Publishing Ethics

Publishing Ethics and Integrity Statement

The Journal of Integrative Nursing and Palliative Care is fundamentally committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct in all aspects of its publication process. This policy is strictly aligned with key international guidelines, primarily the principles set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

The journal’s ethical framework is built upon transparency, accountability, and the promotion of trust among all participants: authors, peer reviewers, editors, and the publisher.

1. Foundation of Ethical Research and Publication

Journal of Integrative Nursing and Palliative Care strictly adheres to the ethical requirements for research involving human subjects, as defined by the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical Principles for Medical Research involving Human Subjects.

Disclosure and Linkage: The full text of the Declaration of Helsinki can be accessed through this functioning link:

https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki/

2. Research Involving Human and Animal Subjects and Vulnerable Populations

Human Subjects Compliance: All research submitted that involves human participants, data, or materials must demonstrate strict compliance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Authors must confirm that the study was reviewed and approved by an appropriate institutional ethics committee (e.g., Institutional Review Board or equivalent).
Informed Consent: Documented informed consent from all human participants (or their legal guardians) is mandatory and must be explicitly stated within the manuscript.
Policy for Vulnerable Populations: The journal recognizes that specific studies involve participants who are particularly susceptible to coercion or undue influence, such as children, patients with cognitive disabilities, or institutionalized individuals. For research submitted to Journal of Integrative Nursing and Palliative Care that includes these vulnerable groups, authors must detail the following:
- The specific ethical justification for including the vulnerable group.
- The detailed procedures used to obtain informed assent (from the participant, if applicable) and informed consent from a legally authorized representative.
- All measures taken to protect the privacy and rights of these participants.
Animal Subjects: Research involving animals must adhere to institutional and national animal welfare guidelines. Authors must confirm that all procedures minimize distress and pain were approved by a relevant ethics committee.

3. Handling Misconduct, Corrections, and Retractions

The journal operates a robust policy for handling allegations of publication malpractice, strictly following the COPE Core Practices and Guidelines.

Publication Malpractice (COPE): This includes, but is not limited to, data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and duplicate submission.
Corrections Policy: If a published article contains a significant error that does not affect the scientific validity of the findings, the journal will issue a formal "Correction Notice". This notice will be prominently linked to the original article and will clearly detail the nature of the error and the change made.
Retractions Policy: Articles may be retracted for confirmed research misconduct (e.g., fabrication, plagiarism) or major ethical breaches. A formal "Retraction Notice" will be published, clearly stating the reason for retraction, and will be visible on the article page.
Roles in Misconduct Investigation: Allegations of misconduct are investigated in line with COPE guidelines. The Publisher and Editors are jointly responsible for initiating an investigation, contacting the authors' institution if necessary, and taking appropriate action (issuing corrections or retractions).

4. Responsibilities of Stakeholders

Stakeholder	Key Ethical Responsibility
Publisher	Ensures that editorial decisions are independent of commercial or political interests. Responsible for maintaining the integrity of the academic record by implementing corrections, retractions, and upholding transparency.
Editors	Responsible for ensuring a fair, unbiased, and timely review process. Must declare conflicts of interest, protect author and reviewer confidentiality, and ensure decisions are based solely on scientific merit and COPE guidelines.
Reviewers	Must maintain strict confidentiality, provide objective and constructive feedback, declare conflicts of interest, and alert the editor to any ethical concerns or potential overlap with other works.
Authors	Must present accurate data, cite relevant sources, disclose conflicts of interest, and ensure their work fully complies with the journal's ethical standards, including obtaining ethical approval and informed consent.

5. Authorship, Originality, and Data Integrity

Originality and Plagiarism: Submissions must represent original, unpublished work.
Authorship Criteria (ICMJE): Authorship must be based on substantial contributions as defined by ICMJE criteria. Changes in authorship require written consent from all authors.
Data Availability and Integrity: Authors must provide access to relevant source data upon reasonable request, ensuring research reproducibility.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools: Authors must disclose the use of any such tools.