Ethics & Policies

ETHICS

The editorial and publication processes of the journal are shaped in accordance with the guidelines of the International Council of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), the Council of Science Editors (CSE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the European Association of Science Editors (EASE), and National Information Standards Organization (NISO). The journal complies with the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (doaj.org/bestpractice). 
Studies using human or animal subjects should be approved by the appropriate institutional and local Ministry of Health ethics committees. Ethics approval of research protocols in accordance with international agreements (World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki “Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects,” amended in October 2013, www.wma.net) is required for experimental, clinical, and drug studies, as well as for some case reports. Ethics committee reports or an equivalent official document may be requested from the authors. For manuscripts involving experimental research on humans, a statement should be included that shows that written, informed consent of patients and volunteers was obtained. For studies carried out on animals, the measures taken to prevent pain and suffering of the animals should be stated clearly. A statement regarding patient consent, and the name of the ethics committee, the ethics committee approval date, and number should be stated in the Materials and Methods section of the manuscript. It is the authors’ responsibility to carefully protect patients’ anonymity. For photographs that may reveal the identity of the patients, signed releases of the patient or of their legal representative should be enclosed.

AUTHOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES

• Studies submitted for publication must be original works of the author. References to other studies must be cited and/or quoted completely and accurately;  
• Only those who provide a substantial intellectual contribution to the content of the work may be cited as an author. Other contributors may be recognized with acknowledgements at the conclusion of the article;
• Competing interests or relationships that may constitute a conflict of interest must be declared and explained in all studies submitted for publication;  
• Authors must be able to provide documentation showing that they have the right to use the data analyzed, the necessary permissions related to the research, and any appropriate consent;  
• Raw data used in the article must be available and may be requested from the author(s) within the framework of the evaluation process;  
• In the event the author(s) notice an error at any point in the publication process or after publication, they have the obligation to inform the journal editor or publisher and cooperate in appropriate corrective action;  
• Authors may not submit their article for publication to more than one journal simultaneously. Each application must be initiated following the completion of any previous effort. Journal of Clinical Practice and Research will not accept previously published articles;  
• Changes in authorship designation (such as adding authors, changing the printed order of the authors, removing an author) once the evaluation process has begun will not be accepted in order to protect all parties involved.

EDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES

General Duties 

The editor is responsible for everything published in the journal. In the context of this responsibility, editors have the following duties and obligations: 

• Endeavor to meet the needs of readers and authors;  
• Maintain continuous development to improve the quality of the journal;  
• Consistently work to ensure quality;  
• Support freedom of thought;  
• Ensure academic integrity;  
• Prevent business needs from compromising intellectual and ethical standards;  
• Demonstrate clarity and transparency with any necessary corrections or explanations.  

Reader Relationship

The editor is to make publication decisions based on expectations of suitable and desirable material. Studies accepted for publication must be original contributions that benefit the reader, researcher, practitioner, and the literature. In addition, editors are obliged to take into account feedback from readers, researchers, and practitioners, and to provide an informative response. Readers will also be informed of any funding provided to support published research.

Author Relationship

• The decision to accept an article is to be based on the importance, original value, validity, and clarity of expression of the work, and the goals and objectives of the journal;  
• Studies accepted for evaluation and publication will not be withdrawn unless serious problems are identified;  
• The editor will not disregard positive reviewer comments unless there is a serious problem with the study;  
• New editors will not change publishing decisions made by previous editor(s) unless there is a serious problem;  
• A description of the submission and evaluation process is publicly available;  
• Authors are provided with descriptive and informative feedback.  

Reviewer Relationship

• Reviewers are to be selected according to the subject of the study;  
• Information and guidance for the evaluation phase is provided;  
• Any conflicts of interest between authors and reviewers will be disclosed and managed appropriately;  
• Reviewer identity is to be kept confidential to preserve a blind review process;  
• Reviewers are to evaluate the study using unbiased, scientific, and constructive comments. Unkind or unscientific commentary will not be permitted;  
• Reviewers will be evaluated using criteria such as timely response and quality of observations;  
• The pool of reviewers is to be assessed and supplemented regularly to ensure a broad scope of expertise.  

Editorial Board Relationship
The editor works with the members of the editorial board to ensure that they are familiar with journal policies and developments in regular meetings and announcements, and will provide training for new members and assistance to board members during their tenure in their role as a supporter of the journal.

• Editorial board members must be qualified and able to contribute to the journal;  
• Members of the editorial board must evaluate studies impartially and independently;  
• Editorial board members with the appropriate expertise will be given the opportunity to evaluate suitable articles;  
• The editor will maintain regular contact with the editorial board and hold regular meetings regarding the development of editorial policies and other aspects of journal management. 

Relations with the Owner of the Journal and the Publisher
The relationship between the editors and the publisher/journal owner is based on the principle of editorial independence and stipulated by contract.  

Editorial and Blind Review Processes
The editor will apply the publicly defined publication policies created and enforced to ensure a timely and impartial evaluation process for all submissions.

Quality Assurance
The editor is responsible for confirming that Journal of Clinical Practice and Research publishing policies and standards are upheld for all articles.

Protection of Personal Data
The editor is obliged to ensure the protection of personal data related to subjects or images included in published work. Explicit documented consent of the individuals referenced in the research is required before the study will be accepted. The editors is also responsible for protecting the individual data of authors, reviewers, and readers.

Ethics Committee, Human and Animal Rights
The editor is required to ensure that human and animal rights were protected in the studies submitted for publication.

Measures Against Potential Misconduct
The editor must take action against any allegations of possible misconduct. In addition to conducting a rigorous and objective investigation of complaints, the editor is expected to share the findings and conclusions.

Maintaining Academic Publication Integrity
The editor is expected to ensure that any errors, inconsistencies, or misleading statements are corrected quickly and appropriately acknowledged.

Protection of Intellectual Property Rights
The editor is obliged to protect intellectual property and to defend the rights of the journal and author(s). In addition, the editor is to take the necessary measures to prevent any violation of the intellectual property rights of others in journal publications.

Creativity and Openness

• Constructive criticism is to be encouraged;  
• Authors will be given the opportunity to reply to criticism;  
• Negative results will not be a reason for submission denial.   

Complaints 
Editors are to respond to all complaints in a timely and comprehensive manner.

Political and Commercial Concerns
Political or commercial factors will not affect editorial decisions.

Conflicts of Interest
The editor is required to ensure that any conflicts of interest between authors, reviewers, or other editors are disclosed and managed appropriately to provide an independent and impartial process. 

REVIEWER’S ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Peer review of research embodies the scientific method, subjecting the work to the rigorous scrutiny of knowledgeable colleagues. The rigor of the review process directly affects the quality of the literature; it provides confidence in an objective and independent evaluation of the published work. Journal of Clinical Practice and Research uses a double-blind review process. All comments and the evaluation are transmitted through the journal management system. Reviewers should:

• Only agree to evaluate studies related to their specialty;
• Return reviews within the designated timeframe;  
• Evaluate with impartiality. Nationality, gender, religious beliefs, political beliefs, commercial concerns, or other considerations must not influence the evaluation;   
• Refuse to review any work with a potential conflict of interest and inform the journal editor;  
• Maintain confidentiality of all information. Only the final published version may be used for any purpose;  
• Use thoughtful and constructive language. Hostile or derogatory comments are not acceptable;  
• Report any potentially unethical behavior or content to [email protected] via e-mail.

EDITORIAL POLICY

The editorial and publication processes of the journal are shaped in accordance with the guidelines of the International Council of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), the Council of Science Editors (CSE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the European Association of Science Editors (EASE), and National Information Standards Organization (NISO). The journal complies with the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (doaj.org/bestpractice).
Originality, high scientific quality, and citation potential are the most important criteria for a manuscript to be accepted for publication. Manuscripts submitted for evaluation should not have been previously presented or published in an electronic or printed medium. The journal should be informed of manuscripts that have been submitted to another journal for evaluation and rejected for publication. The submission of previous reviewer reports will expedite the evaluation process. Manuscripts that have been presented in a meeting should be submitted with detailed information of the event, including the name of the organization, the date, and the location.
Journal of Clinical Practice and Research does not accept multiple submissions or duplicate submissions of articles published in a different language. Nevertheless, the articles will not be processed that are sending again by different new ID numbers which has been already rejected or that are still under processing (revised etc.).

REVIEW PROCESS
Manuscripts submitted to Journal of Clinical Practice and Research will undergo a double-blind peer-review process. Each submission will be reviewed by at least two external, independent peer reviewers who are experts in their field in order to ensure an unbiased evaluation process. The editorial board will invite an external and independent editor to manage the evaluation process of manuscripts submitted by editors or by the editorial board members of the journal. The editor-in-chief is the final authority in the decision-making process for all submissions.
Reviews are typically completed within one month of submission to the journal. Authors will be sent constructive reviewer comments intended to be useful. In general, the instructions, objections, and requests made by the reviewers should be followed. The revised manuscript should clearly and precisely indicate every step taken in accordance with the reviewers' notes. A list of responses and the corrections made to each comment should be provided.

ETHICS
Studies using human or animal subjects should be approved by the appropriate institutional and local Ministry of Health ethics committees. Ethics approval of research protocols in accordance with international agreements (World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki “Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects,” amended in October 2013, www.wma.net) is required for experimental, clinical, and drug studies, as well as for some case reports. Ethics committee reports or an equivalent official document may be requested from the authors. For manuscripts involving experimental research on humans, a statement should be included that shows that written, informed consent of patients and volunteers was obtained. For studies carried out on animals, the measures taken to prevent pain and suffering of the animals should be stated clearly. A statement regarding patient consent, and the name of the ethics committee, the ethics committee approval date, and number should be stated in the Materials and Methods section of the manuscript. It is the authors’ responsibility to carefully protect patients’ anonymity. For photographs that may reveal the identity of the patients, signed releases of the patient or of their legal representative should be enclosed.

AUTHORSHIP
Each individual listed as an author should fulfill the authorship criteria recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE - www.icmje.org). The ICMJE recommends that authorship be based on the following 4 criteria:

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

In addition to being accountable for their own work, authors should have confidence in the integrity of the contributions of their co-authors and each author should be able to identify which co-authors are responsible for other parts of the work.
All of those designated as authors should meet all four criteria for authorship, and all who meet the four criteria should be identified as authors. Those who do not meet all four criteria should be acknowledged on the title page of the manuscript.
Journal of Clinical Practice and Research requires that corresponding authors submit a signed and scanned version of the authorship contribution form (available for download through https://jcpres.com/) during the initial submission process in order to appropriately indicate and observe authorship rights and to prevent ghost or honorary authorship. If the editorial board suspects a case of “gift authorship,” the submission will be rejected without further review. As part of the submission of the manuscript, the corresponding author should also send a short statement declaring that they accept all responsibility for authorship during the submission and review stages of the manuscript.

Changes to authorship
Authors are expected to consider carefully the list and order of authors before submitting their manuscript and provide the definitive list of authors at the time of the original submission. Any addition, deletion or rearrangement of author names in the authorship list should be made only before the manuscript has been accepted and only if approved by the journal Editor. To request such a change, the Editor must receive the following from the corresponding author: (a) the reason for the change in author list and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, letter) from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement. In the case of addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed.
Only in exceptional circumstances will the Editor consider the addition, deletion or rearrangement of authors after the manuscript has been accepted. While the Editor considers the request, publication of the manuscript will be suspended. If the manuscript has already been published in an online issue, any requests approved by the Editor will result in a corrigendum.

ORCID ID
The Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) number of each author must be submitted when creating an account for correspondence. To obtain an ORCID number, please visit  https://orcid.org/ 

DISCLOSURE AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Journal of Clinical Practice and Research requires the authors and the individuals involved in the evaluation process of submitted manuscripts to disclose any existing or potential conflicts of interests, including financial, consultant, and institutional relationships, that might lead to potential bias or a conflict of interest. Any financial grants or other support received for a submitted study from individuals or institutions should be disclosed to the editorial board. The ICMJE Potential Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form should be completed and submitted by all contributing authors to disclose any potential conflict of interest. Cases of a potential conflict of interest of the editors, authors, or reviewers are resolved by the journal’s editorial board according to COPE and ICMJE guidelines.
The editorial board of the journal handles all appeal and complaint cases based on COPE guidelines. In such cases, authors should contact the editorial office. When needed, an ombudsperson may be assigned to resolve cases that cannot be resolved internally. The journal editor-in-chief is the final authority in the decision-making process for all appeals and complaints.
When submitting a manuscript to the Journal of Clinical Practice and Research, the contributor(s) or, if applicable the contributors employer retain(s) all proprietary rights in addition to copyright, patent rights.The Journal of Clinical Practice and Research requires each submission to be accompanied by a Copyright Transfer Form (available for download at https://www.jcpres.com/). When using previously published content, including figures, tables, or any other material in either print or electronic format, the authors must obtain permission from the copyright holder. Legal, financial, and criminal liabilities in this regard belong to the author(s).
Statements or opinions expressed in the manuscripts published in the Journal of Clinical Practice and Research reflect the views of the author(s) and not the opinions of the editors, the editorial board, or the publisher; the editors, the editorial board, and the publisher disclaim any responsibility or liability for such materials. The final responsibility for the published content rests with the authors.

PLAGIARISM DETECTION
All submissions are screened using similarity detection software (iThenticate; Turnitin LLC, Oakland, CA, USA) at least two times: on submission and after completing revisions. In the event of alleged or suspected research misconduct, e.g., plagiarism, citation manipulation, or data falsification/fabrication, the editorial board will follow and act in accordance with COPE guidelines. Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, that is detected at any stage will result in rejection of the manuscript.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)–ASSISTED TECHNOLOGY
At submission, the journal should require authors to disclose whether they used artificial intelligence (AI)– assisted technologies (such as Large Language Models [LLMs], chatbots, or image creators) in the production of submitted work. Authors who use such technology should describe, in both the cover letter and the submitted work, how they used it. Chatbots (such as ChatGPT) should not be listed as authors because they cannot be responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the work, and these responsibilities are required for authorship. Therefore, humans are responsible for any submitted material that included the use of AI-assisted technologies. Authors should carefully review and edit the result because AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete, or biased. Authors should not list AI and AI assisted technologies as an author or co-author, nor cite AI as an author. Authors should be able to assert that there is no plagiarism in their paper, including in text and images produced by the AI. Humans must ensure there is appropriate attribution of all quoted material, including full citations.

OPEN ACCESS AND CREATIVE COMMONS USER LICENSE

Open Access
Journal of Clinical Practice and Research is an open access journal, which means that all content is freely available without charge to any user. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or to use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) definition of open access.

Creative Commons User License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Publication Charges
This journal assesses no submission fees, publication fees, or page charges.