Journal Management

1. Introduction

NERS Jurnal Keperawatan (NJK) is committed to transparent, ethical, and responsible journal management practices. The journal aims to publish high-quality, peer-reviewed research that contributes to the advancement of nursing science, nursing practice, education, and health systems.

NJK strives to maintain editorial independence, academic integrity, transparency, and accountability throughout its publication processes. This policy outlines the journal's governance, editorial responsibilities, operational procedures, financial transparency, ethical commitments, and publication management practices.

NJK recognizes the importance of the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing as references for responsible scholarly publishing.

2. Description

Journal management encompasses the strategic, editorial, administrative, technical, and financial activities necessary for the sustainable and ethical operation of NERS Jurnal Keperawatan (NJK).

The main components of journal management include:

  • Governance and Ownership: The journal's ownership, publisher responsibilities, and organizational structure.

  • Editorial Independence: The protection of editorial decisions from inappropriate external, financial, institutional, or personal influence.

  • Financial Transparency: Clear and accurate information regarding financial support, publication fees, and other relevant costs.

  • Operational Processes: The management of manuscript submission, peer review, editing, production, publication, and digital preservation.

  • Editorial Team Management: The appointment, responsibilities, qualifications, and professional conduct of editors and editorial board members.

  • Publication Ethics: Compliance with ethical standards concerning authorship, peer review, research integrity, conflicts of interest, and post-publication matters.

  • Communication and Accountability: Transparent communication with authors, reviewers, readers, institutions, and other relevant stakeholders.

3. Policy

3.1 Governance and Ownership

NERS Jurnal Keperawatan (NJK) is published by the Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Andalas, Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia.

The journal operates within the academic environment of Universitas Andalas and is responsible for maintaining appropriate editorial, administrative, and publication practices. Its editorial activities are managed by the Editor-in-Chief and the editorial team in accordance with the journal's aims and scope, publication policies, and ethical standards.

The journal's ownership, publisher information, editorial leadership, and contact details are made available through its official website.

3.2 Editorial Independence

NJK upholds the principle of editorial independence. Decisions concerning the acceptance, revision, or rejection of manuscripts are based on scholarly merit, originality, scientific validity, methodological quality, relevance to the journal's scope, clarity of presentation, and compliance with publication ethics.

Editorial decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief and authorized editors in accordance with the journal's editorial procedures. Such decisions must not be improperly influenced by institutional interests, funding sources, commercial considerations, personal relationships, or other external pressures.

Editors are responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the editorial process and ensuring that manuscripts receive fair and appropriate consideration.

3.3 Financial Transparency and Publication Fees

NJK is committed to transparency regarding the financial arrangements that support its publication activities.

Information about publication fees, if applicable, must be clearly stated on the journal's official website and communicated to authors before they make publication-related commitments.

Any financial support received by the journal must be managed responsibly and must not influence editorial decisions, peer review outcomes, or the treatment of individual manuscripts.

Where publication fees or other charges apply, the journal must provide accurate information about the amount, purpose, payment procedures, and any applicable waiver or exemption arrangements.

The ability or willingness of an author to pay a publication fee must not determine the scholarly evaluation or editorial decision concerning a manuscript.

3.4 Open Access Policy

NJK aims to support the dissemination of nursing research and scholarly knowledge through access to its published content in accordance with the journal's stated open access policy.

Readers may access published articles under the applicable license terms specified by the journal. The journal's website and published articles should clearly identify the relevant licensing conditions and permitted uses of published content.

NJK uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license, subject to consistency with the journal's official OJS settings and published article license statements.

The journal is committed to providing clear information about access to its content, copyright arrangements, and the rights and responsibilities of authors and readers.

3.5 Editorial Board and Editorial Team

NJK maintains an editorial team and Editorial Board with relevant academic qualifications, professional experience, and expertise in nursing and related fields.

The Editor-in-Chief, editors, and Editorial Board members are expected to:

  • Uphold the journal's aims, scope, and publication ethics.

  • Evaluate manuscripts fairly and objectively within their assigned responsibilities.

  • Protect confidential manuscript information.

  • Identify and disclose potential conflicts of interest.

  • Support appropriate peer review and editorial decision-making.

  • Contribute to the quality, integrity, and development of the journal.

The names, professional affiliations, and editorial roles of the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board members should be publicly available on the journal's website and kept up to date.

Editorial appointments should be based on relevant expertise, professional integrity, and the ability to contribute to the journal's academic objectives.

3.6 Operational Processes and Journal Management System

NJK uses an online journal management system to support manuscript submission, editorial assignment, peer review, communication, and publication workflows.

The journal seeks to maintain documented and consistent procedures for:

  • Manuscript submission and initial screening.

  • Editorial assessment and assignment to reviewers.

  • Peer review and editorial decision-making.

  • Revision, copyediting, and preparation of accepted manuscripts.

  • Online publication and maintenance of article metadata.

  • Handling corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, and other post-publication matters.

Authors, reviewers, and editors should receive appropriate information about the stages of the editorial process and their respective responsibilities.

The journal strives to communicate in a timely, professional, and transparent manner while protecting confidential information and the integrity of peer review.

3.7 Training and Ethical Development

NJK encourages editors, Editorial Board members, and editorial staff to maintain an understanding of publication ethics, responsible peer review, research integrity, and the effective use of journal management systems.

Relevant guidance may include COPE resources, the journal's editorial policies, and recognized standards for reporting nursing and health research.

The journal seeks to improve its editorial practices through periodic policy review, professional development, and consideration of emerging issues in scholarly publishing.

3.8 Advertising and Marketing Policy

NJK is committed to responsible, accurate, and transparent communication with authors, reviewers, readers, and the wider academic community.

Any announcements, calls for papers, or other promotional activities must be factual, professional, and consistent with the journal's aims and scope. Such communications must not misrepresent the journal's editorial processes, publication timelines, indexing status, or publication outcomes.

Promotional activities must not interfere with editorial independence or create misleading expectations for prospective authors.

Any paid advertising, if introduced, should be governed by a clear policy that distinguishes advertising from editorial content and prevents commercial interests from influencing editorial decisions.

3.9 Archiving and Digital Preservation

NJK recognizes the importance of preserving published scholarly content and maintaining its long-term accessibility.

The journal seeks to maintain reliable digital records of published articles, associated metadata, and relevant publication information through its journal management platform and available preservation arrangements.

Any specific digital preservation service or external archiving partnership should be identified accurately on the journal's website only when the arrangement has been confirmed.

The journal aims to minimize the risk of loss of published content and support continued access to its scholarly record.

3.10 Journal Metrics and Performance

NJK may review and report relevant information about its editorial and publication performance, where appropriate and supported by reliable records.

Such information may include manuscript submission volume, publication output, review timelines, and other indicators relevant to journal management.

Any reported metrics must be accurate, appropriately contextualized, and presented without misleading comparisons or unsupported claims. Metrics must not replace the assessment of scholarly quality or research integrity.

4. Technicalities to Achieve and Materialize the Policies

4.1 Website Transparency

The official NJK website serves as the primary source of information about the journal's policies and publication practices.

The website should provide clear and accessible information about:

  • The journal's title, publisher, institutional affiliation, aims, and scope.

  • The Editor-in-Chief, editorial team, and Editorial Board members, including their affiliations.

  • Instructions for Authors and manuscript submission procedures.

  • The peer review process and editorial decision-making.

  • Publication ethics, research ethics, and procedures for handling misconduct.

  • Copyright, licensing, and open access arrangements.

  • Publication fees or other charges, if applicable.

  • Conflicts of interest, complaints, and appeals.

  • Corrections, retractions, and other post-publication updates.

  • Digital preservation arrangements, where applicable.

  • The journal's contact information and official communication channels.

All information should be reviewed periodically to ensure accuracy and consistency across the website, OJS settings, author guidelines, and published articles.

4.2 Editorial Office Management

NJK seeks to maintain efficient editorial workflows and appropriate communication channels for authors, reviewers, and editors.

The editorial office is responsible for supporting manuscript processing, maintaining relevant editorial records, communicating manuscript status where appropriate, and ensuring that journal procedures are followed consistently.

Concerns arising after publication should be assessed fairly and handled in accordance with the journal's relevant policies and recognized publication ethics guidance.

4.3 Selection and Responsibilities of Editorial Personnel

The appointment of the Editor-in-Chief, editors, and Editorial Board members should take into account academic qualifications, expertise in nursing or related disciplines, publication experience, professional integrity, and commitment to the journal's objectives.

Editorial responsibilities should be communicated clearly. Editorial personnel are expected to act professionally, protect confidential information, disclose relevant conflicts of interest, and avoid using their editorial positions for personal or improper advantage.

The journal should periodically review its editorial structure to maintain appropriate expertise and effective management.

4.4 Management of Editorial Conflicts of Interest

NJK seeks to identify and manage potential conflicts of interest involving editors, Editorial Board members, reviewers, authors, and journal staff.

Individuals involved in editorial decisions should disclose relevant conflicts and refrain from handling manuscripts when their impartiality could reasonably be questioned.

Alternative editorial arrangements should be made when necessary to ensure fair and independent assessment.

Detailed procedures are described in the journal's Conflicts of Interest Policy.

4.5 Use of Supporting Software and Tools

NJK uses its online journal management system to facilitate manuscript processing and publication.

Additional software or services may be used to support editorial quality, reference management, language improvement, similarity screening, DOI registration, or other publication-related activities, depending on availability and the journal's operational arrangements.

The journal should describe specific tools and services publicly only when their use has been confirmed. The use of supporting software does not replace editorial judgment, peer review, or responsibility for research integrity.

Published articles should have accurate metadata and persistent identifiers, such as DOIs, where these are assigned.

4.6 Policy Review and Updates

NJK's journal management policies and operational practices should be reviewed periodically by the journal's editorial leadership in coordination with the publisher, where appropriate.

Updates may be made to reflect changes in scholarly publishing standards, publication ethics guidance, journal workflows, and applicable institutional requirements.

Policy revisions should be communicated clearly and implemented consistently across the journal's website, OJS settings, author guidelines, and editorial procedures.

NJK is committed to maintaining transparent, responsible, and sustainable journal management in support of high-quality nursing scholarship.

COPE and Scholarly Publishing Resources

Contact Information

NERS Jurnal Keperawatan (NJK)
Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Andalas
Limau Manis, Pauh, Padang, West Sumatra 25163
Indonesia
Email: jurnal.fkep.unand@gmail.com
Website: https://ners.fkep.unand.ac.id/index.php/NJK/index