Journal Policies

The Journal of Complementary Therapies in Midwifery and Nursing (JCTMN) upholds rigorous standards to ensure the integrity, transparency, and quality of scholarly publishing. The following policies govern the submission, review, publication, and post-publication processes:

1. Open Access Policy

JCTMN is an open access journal. All published content is freely available online without subscription or paywall barriers. Articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction, provided proper attribution is given.

2. Peer Review Policy

All submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent experts. Reviewers are selected based on subject expertise and absence of conflicts of interest. The editorial team makes the final decision based on reviewer feedback, originality, significance, and methodological quality.

3. Plagiarism Policy

JCTMN maintains a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism. All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin or iThenticate). Manuscripts with a similarity index above 15% (excluding references) will be returned to authors for revision or rejected.

4. Research Ethics

All studies involving human participants must adhere to the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki and must be approved by an appropriate institutional ethics committee. A statement of ethics approval and informed consent is required in the manuscript.

5. Data Sharing and Reproducibility

Authors are encouraged to share relevant datasets and protocols to enhance transparency and reproducibility. If applicable, data availability statements should be included in the manuscript.

6. Correction and Retraction Policy

JCTMN follows COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines for handling corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern. Authors must report any significant errors in their published work. Corrections will be issued for honest errors; retractions will be considered in cases of misconduct.

7. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the work. A conflict of interest declaration must accompany all submissions.

8. License Terms

All content is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right to publish and archive the work.

9. Authorship and Contributions

Authorship must reflect significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All authors must approve the final manuscript and be accountable for the content.

10. Archiving Policy

JCTMN content is preserved in digital archives including LOCKSS and CLOCKSS, ensuring long-term access to published work.

11. Advertising Policy

JCTMN does not publish commercial advertisements. Any sponsorship or support is transparently disclosed and does not influence editorial decisions.

12. Withdrawal Policy

Authors may withdraw their manuscript at any time before publication. However, unjustified or repeated withdrawals after peer review may result in sanctions.

13. Principles of Transparency

JCTMN adheres to the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing issued by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME. We are committed to ethical editorial practices, accurate reporting, and responsible dissemination of research.