Publication Ethics & OA Statement

SCIRP maintains the highest standards of academic integrity by implementing stringent ethical policies and a rigorous peer-review process. Violations of professional ethical codes, such as plagiarism, fraudulent manipulation of data, and false attribution of authorship, are dealt with severely by our editorial team, with a zero-tolerance approach.

In line with our unwavering commitment to ethical publishing, SCIRP is guided by the Code of Conduct issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Additionally, we employ the COPE Flowcharts for Resolving Cases of Suspected Misconduct, which lays down a structured process of addressing instances of research misconduct.

The manuscript submitted must adhere to the principle of originality and must not have been published in any shape or form previously nor should it be under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Please find further information on Publication Ethics at SCIRP on
• Information for Authors
• In the Authors' Guidelines for each journal (Menu item "For Authors")

When involving human subjects and any biometrics or materials obtained from them in research, it is imperative to adhere to the guidelines set forth in the Declaration of Helsinki (https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki-ethical-principles-for-medical-research-involving-human-subjects). This declaration, initially established in 1975 and last revised in 2013, serves as the ethical standard for medical research involving human subjects. Authors are required to comply with the 2013 revision of the Declaration, which represents the most current version.

Researchers are responsible for ensuring that human subjects are fully informed about the study procedures and must obtain explicit consent from them. The relevant ethics authorities overseeing the study's locale are recognized as the appropriate bodies to oversee ethical considerations. To ensure compliance, researchers must strictly adhere to both local and international regulations, enabling the appropriate authorities to comprehensively evaluate and endorse the study's adherence to all guidelines.

Approval from the competent ethics review bodies is mandatory, with the approval statement forming an integral part of the research ethics declaration.

In situations involving surveys or investigations with no direct impact on human subjects, it is essential for participants to understand the research's purpose, the potential impact of their responses on their well-being, and how their data will be utilized. Researchers are obliged to seek consent from human subjects or cite relevant exemptions from the competent authorities when necessary.

Researchers should strictly maintain the anonymity and privacy of human subjects. Publication of personal identification information is permissible only when such disclosure is deemed essential for comprehending the study's objectives.

For studies involving vulnerable populations, such as minorities, authors must provide documentation to allow editors to evaluate the inclusion. Special care should be taken when conducting research involving children, ensuring that proper consent procedures are followed. Furthermore, any rationale for grouping individuals or attributing labels to human subjects should be clearly explained.

Authors are required to register their clinical trials with reputable authorities and include the registration information in the study. For information on available platforms for registration, please visit https://www.who.int/clinical-trials-registry-platform.

When conducting research involving animal subjects, it is essential to prioritize the well-being of these animals. Procedures that may cause harm should be meticulously managed, with researchers ensuring that the potential benefits of the study outweigh any associated costs. The guiding principle is to prevent harm to animal subjects whenever possible, and in cases where harm is unavoidable, steps must be taken to minimize such harm.

Documentation related to procedures or treatment conditions that impact the welfare of animals should be accurately maintained.

The oversight of animal welfare is entrusted to authorized organizations deemed as appropriate authorities within this domain. Studies involving animals, particularly those higher in the animal hierarchy, require approval from these designated authorities in compliance with national regulations. Any exemptions granted by the appropriate agencies should be referenced accordingly.

In situations where the designated authorities are not applicable to the study locale, researchers must ensure that they possess written documentation that aligns with the standards outlined by the relevant regulatory bodies.

For research involving plants, it is important to consult with organizations dedicated to plant conservation and biodiversity, as they are recognized as the appropriate authorities in this field. Research on plants should adhere to the guidelines outlined on the Convention on Biological Diversity website (https://www.cbd.int/convention).

When studying rare plants, special care must be taken to ensure their conservation. This includes maintaining essential copies of the plants under stable conditions, so as not to deplete their populations through the research process. Detailed records should be kept of the time and location of plant collection, along with comprehensive descriptions of the plants studied.

If plants are sourced from any specific organization(s), proper credit must be given to these entities.

When conducting research that involves cell cultures, it is essential to properly attribute the source of the cultures and acknowledge any parties involved in their production. Detailed descriptions of the cell cultures utilized in the study must be provided, particularly for those that are not readily available in published sources. This includes information on the conditions under which the cell culture was produced and the specific location where the culture originated.

Authorship typically refers to the individuals who contribute to the creation, writing, and editing of an article that is published in the journal. These individuals are recognized as the authors of the article and their names are listed in the article. Authorship typically involves several key roles and responsibilities, including:

Conceptualization and Design: Authors contribute to the initial idea or concept of the study or research and design the overall structure and approach of the article.

Data Collection and Analysis: Authors may be involved in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting the data that supports the research or study presented in the article.

Drafting and Writing: Authors are responsible for writing the initial draft of the article, including the introduction, methods, results, and discussion sections.

Revising and Editing: Authors revise and edit the article based on feedback from other authors, peer reviewers, or the journal's editorial team to ensure accuracy, clarity, and compliance with journal standards.

Acknowledgments: Individuals who have made contributions to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be appropriately recognized in the acknowledgments section. Any sources of funding for the research should be clearly acknowledged.

Final Approval: The corresponding author should communicate well with editors and other authors during the publication process of the article to ensure that all authors approve the final version of the article for publication.

Any change of the author list should be approved by all authors, and the corresponding author should submit an authorship change statement to the journal on behalf of all authors.

All manuscripts featured in Open Journal of Nursing (OJN) uphold the principle of open access, which grants any and all users unrestricted rights to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, link to, crawl for indexing, pass as data to software, or employ them for any lawful purpose without any financial, legal, or technical obstructions aside from those inherent in gaining internet access. (From the BOAI Definition of Open Access)

Please find further information about Open Access at SCIRP on
• SCIRP's Open Access Page
• About SCIRP ("What is Open Access?", " How Open is SCIRP on the 'Open Access Spectrum'?")