The International Journal of Surgical Nursing Therapeutics (IJSNT) is fully committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, transparency, and academic integrity. The journal follows the ethical principles and best practices outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and internationally accepted scholarly publishing guidelines.

1. Publication Ethics Commitment

The journal ensures that all published content is:

• Original and free from plagiarism
• Scientifically valid and evidence-based
• Transparent in methodology and reporting
• Reviewed fairly and without bias

Any deviation from ethical publishing standards is treated seriously and investigated thoroughly.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must ensure that:

• Submissions are original, unpublished, and not under simultaneous consideration elsewhere
• Data presented is accurate, authentic, and not fabricated or manipulated
• Proper acknowledgment and citations are provided for all referenced work
• All listed authors have made a significant intellectual contribution
• Any conflicts of interest are clearly disclosed
• Necessary ethical approvals (human/animal studies) are obtained and stated

3. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

• Ensuring a fair, transparent, and unbiased peer review process
• Evaluating manuscripts based only on academic merit and relevance
• Maintaining strict confidentiality of submitted manuscripts
• Making publication decisions without external influence or personal interest
• Taking corrective action in cases of ethical complaints or misconduct

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

• Maintain strict confidentiality of manuscript content
• Provide objective, constructive, and timely reviews
• Identify ethical issues, plagiarism, or methodological flaws
• Avoid conflicts of interest before accepting review assignments
• Refrain from using unpublished material for personal advantage

5. Plagiarism and Similarity Check

• The journal follows a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism
• All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection tools before review
• Manuscripts with high similarity are:
  • Rejected immediately, or
  • Returned to authors for correction (depending on severity)

6. Research Misconduct Policy

The journal strictly prohibits:

• Data fabrication or falsification
• Image manipulation or unethical enhancement
• Duplicate or redundant publication
• Improper authorship practices
• Citation manipulation or unethical referencing

Confirmed misconduct may result in rejection, retraction, and restriction from future submissions.

7. Conflict of Interest

All participants in the publication process (authors, editors, reviewers) must disclose any financial or personal conflicts that may influence their judgment or research outcomes.

8. Retraction and Correction Policy

The journal reserves the right to:

• Retract published articles with proven ethical violations or invalid results
• Issue corrections or errata when minor errors are identified
• Maintain transparency by documenting all retraction notices publicly

9. Ethical Publishing Standard

The International Journal of Surgical Nursing Therapeutics is dedicated to promoting responsible research practices and ensuring that all published work contributes ethically and meaningfully to the field of surgical nursing and therapeutic sciences.