Publication Ethics Statement

The Journal of Clinical Nephrology (JCN) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. We adhere to ethical guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expect all parties involved in the publication process—authors, reviewers, and editors—to follow ethical principles that ensure the credibility and transparency of research.

Editorial Responsibilities

The editorial team of JCN is responsible for ensuring a fair, transparent, and high-quality publication process. Editors must:

  • Evaluate manuscripts based on academic and scientific merit, free from bias or commercial influence.
  • Ensure a rigorous double-blind peer review process that maintains confidentiality.
  • Make fair and unbiased decisions based on reviewer feedback and the journal’s ethical policies.
  • Protect the integrity of the publication process by preventing conflicts of interest.
  • Follow COPE guidelines when handling ethical concerns or suspected misconduct.

Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting to JCN must uphold ethical standards in research and publishing. Authors must:

  • Submit only original work that has not been published elsewhere or is under consideration by another journal.
  • Avoid plagiarism by properly citing all sources, including self-citations.
  • Disclose any conflicts of interest and acknowledge all sources of funding.
  • Ensure that all listed authors made significant contributions to the study and that no guest, ghost, or honorary authorships are included.
  • Comply with ethical guidelines for human and animal research, including obtaining institutional review board (IRB) approval and informed consent from participants.
  • Provide accurate data and ensure no fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting of results.
  • Cooperate with the editorial team in revising manuscripts and responding to reviewer comments.

Reviewer Responsibilities

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

  • Conduct objective, unbiased, and timely reviews based on academic and scientific merit.
  • Maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and not use unpublished data for personal advantage.
  • Identify potential ethical concerns, including plagiarism, duplicate publication, or data manipulation.
  • Disclose any conflicts of interest that may influence their judgment and decline to review when appropriate.
  • Provide constructive and detailed feedback to authors to improve the quality of the manuscript.

Plagiarism and Research Misconduct

JCN has a strict policy against research misconduct, including:

  • Plagiarism: All manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software to prevent unethical copying of content.
  • Data Fabrication & Falsification: Submissions must contain accurate, unaltered data.
  • Duplicate Publication: Authors must disclose if their work is under review elsewhere or has been previously published.
  • Improper Authorship: Only individuals who have made substantial contributions should be listed as authors.

Suspected cases of misconduct will be investigated, and severe violations may result in manuscript rejection, retraction of published articles, and reporting to relevant institutions.

Conflicts of Interest

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

  • Financial relationships with funding agencies, pharmaceutical companies, or research sponsors.
  • Personal or professional relationships that may bias judgment.
  • Competing research interests or intellectual property concerns.

If a conflict of interest is identified, appropriate actions will be taken, such as reviewer reassignment or a request for additional disclosures.

Corrections, Retractions, and Ethical Concerns

JCN is committed to correcting errors and addressing ethical concerns post-publication. The journal follows COPE guidelines for handling retractions and corrections:

  • Corrections (Errata): Minor errors that do not affect the validity of the research will be corrected in a formal erratum.
  • Corrigenda: Authors may request corrections for substantial errors affecting the interpretation of findings.
  • Retractions: If major ethical violations, data fabrication, or severe errors are identified, the article may be retracted, with a formal retraction notice published.

Concerns regarding the integrity of published work can be reported to the editorial office, and a thorough investigation will be conducted.

Ethical Guidelines Followed

The JCN adheres to internationally recognized ethical guidelines, including: