Editorial Policies

RKGP Journals maintains a comprehensive framework of editorial and publishing policies to ensure the integrity, transparency, and quality of all published research. These policies are designed to guide authors, editors, and reviewers through the publication process, in alignment with internationally recognized ethical standards and best practices. All research submitted must comply with established norms for study design, methodology, and ethical oversight where applicable. RKGP Journals adheres to standards and guidelines set forth by the following organizations:

  • COPE – Committee on Publication Ethics
  • ICMJE – International Committee of Medical Journal Editors
  • STM – International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers
  • WAME – World Association of Medical Editors
  1. Animal Research
    Studies involving regulated animals must comply with internationally accepted ethical standards. This includes obtaining prior approval from relevant ethics committees, securing necessary authorizations, and providing appropriate details for research involving non-human primates.
  2. Human Subjects Research
    Research involving human participants must conform to internationally accepted ethical standards. Authors must obtain study-specific ethics approval, ensure participant confidentiality, secure informed consent, and provide relevant clinical trial documentation where applicable.
  3. Authorship
    Authorship should reflect substantial contributions to the research. According to ICMJE recommendations, authorship requires:
  1. Significant contributions to the conception, design, acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data;
  2. Drafting or critically revising the manuscript for intellectual content;
  3. Approval of the final version for publication;
  4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the research.

Changes in Authorship
Requests for changes in authorship, before or after publication, must be submitted by the corresponding author and processed according to COPE guidelines. All authors must agree to the requested changes. Relevant forms and guidance are available through ICMJE and COPE.

  1. Conflict of Interest
    A conflict of interest exists when personal, financial, or professional relationships could be perceived as influencing research outcomes. Authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose all potential conflicts of interest. Conflicts may be financial, professional, or personal. Reviewers and editors with conflicts must recuse themselves from evaluating the manuscript. Guidance is provided by COPE, ICMJE, STM, and WAME.
  2. Funding Disclosure
    Authors must declare all sources of financial support and the role of funders in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting.
  3. Licensing and Open Access
    Accepted manuscripts are published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, allowing reuse with proper attribution.
  4. Data and Material Availability
    Authors are required to make underlying research data publicly available, unless exceptional circumstances exist and are approved by the editor. Authors are also encouraged to share relevant materials, software, and methodologies to promote transparency and reproducibility.
  5. Manuscript Submission
  • Authors must follow the Instructions for Authors and adhere to journal formatting requirements.
  • All listed authors must meet authorship criteria, approve the manuscript, and provide accurate contact information.
  • Manuscripts should be submitted via the journal’s online submission system.
  1. Confidentiality
    All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential. Access is limited to editorial staff, peer reviewers, and individuals involved in the editorial process. In cases of suspected misconduct, manuscripts may be shared with ethics committees or institutions, following COPE guidelines.
  2. Peer Review
    RKGP Journals employs a double-blind peer review system. Reviewer and author identities are concealed throughout the process. Manuscripts are assessed by editorial board members or qualified external reviewers. Reviewers provide one of the following recommendations:
  • Accept as is
  • Minor revisions required
  • Moderate revisions required
  • Major revisions required
  • Reject

A minimum of three independent reviewer reports is required per manuscript. Reviewer evaluations are anonymized before being shared with authors. Editors make final decisions regarding manuscript acceptance, revision, or rejection.

  1. Misconduct
    Misconduct includes any violation of editorial policies, publication ethics, or established guidelines (COPE, WAME, ICMJE, STM), as well as actions that compromise research or publication integrity. Suspected misconduct will be investigated in accordance with COPE procedures.
  2. Corrections and Retractions
  • Minor corrections are made directly to the published article.
  • Major corrections are published as a separate, linked version with an explanatory note.
  • Retractions are issued according to COPE guidelines when necessary.
  1. References for Additional Guidance
  • ICMJE: Scientific Misconduct, Expressions of Concern, and Retraction
  • COPE Guidelines and Flowcharts
  • WAME: Publication Ethics Policies for Medical Journals
  • STM: International Ethical Principles for Scholarly Publication

RKGP Journals periodically reviews and updates this editorial policy to ensure ongoing alignment with global standards of publication ethics.