ETHICS AND POLICIES

Guidelines and Ethical Obligations for Authors:

  • The author shall present an accurate and complete account of the research performed. The author should have conducted the research leading to the paper in accordance with generally accepted ethical standards.
  • The corresponding author shall have obtained the approval of all co-authors of the paper before submission.
  • Ghost authorship and gift authorship are not allowed.
  • The material submitted in the form of the paper shall be original.
  • Papers based on prior research work shall be honestly attributed.
  • The manuscript shall contain figures or materials copied from other sources with proper written permission for such use.
  • The author shall find and cite original publications that have presented similar work.
  • The author shall not make personal references to an earlier author.
  • The author has the ethical obligation to notify the editor should any of the statements in the above list cease to be true.

Guidelines and Ethical Obligations for Peer Reviewers:

  • The peer reviewer should agree to review manuscripts for which they have subject expertise.
  • The peer reviewer should respect the confidentiality of peer review and not reveal any details of the manuscript or its review.
  • The peer reviewer should not use the information in the paper for personal gain.
  • The peer reviewer should disclose all potential conflicts of interest (personal, professional, and financial) to the editor.
  • The peer reviewer should not allow his views to be influenced by the origins of a manuscript, by nationality, religion, political belief, gender, or other characteristics of the author.
  • The peer reviewer shall be objective and constructive in his views and avoid derogatory remarks in reviews.
  • The peer reviewer shall ensure meticulous timeliness in forwarding the review to the editor.
  • The peer reviewer should keep all manuscripts and review details confidential.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

RV Journal of Nursing Sciences (RVJNS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. All authors, reviewers, and editors involved in the publication process are expected to fully adhere to the following ethical standards:

1. Duties of Editors

  • Editors are responsible for making publication decisions based on the manuscript’s importance, originality, clarity, and relevance.
  • Editors shall ensure a fair double-blind peer review and maintain confidentiality of submissions.
  • Editors must take reasonable steps to identify and prevent publication misconduct.

2. Duties of Authors

  • Authors must ensure their work is original and properly cited. Plagiarism in any form is unethical and unacceptable.
  • Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously.
  • All authors must significantly contribute to the research and approve the final manuscript before submission.
  • Authors are obliged to disclose any potential conflict of interest and acknowledge all funding sources.

3. Duties of Reviewers

  • Reviewers must treat submitted manuscripts confidentially and provide objective, constructive feedback.
  • Reviewers should identify any potential conflicts of interest and inform the editor.
  • Reviewers must report suspected ethical issues such as plagiarism, duplicate publication, or unethical research practices.

4. Publication Malpractice

RVJNS will take appropriate action against any identified malpractice, including:

  • Retraction of published articles
  • Notification of ethical misconduct to authors’ institutions
  • Banning authors involved in serious misconduct from future submissions

5. Misconduct Policy

Manuscripts that fail to meet ethical standards will be rejected or retracted.

RVJNS follows the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and encourages all contributors to adhere to ethical practices in scholarly publishing.

Publication Ethics Policy

Publication Ethics Policy

All authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members are expected to adhere to ethical publishing practices throughout the submission, peer review, and publication process.

The journal strictly prohibits plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, citation manipulation, and unethical research practices. All submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism and similarity screening using standard plagiarism detection software such as Turnitin before peer review. Manuscripts with unacceptable similarity or ethical concerns will be rejected or returned for correction.

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are original, unpublished, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Proper acknowledgment and citation of all referenced sources are mandatory.

Any conflict of interest related to financial support, institutional affiliation, authorship, or personal relationships must be clearly disclosed by authors, reviewers, and editors during the publication process.

In cases of proven ethical misconduct, plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated data, or serious publication errors, RVJNS reserves the right to:

  • Reject the manuscript 
  • Publish corrections or errata 
  • Retract the published article 
  • Inform the affiliated institution or funding agency 
  • Restrict future submissions from the concerned author(s) 

The journal is committed to ensuring confidentiality, fairness, transparency, and academic integrity in all editorial and peer review activities.

Revenue Sources

RV Journal of Nursing Sciences (RVJNS) is financially supported by RV College of Nursing and institutional academic resources for the purpose of promoting quality scholarly publishing in nursing. The journal may also receive support through Article Processing Charges (APC) and institutional funding. All revenue sources are utilized solely for editorial management, peer review process, website maintenance, DOI registration, digital archiving, and publication-related activities. 

 Advertising Policy

RV Journal of Nursing Sciences (RVJNS) is committed to maintaining complete editorial independence and ethical publishing standards. The journal does not accept commercial advertisements or sponsored content that may influence editorial decisions, peer review processes, or publication outcomes. The Editorial Board reserves the right to refuse advertisements that are misleading, inappropriate, or inconsistent with the aims and ethical standards of the journal.

Ethics Approval and Consent Policy

All manuscripts reporting studies involving human participants must clearly mention that ethical clearance was obtained from a recognized Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) or Institutional Review Board (IRB). Authors are required to provide the name of the ethics committee along with the approval/reference number in the manuscript.

Authors must also confirm that informed written consent was obtained from all study participants prior to data collection. In case of minors or vulnerable populations, consent must be obtained from parents, guardians, or legally authorized representatives.

Digital Preservation Policy

RV Journal of Nursing Sciences (RVJNS) is committed to ensuring the permanent preservation, accessibility, and long-term availability of all published scholarly content. In accordance with the guidelines of DOAJ, COPE, and international scholarly publishing standards, the journal implements recognized digital preservation and archiving systems to safeguard published articles against data loss or technological failure. RVJNS supports digital preservation through PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) 

These preservation systems ensure secure archiving, long-term storage, and continued accessibility of published content for researchers, authors, and readers worldwide. The journal also maintains regular electronic backups and permanent article records to preserve the integrity and authenticity of scholarly publications.

Complaint and Appeals Process

RV Journal of Nursing Sciences (RVJNS) is committed to ensuring transparency, fairness, and ethical integrity in all editorial and publication processes. The journal has established a formal mechanism to address complaints, appeals, ethical concerns, and publication-related disputes in accordance with COPE guidelines and international scholarly publishing standards.

Authors, reviewers, readers, and other stakeholders may submit complaints regarding editorial decisions, peer review procedures, publication ethics, plagiarism, research misconduct, conflicts of interest, copyright concerns, corrections, or retraction requests.

All complaints and appeals should be communicated through the official journal email to the Editor-in-Chief or Editorial Office.

Official Email for Complaints and Appeals: rvjns.rvcn@rvei.edu.in

Appeals related to editorial decisions will be reviewed objectively by the Editorial Board or an independent review committee when required. Allegations of misconduct, ethical violations, or requests for corrections and retractions will be handled confidentially and investigated according to established ethical publishing procedures.

RVJNS is dedicated to ensuring impartial review, confidentiality, and timely resolution of all complaints and appeals to uphold the quality and credibility of scholarly publishing.