards. All stakeholders, including authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher, must comply with these ethical principles to maintain transparency and trust in academic publishing.

Editorial Responsibilities

The editorial team at JCN is committed to ensuring a fair, unbiased, and ethical review process. Editors must:

  • Evaluate manuscripts solely based on their scientific merit, originality, clarity, and relevance.
  • Ensure a double-blind peer review process to maintain confidentiality and objectivity.
  • Prevent conflicts of interest in editorial decisions and disclose any potential conflicts.
  • Uphold confidentiality by not disclosing manuscript details to unauthorized parties.
  • Follow COPE guidelines when handling allegations of ethical breaches or misconduct.

Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting to JCN must ensure the integrity of their research and adhere to ethical guidelines, including:

  • Originality: Manuscripts must be original and not under review or published elsewhere.
  • Plagiarism Prevention: All submissions must be free of plagiarism, and proper citations must be provided.
  • Authorship Integrity: All listed authors must have made significant contributions to the study.
  • Data Accuracy: Authors must ensure the accuracy and transparency of their data.
  • Ethical Compliance: Research involving human or animal subjects must have ethical approval and informed consent.
  • Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the research.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Peer reviewers play a crucial role in ensuring the quality and integrity of published research. Reviewers must:

  • Provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback.
  • Maintain confidentiality and not share manuscript details with others.
  • Identify potential ethical concerns, such as plagiarism or data falsification.
  • Disclose any conflicts of interest and decline review assignments if necessary.
  • Refrain from using unpublished manuscript information for personal research.

Plagiarism and Research Misconduct

JCN has a strict policy against plagiarism, research misconduct, and unethical practices. The following violations are considered serious ethical breaches:

  • Plagiarism: Using another author’s work without proper attribution.
  • Data Fabrication & Falsification: Manipulating or inventing research data.
  • Duplicate Submission: Submitting the same work to multiple journals.
  • Ghostwriting or Gift Authorship: Including authors who did not contribute significantly.

All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software. If unethical practices are detected, the manuscript may be rejected, and the authors' institutions may be informed.

Conflicts of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could influence the research, review, or editorial decision. Examples include:

  • Financial relationships with pharmaceutical or medical device companies.
  • Personal relationships that may affect objectivity.
  • Competing research or intellectual property interests.

Corrections, Retractions, and Ethical Concerns

JCN follows COPE guidelines for handling post-publication issues, including:

  • Corrections: Minor errors that do not affect the research conclusions will be corrected through an erratum.
  • Corrigenda: Authors can request corrections for substantial errors.
  • Retractions: Articles with serious ethical violations, data falsification, or plagiarism may be retracted.
  • Expressions of Concern: In cases of disputed ethical concerns, an editorial note may be issued.

Ethical concerns regarding published content can be reported to the editorial office for investigation.

Ethical Guidelines Followed

The JCN adheres to internationally recognized ethical policies, including: