Publication Ethics

Update November 2025

Kidneys adheres to the highest standards of publication ethics and follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).
All parties involved in the publication process, authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher, must agree to the ethical standards described below.

1. Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Team

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the final decision regarding publication and must ensure:

  • fair and objective evaluation of all manuscripts

  • decisions not influenced by the authors’ nationality, gender, academic rank, or personal relationships

  • confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts

  • identification and management of conflicts of interest

  • preventing the misuse of unpublished material by editors or reviewers

  • taking action in cases of suspected misconduct (plagiarism, falsification, duplicate publication, unethical research)

When the Editor-in-Chief or any Editorial Board member is an author of a submitted manuscript, the article is handled by an independent Guest Editor to ensure transparency and eliminate conflicts of interest.

2. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must:

  • provide objective, constructive, and timely evaluations

  • assess originality, methodology, validity, clarity, and ethical compliance

  • decline review if a conflict of interest exists

  • maintain complete confidentiality during and after the review

  • not use any information from the manuscript for personal advantage

  • complete reviews within the agreed timeframe (typically 2–4 weeks)

Reviewers help the editor decide whether a manuscript should be published and assist authors in improving their work.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must ensure:

  • submitted work is original and not under consideration elsewhere

  • all data presented are accurate, true, and ethically obtained

  • all authors meet the ICMJE authorship criteria

  • any financial or personal conflicts of interest are clearly disclosed

  • all data are available upon request after publication

  • appropriate ethical approval for studies involving humans or animals

  • correct acknowledgment of contributors who do not meet authorship criteria

Ghost authorship and gift authorship are strictly prohibited.

4. Conflicts of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any conflicts of interest (financial, professional, or personal).
When an article is authored by an Editorial Board member or the Editor-in-Chief:

  • the submission is handled by an independent editor

  • the editor-author does not participate in decision-making

  • the conflict is clearly disclosed in the published article

5. Editorial Board Publication Policy

To preserve editorial independence and ethical integrity:

  • Editorial Board members may publish no more than one article per year in Kidneys.

  • Editor-authored manuscripts undergo full external peer review and independent editorial decisions.

  • The Editor-in-Chief may not publish more than one article every two years unless justified and handled by an external editor.

6. Misconduct Handling

The journal follows COPE guidelines for handling:

  • plagiarism

  • duplicate publication

  • fabricated or manipulated data

  • improper authorship

  • undeclared conflicts of interest

  • unethical research practices

Actions may include:
retraction, correction, expression of concern, or reporting to the authors’ institutions.

7. Corrections, Retractions, and Complaints

The journal handles corrections and complaints following COPE protocols:

  • Corrections are issued for genuine errors.

  • Retractions occur in cases of proven misconduct or unreliable findings.

  • Complaints and appeals are reviewed by an independent editor or the publisher.

8. Publisher Responsibility (ARC Publishing)

The publisher ensures:

  • proper archiving and digital preservation

  • integrity of published content

  • adherence to COPE and DOAJ best practices

  • no commercial influence on editorial decisions

  • transparency in APC policies and licensing