Publication Ethics Policy

Journal of Clinical Orthodontics (JCO)

1. Ethical Framework
JCO is committed to upholding high standards of publication ethics, consistent with widely recognized best practices in scholarly publishing, including principles related to authorship, originality, data integrity, and conflicts of interest, as outlined below.

2. Authorship
Authorship must reflect substantial contribution to the conception, conduct, or interpretation of the reported work. The corresponding author must approve the final manuscript, and any subsequent changes to authorship, on behalf of all coauthors. Changes to the author list after acceptance require written justification and confirmation from all authors.

3. Originality and Plagiarism
Submitted manuscripts must be original work, not previously published and not under consideration elsewhere. All sources must be properly cited; plagiarism and duplicated or submission are grounds for rejection or retraction.

4. Data Integrity
Authors are responsible for the accuracy of reported data. Fabrication or falsification of data, images, or results constitutes research misconduct.

5. Conflicts of Interest
Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could be perceived to influence the work. Reviewers with a conflict of interest must recuse themselves from evaluating a manuscript.

6. Patient Consent and Ethical Approval
Manuscripts involving patient images, data, or clinical outcomes must confirm appropriate informed consent and, where applicable, institutional review board or ethics committee approval.

7. Corrections and Retractions
JCO will publish corrections, clarifications, or retractions when warranted, following COPE guidelines, to maintain the accuracy of the published record.

8. Reporting Concerns
Suspected ethical violations may be reported to the Editor-in-Chief and will be investigated in accordance with COPE procedures.

Peer Review Policy

Journal of Clinical Orthodontics (JCO)

The Journal of Clinical Orthodontics (JCO) is a double-blind peer reviewed journal. Author and reviewer identities are withheld from one another throughout the process. All original research articles, systematic reviews, case reports, and clinical technique papers undergo editorial screening for scope, ethical compliance, and methodological soundness, followed by review from a minimum of two independent subject-matter experts; a third reviewer may be added to resolve disagreement. Reviewers are selected collegially among the JCO’s editorial and executive leadership. Reviewers are selected from JCO’s editorial board and reviewer database.

Read our full Peer Review Policy.