Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement (PEMS)

The Celebes Nursing Journal (CNJ) upholds a rigorous ethical framework to ensure the integrity, transparency, and credibility of all published scholarly work. As a peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal, CNJ recognizes its responsibility to maintain the highest standards of publication ethics and to adhere to internationally endorsed principles governing research conduct and editorial practice. This Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement (PEMS) outlines the duties and obligations of authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher across all stages of manuscript submission, evaluation, and publication.
This policy is firmly grounded in the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations, and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) best-practice guidelines. These frameworks collectively ensure that CNJ’s editorial processes remain impartial, accountable, and transparent. Ethical breaches such as plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, inappropriate authorship, undeclared conflicts of interest, unethical research practices, and manipulation of peer review are taken seriously and addressed according to COPE’s established procedures.
The PEMS provides detailed expectations for responsible research reporting, ethical data handling, authorship criteria, conflict-of-interest disclosure, confidentiality obligations, and reviewer conduct. It also outlines CNJ’s procedures for addressing allegations of misconduct, including corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, and institutional notifications when necessary. All stakeholders involved in the publication process share responsibility for safeguarding ethical integrity, ensuring that CNJ remains a trusted platform for high-quality nursing scholarship.

1. Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement
The CNJ is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in academic publishing. This policy defines the responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher, ensuring that every manuscript is handled with fairness, transparency, accountability, and professional integrity. CNJ’s policies adhere to the core principles of the:

All stakeholders are expected to comply with these guidelines to preserve the credibility of the scholarly record.

2. Duties of Authors
Authors hold primary responsibility for ensuring that the research they submit is original, ethically conducted, accurately presented, and properly contextualized within existing literature. Their adherence to ethical research reporting directly shapes the integrity of CNJ’s academic output.

Originality and Integrity of Research
Authors must submit only original manuscripts that have not been previously published or concurrently submitted elsewhere. All data, results, and interpretations must be reported honestly, without fabrication, falsification, inappropriate data manipulation, or intentional misrepresentation. Text recycling or redundant publication is prohibited unless explicitly justified and cited.

Citations and Avoidance of Plagiarism
All relevant literature must be cited accurately. Authors must avoid all forms of plagiarism, including:

Ethical Approval and Informed Consent
Research involving human participants, animals, or biological materials must receive prior approval from a recognized ethics committee. Authors must report the committee name and approval number. Informed consent is required for all identifiable information, case reports, images, or sensitive data.

Authorship Criteria
All listed authors must meet ICMJE authorship criteria, including:

Guest, gift, and ghost authorship are prohibited.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure
Authors must disclose all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest, including funding sources, employment, consultancies, equity holdings, intellectual property interests, and personal relationships.

Responsibilities During Editorial and Peer Review
Authors must respond constructively to reviewer comments, submit revisions promptly, and provide additional information as requested. They must notify the editor immediately if significant errors are discovered after publication.

3. Duties of Editors
Editors ensure the scientific quality, ethical compliance, fairness, and integrity of the journal’s publications. Their decisions must always be impartial and free from external influence.

Editorial Independence and Decision-Making
Manuscript decisions must be based solely on scientific merit, methodological rigor, originality, clarity, relevance, and ethical soundness. Editors must not be influenced by the authors’ nationality, institutional affiliation, political position, or personal characteristics.

Confidentiality
Editors must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents and may not disclose information to unauthorized parties.

Conflict of Interest
Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where personal, financial, or academic conflicts exist. Manuscripts authored by editors must be assigned to an independent editor.

Misconduct Investigation
Editors must follow COPE flowcharts when handling potential misconduct, including plagiarism, unethical research, authorship disputes, data anomalies, or peer-review manipulation.

Corrections and Retractions
When errors or ethical breaches are discovered, editors must take appropriate action, including issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.

4. Duties of Reviewers
Reviewers serve as impartial experts who evaluate the scientific rigor, validity, and contribution of submitted manuscripts. Ethical reviewer conduct is essential to maintaining trust in the peer-review process.

Objectivity and Constructive Feedback
Reviewers must provide fair, unbiased, and evidence-based evaluations. Criticism should be professional and supported by scholarly reasoning.

Confidentiality
Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential and must not share, discuss, or use the content for personal benefit prior to publication.

Conflict of Interest
Reviewers must decline assignments when relationships or conditions may compromise objectivity, including:

Ethical Concerns
Reviewers should alert editors to potential issues such as plagiarism, duplicate submission, unethical research, or data inconsistencies.

5. Duties of the Publisher
The publisher ensures that CNJ maintains ethical, legal, and professional standards throughout its operations.
The publisher is responsible for:


6. Handling Allegations of Misconduct
Misconduct is treated as a serious violation of publication ethics. CNJ follows established COPE procedures to ensure fairness, due process, and accuracy in the scholarly record.

Potential Misconduct Includes:

 Editorial Actions May Include:

Investigations follow COPE flowcharts to ensure consistency and fairness.