Publication Policies

Editorial Process

PUBLICATION POLICIES

  1. Publication Frequency
  2. Open Access Policy
  3. Archiving Strategy
  4. CrossMark Policy Statement
  5. Publication Ethics and Policy Guidelines
  6. Informed Consent Policy
  7. Plagiarism Policy
  8. Repository Policy
  9. Advertisement Policy
  10. Appeals and Complaints Processes
  11. Authorship Criteria and Ethical Policies
  12. Double Blind Peer Review & Editorial Process
  13. Withdrawal Policy
  14. Privacy Statement
  15. Author Fees and Waivers
  16. Diversity and Inclusion Statement
  17. Data Sharing Policy
  18. Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Policy
  19. Accessibility Statement
  20. Environmental Policy

 

1. PUBLICATION FREQUENCY

Starting January 2024, the Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Research (JHRR) will enhance its publication frequency to quarterly, offering more opportunities for publishing cutting-edge research within the realms of health and rehabilitation.

2. OPEN ACCESS POLICY

JHRR is committed to fostering wide dissemination and accessibility of research. As an open-access journal, all articles are freely available online under the Creative Commons Attribution License. This permits unrestricted use, sharing, and adaptation of the work, provided the original authors and source are credited, supporting a global dialogue on health and rehabilitation advancements.

3. ARCHIVING STRATEGY

JHRR ensures the longevity and accessibility of its publications through robust Long-Term Preservation and Archiving (LTPA) strategies. Utilizing the PKP Private’s LOCKSS network, JHRR’s content is safeguarded within a distributed archive across participating libraries, guaranteeing its preservation and restoration for future generations. Additionally, each article is assigned a unique DOI to facilitate easy access and citation.

4. CROSSMARK POLICY STATEMENT

To uphold the integrity and permanence of scholarly research, JHRR assigns a DOI to every published article, ensuring it remains accessible indefinitely. The journal supports the scholarly practice of revising and updating research through new versions, each of which is documented and linked to the original article, maintaining a transparent revision history. As part of the CrossMark initiative, JHRR commits to alerting readers to any changes or corrections post-publication, ensuring the research community has access to the most current and accurate information. Updates, including addendums, corrections, retractions, and more, are published as regular articles in subsequent issues, maintaining the scholarly record.

5. PUBLICATION ETHICS AND POLICY GUIDELINES

JHRR adheres to strict ethical standards in publishing, requiring all involved parties—authors, reviewers, and editors—to disclose potential conflicts of interest (COIs). This ensures transparency and integrity in research dissemination.

  • Authorship and Contributions: Following ICMJE criteria, JHRR recognizes those who have made substantial contributions to the work. Contributions not warranting authorship are acknowledged separately, ensuring all contributors receive due recognition.
  • Conflict of Interest: Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence (or appear to influence) their work. JHRR publishes these disclosures to ensure transparency and manage COIs proactively.
  • Human and Animal Research Ethics: Complying with the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant animal welfare guidelines, JHRR mandates ethical approval and informed consent for studies involving human participants or animal subjects, underscoring our commitment to ethical research practices.

6. INFORMED CONSENT POLICY

Requirement

Authors must secure informed consent from all participants or their legal guardians for research involving human subjects. This consent encompasses participation in the research and the allowance for publishing any identifiable information or images in an openly accessible online format.

Documentation

  • Authors are required to affirm in their submission that informed consent for publishing identifiable details was acquired.
  • Identifiable information should be excluded unless it's crucial for scientific validity. In such instances, proof of written informed consent must be provided.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Researchers are obliged to uphold the privacy and confidentiality of participants, complying with applicable data protection laws and regulations.

Implementation

  • Submission Process: The submission must include COI disclosures, ethical approvals, and informed consent documentation.
  • Verification: The JHRR editorial team will assess compliance with these guidelines during peer review. Failure to comply may lead to manuscript rejection or a request for corrections.
  • Publication: Articles will indicate adherence to these ethical standards, reinforcing the integrity of the research.

JHRR is dedicated to upholding COPE's core ethical principles and addresses any potential misconduct accordingly.

  1. Submission must include an ethical approval certificate for research involving humans or animals.
  2. Adherence to the latest Helsinki Declaration and WMA ethical principles is mandatory for human studies.
  3. Compliance with WMA's declaration, IAVE's author guidelines on animal ethics, and the guide for laboratory animal care is required.
  4. Authors must affirm adherence to all ethical and legal standards for animal care in their research.
  5. The 3Rs principle (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) is advocated to guide ethical research involving humans and animals.

7. PLAGIARISM POLICY

Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism and the misappropriation of others' work as one's own, is strictly prohibited by JHRR, adhering to COPE, ICMJE, and HEC guidelines. TURNITIN is utilized to assess similarity, with a threshold of less than 20% for acceptance. Detected plagiarism before or after publication will result in severe consequences, including retraction and potential bans on future submissions.

8. REPOSITORY POLICY

JHRR permits authors to archive any version of their paper in institutional or subject repositories without embargo:

  • Preprint
  • Author’s Accepted Manuscript
  • Version of Record

9. ADVERTISEMENT POLICY

Overview

The Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Research (JHRR) welcomes advertisements relevant to our audience. However, all ads must receive JHRR Management's approval, which retains the right to decline or cancel advertisements at any time for any reason.

Guidelines

  1. Submission and Approval: Advertisements are subject to JHRR's review for relevance and appropriateness. Acceptance of an ad does not imply endorsement by JHRR.
  2. Liability and Indemnification: Advertisers agree to indemnify JHRR against legal claims arising from their advertisements.
  3. Content Identification: Advertisements must clearly identify the advertiser and not mimic editorial content.
  4. Regulatory Compliance: Advertisements, especially those for pharmaceutical products, must adhere to all applicable laws and regulations.
  5. Digital Advertising: Use of JHRR's trademarks or copyrighted materials for linking requires prior approval. The collection of personally identifiable information via advertising technologies is strictly prohibited.
  6. Cancellation Policy: Advertisers may cancel without penalty given notice is provided within the specified time frames. Penalties apply for late cancellations as outlined.

10. APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS PROCESSES

  • Appeals: Concerns about review delays, publication decisions, or processing charges can be addressed to the Chief Editor via the official journal email. An Appeals Committee will review and recommend actions.
  • Complaints: Allegations of misconduct by authors, reviewers, or editorial staff can be reported to the Chief Editor. A dedicated Complaints Process Committee will investigate and recommend resolutions.

11. AUTHORSHIP CRITERIA AND ETHICAL POLICIES

Authorship Criteria

JHRR adheres to the ICMJE guidelines for authorship, requiring significant contributions in the following areas:

  1. Conceptualization or design of the work.
  2. Data collection, analysis, or interpretation.
  3. Drafting or critically revising the manuscript.
  4. Approval of the final version and agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Contributions not meeting these criteria may be recognized in an acknowledgments section. The order of authors should reflect the level of their contributions and be jointly decided by all authors. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring all authors meet the criteria and for managing communications between the journal and all co-authors.

Ethics and Malpractice Policy

JHRR is committed to the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. This encompasses responsibilities for all involved in the publication process.

Authors must:

  • Ensure their work is entirely original, appropriately cited, and acknowledges other's contributions. Plagiarism or falsification of data will lead to rejection or retraction.
  • Avoid submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently.
  • Disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

Editors will:

  • Make unbiased publication decisions based on the manuscript's academic merit.
  • Maintain confidentiality and avoid using unpublished information for personal gain.
  • Address ethical complaints about submitted or published manuscripts.

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Provide objective, constructive feedback.
  • Respect the confidentiality of the review process.
  • Report any conflict of interest, potential plagiarism, or data inconsistency to the editor.

Addressing Misconduct: JHRR takes allegations of misconduct seriously. Any concerns will be thoroughly investigated, respecting all involved parties' confidentiality. If misconduct is confirmed, appropriate actions, including retraction, notification to institutions, and barring from future submission, will be taken.

12. DOUBLE BLIND PEER REVIEW & EDITORIAL PROCESS

JHRR uses a double-blind peer review process, ensuring both reviewers and authors are anonymous to each other. The process includes initial evaluation, peer review, potential revision, and final decision, aiming for a decision within 15-20 days from submission.

13. WITHDRAWAL POLICY

Authors can withdraw manuscripts at any stage before publication; however, reasons must be provided for withdrawal during or after peer review. Withdrawals after acceptance may only be considered under extraordinary circumstances.

14. PRIVACY STATEMENT

Personal information provided to JHRR will be used exclusively for the journal's purposes and not shared with third parties.

15. AUTHOR FEES AND WAIVERS

JHRR may charge publication fees, but waivers or discounts can be requested by authors unable to pay. Decisions on waivers are made based on the merits of the work and the authors' financial situation.

16. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT

The Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Research (JHRR) is firmly committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within our editorial processes, peer review, and the dissemination of research. We recognize the value that diverse perspectives bring to scientific discourse and are dedicated to ensuring equal opportunities for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, geographical location, or socioeconomic background. JHRR actively seeks to include a diverse range of voices in our articles and editorial boards and encourages submissions that address DEI issues in health and rehabilitation research.

17. DATA SHARING POLICY

JHRR encourages transparency and reproducibility in research through our data sharing policy. Authors are expected to share the data and materials supporting their research findings in a suitable public repository, whenever possible, at the time of publication. Data should be provided with sufficient metadata, clear conditions for access, and in formats that ensure interoperability. Where privacy, legal, or ethical concerns prevent public sharing, authors should detail these restrictions in their manuscript. Preferred repositories are those that offer stable, long-term storage and assign persistent identifiers (e.g., DOIs) to datasets.

18. DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER (DOI) POLICY

Each article published in JHRR is assigned a unique Digital Object Identifier (DOI), ensuring permanent accessibility and traceability. DOIs offer a reliable mechanism for citation and linkage of electronic content. JHRR manages DOIs in accordance with the International DOI Foundation (IDF) guidelines, facilitating version control and updates to published work. Our DOI policy guarantees that every significant article version, correction, or retraction is accurately reflected and easily identifiable, enhancing the integrity and accuracy of the scientific record.

19. ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

JHRR is committed to making our content accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities. We strive to comply with web accessibility standards to ensure our website and digital content are accessible via screen readers and other assistive technologies. Efforts include structuring content for logical navigation, using alt text for images, and providing captions or transcripts for multimedia. We continually seek to improve accessibility and welcome feedback from users on how to enhance their experience.

20. ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

In line with our scope that encompasses environmental sciences, JHRR is dedicated to minimizing our environmental impact. We operate primarily in digital formats to reduce the use of paper, encourage remote collaboration to limit travel-related carbon emissions, and select vendors based on their environmental policies. Furthermore, we promote research and dialogue on sustainable practices within health and rehabilitation, aiming to contribute positively to environmental stewardship and awareness in the scientific community.