Publication Ethics

Indonesian Contemporary Nursing Journal (Indones. Contemp. Nurs. J. - ICON Journal) upholds global standards for ethical research and publication. Authors are required to adhere to both institutional and national ethical guidelines when conducting research involving human participants or sensitive information. Research involving human subjects must include a declaration of ethical approval from a relevant ethics committee and obtain informed consent from the participants. The journal utilizes COPE flowcharts to address ethical concerns such as plagiarism, data fabrication, authorship conflicts, and duplicate publication.

Policy on Retraction, Corrections, and Publication Integrity

1. Retraction
   Indonesian Contemporary Nursing Journal issues a retraction when major errors or misconduct render the findings unreliable. Retractions may result from data fabrication or falsification, plagiarism, unethical research practices, or any situation in which the conclusions can no longer be trusted. Retraction notices are published clearly and permanently, linked directly to the original article. The retracted article remains accessible online but is marked with a visible “Retracted” watermark to ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.
2. Erratum
   An erratum is published to correct mistakes introduced by the publisher during production, including typesetting errors, layout issues, incorrect figures or tables, and metadata inaccuracies. These errors do not affect the scientific interpretation of the article. The erratum is issued as a separate published notice and is linked to the original article to ensure readers are informed of the correction.
3. Corrigendum
   A corrigendum addresses errors made by the authors that do not alter the study’s overall results or conclusions. These may include minor data inaccuracies, mislabeled tables or figures, or corrections to authors’ names and affiliations. When such errors could influence the interpretation of the findings, the journal may consider retraction instead. Corrigenda are published as formal notices and linked to the original article.
4. Addendum
   Indonesian Contemporary Nursing Journal may publish an addendum when essential additional information becomes available after publication but does not change the article’s original conclusions. Addenda serve to clarify or expand upon the previously published content while maintaining transparency and continuity with the initial publication.
5. Expression of Concern
   Indonesian Contemporary Nursing Journal may issue an Expression of Concern when significant doubts arise regarding an article but the evidence is incomplete or pending investigation. This notice is intended to alert readers to potential issues while ensuring neutrality during the ongoing review. The Expression of Concern may later be replaced by a correction or retraction once the investigation is concluded.
6. Article Withdrawal (Pre-Publication)
   Withdrawal applies only before an article is formally published. Articles may be withdrawn due to duplicate submission, authorship disputes, or critical errors identified during production. Once an article has been assigned a DOI and officially published, it cannot be deleted but may only be corrected or retracted according to the journal’s policies.
7. Investigation Process
   When concerns or allegations are raised, ICON Journal conducts an initial editorial assessment, followed by communication with the authors to obtain clarification or evidence. When necessary, external experts or the authors’ institutions may be consulted. Based on the available information, the journal decides whether to issue a correction, addendum, Expression of Concern, or retraction. Any resulting notice is published transparently and linked to the article in question.

Duties of Editors

1. Fair and Impartial Editorial Decision-Making
   Editors are responsible for making publication decisions based on the scholarly merit, originality, clarity, and relevance of a manuscript to the journal’s scope. Editorial judgments must be made without discrimination based on the authors’ gender, identity, institutional affiliation, nationality, or personal characteristics. Decisions should be guided solely by academic quality and ethical standards.
2. Commitment to Quality and Integrity
   Editors must ensure that all published content meets high standards of scientific rigor and ethical conduct. They should take active steps to detect and prevent research misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, and unethical research practices. When concerns arise, editors are responsible for investigating and taking appropriate corrective actions.
3. Confidentiality of Manuscripts
   Editors must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Information contained within a submission may not be disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and journal staff involved in the editorial process, unless legally required.
4. Transparent Peer Review Process
   Editors should ensure that the peer review process is fair, timely, and conducted by qualified reviewers with relevant expertise. They are responsible for selecting reviewers who can provide objective and constructive evaluations and for communicating reviewer feedback clearly to authors.
5. Handling of Conflicts of Interest
   Editors must avoid handling manuscripts in which they have real or perceived conflicts of interest. In such cases, the manuscript should be reassigned to another editor to maintain impartiality.
6. Responsiveness to Ethical Concerns
   Editors must take seriously any concerns raised about potential ethical issues in submitted or published work. This includes allegations of misconduct, authorship disputes, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or research involving unethical practices. Editors should follow established guidelines for investigation and issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary.
7. Respectful and Accountable Communication
   Editors should provide clear, respectful, and timely communication to authors, reviewers, and readers. They must ensure that authors understand editorial decisions and have opportunities to respond or appeal when appropriate.
8. Editorial Independence
   Editors must protect the integrity and editorial independence of the journal. Decisions to accept or reject manuscripts must not be influenced by commercial interests, institutional pressures, or external political agendas.
9. Use of Artificial Intelligence in Editorial Processes
   Editors may use AI tools to support tasks such as plagiarism checks, language screening, or workflow management, but these tools must be applied responsibly. Editorial decisions cannot be delegated to AI systems. Editors remain fully accountable for evaluating the scholarly integrity of manuscripts, ensuring that AI-generated analytics do not replace human judgment. Editors must also ensure that AI tools used do not compromise confidentiality or introduce bias into the review process.

Duties of Reviewers

Reviewers play an essential role in safeguarding the quality, accuracy, and integrity of the publications in ICON Journal. Their assessments support editorial decision-making and, through constructive feedback, assist authors in improving the scholarly value of their manuscripts.

1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions
   Reviewers provide expert evaluations that guide editors in determining the originality, relevance, methodological rigor, and scientific contribution of submitted manuscripts. Their insights also help authors refine and strengthen their work prior to publication.
2. Promptness
   Reviewers who feel unqualified to evaluate a manuscript or who are unable to complete the review within the specified timeframe must promptly notify the editor and decline the task. This ensures an efficient editorial process and minimizes delays for authors.
3. Confidentiality
   All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential material. They may not be shared, discussed, or disseminated without explicit authorization from the editor. This confidentiality is vital to protect both the review process and the intellectual property of the authors.
4. Standards of Objectivity
   Reviews must be conducted objectively, professionally, and without personal bias. Personal criticism of the authors is inappropriate. Reviewers should provide clear, reasoned, and evidence-based comments that support the editorial process and contribute to improving the manuscript.
5. Acknowledgment of Sources
   Reviewers should identify relevant literature that has not been cited by the authors and point out any prior work that overlaps with the manuscript’s content. Claims regarding similarity or previously reported findings must be accompanied by appropriate citations. Reviewers must alert the editor to any substantial duplication or overlap with other published works they are aware of.
6. Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
   Information obtained through peer review must remain confidential and must not be used for personal advantage. Reviewers should decline any manuscript in which they have a conflict of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, financial, or personal relationships with the authors or their institutions.
7. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Peer Review
   Reviewers may use AI tools to support certain aspects of their evaluation—for example, checking language clarity or identifying potential inconsistencies. However, reviewers remain fully responsible for the accuracy, judgment, and ethical quality of the review they submit. Reviewers must not upload or disclose confidential manuscript content to public AI tools that do not guarantee data privacy. Any use of AI must comply with confidentiality standards and must not compromise the integrity of the manuscript.

Duties of Authors

1. Reporting Standards
   Authors are expected to present an accurate and transparent account of the research conducted, along with an objective interpretation of its significance. All underlying data must be represented truthfully. Manuscripts should provide sufficient methodological detail and references to allow other researchers to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are not tolerated.
2. Data Access and Retention
   Authors may be asked to provide raw data related to their manuscript for editorial review and should be prepared to make such data available when reasonably requested. Authors are also expected to retain their research data for a reasonable period after publication to support verification or follow-up inquiries.
3. Originality and Plagiarism
   Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. If the manuscript includes the ideas, methods, or words of others, proper citation or quotation is required. Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable.
4. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
   Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Publishing substantially similar research in multiple places without justification or transparency is considered unethical.
5. Acknowledgment of Sources
   Proper acknowledgment of prior work is essential. Authors should cite all sources that significantly informed or influenced the study, including foundational theories, methods, and relevant literature.
6. Authorship Criteria
   Authorship must be limited to individuals who made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately. The corresponding author is responsible for confirming that all co-authors approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission.
7. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
   Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence—or be perceived to influence—the interpretation of the research. All sources of research funding must also be disclosed.
8. Fundamental Errors in Published Works
   If an author discovers a significant error in their published work, they must promptly notify the journal and cooperate with editors to issue a correction or retraction.
9. Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools
   Authors who used AI-based tools in preparing the manuscript—whether for writing assistance, language editing, data analysis, image processing, or coding—must disclose this clearly in the Methods or Acknowledgment section. AI tools cannot be credited as authors and may not be used to fabricate data, create references, or manipulate images. Authors remain fully responsible for verifying the accuracy, originality, and integrity of any AI-assisted content.