About the Journal

Focus and Scope

The Orthodontic Journal of Nepal (OJN) is a peer-reviewed journal [Print ISSN (2091-1327) and Online ISSN (2091-1335)] published biannually with open access and dealing with the applied as well as theoretical research in the field of orthodontics. OJN is an official journal of the Orthodontic and Dentofacial Orthopedic Association of Nepal (ODOAN). The journal does not charge article processing fees or submission charges.

In each issue, we publish articles under certain types/sections. The types of articles we publish are as follows:

• Original article (Clinical Research, Systematic Review)
• Case reports
• Review articles
• Clinical Innovation
• Interviews
• Letters to the editor
• Book Reviews

Besides the regular types of articles, we also sometimes publish articles under Proceedings/ Declaration of Conferences/Congress, Updates, Supplements, etc.

Abstracting and Indexing Information

Currently, OJN is indexed and associated with the following partners: HINARI, DOAJ, JOL, CNKI, Google Scholar, NepMed, Crossref and Index Copernicus International.

 

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement:

We also closely follow industry associations and their guidelines, which provide best practice recommendations for the conduct and reporting of medical research.

Orthodontic Journal of Nepal (OJN) abides by International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICJME) for Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) for best editorial practice, Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for practicing good publication ethics, Council of Science Editors (CSE) for best editorial practice

1. Introduction:

This journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. It adheres to the principles and best practices outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). The following statement outlines our core ethical policies regarding authorship, editorial responsibility, peer review, conflicts of interest, and handling of misconduct.

2. Responsibilities of Authors:

     2.1 Authorship and Contributions

• All listed authors must have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation of the work.
• Authors should meet all four ICMJE criteria for authorship.
• Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

     2.2 Originality and Plagiarism

• Authors must submit only original work. Plagiarism in any form, including self-plagiarism, is unethical and unacceptable.
• The journal uses plagiarism detection tools to screen manuscripts prior to review.

     2.3 Data Integrity and Availability

• Authors are responsible for the accuracy of data presented and must retain raw data for verification when needed.
• Data must be presented honestly, without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation.

     2.4 Conflicts of Interest

• Authors must disclose all financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the research.
• All funding sources must be clearly stated.

     2.5 Ethical Approvals

• Studies involving human or animal subjects must include approval from an appropriate ethics committee and informed consent documentation, in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
• Clinical trial registration is required as per ICMJE recommendations.

3. Responsibilities of Editors:

     3.1 Independence and Decision Making

• Editors are responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles.
• Decisions must be based solely on the manuscript’s academic merit and relevance, and not influenced by personal, financial, or institutional interests.

     3.2 Confidentiality

• Editors and editorial staff must not disclose information about submitted manuscripts to anyone other than corresponding authors, reviewers, and the publisher.

     3.3 Conflict of Interest

• Editors must recuse themselves from decisions if they have conflicts of interest with the manuscript or authors.

     3.4 Handling Misconduct

• Editors will act upon any allegations of ethical misconduct, including plagiarism, duplicate publication, and data fabrication, in accordance with COPE guidelines.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers:

     4.1 Confidentiality

• Reviewers must treat the manuscript as confidential and not share or discuss it with others.

     4.2 Objectivity and Timeliness

• Reviews should be conducted objectively, with constructive feedback and without personal criticism.
• Reviewers should respond promptly and inform the editor if they cannot complete a review within the stipulated time.

     4.3 Acknowledgment of Sources

• Reviewers should identify any relevant published work not cited by the authors and notify the editor of any suspected ethical concerns.

     4.4 Conflicts of Interest

• Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest and decline to review if necessary.

5. Publisher Responsibilities

• The publisher ensures that ethical publishing practices are followed and supports editors and authors in addressing ethical issues.
• Retractions or corrections will be issued when necessary, following COPE recommendations.

6. Allegations of Misconduct

• The journal will follow COPE's flowcharts in investigating allegations of misconduct.
• Authors will be given an opportunity to respond to allegations.
• Proven misconduct may result in rejection or retraction of the article, and notification to institutional authorities.

 

7. Retraction, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern

• The journal will issue retractions, corrections, or expressions of concern as needed, based on the severity and nature of the issue, consistent with COPE guidance.

 

8. Archiving and Access

• The journal ensures digital preservation of content and continuous access.

 

9. Transparency and Best Practice policy

Orthodontic Journal of Nepal fully abides by the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing that is advocated by Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Directory of Open Access Journal (DOAJ), the Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Wherever relevant, we follow International Committee of Medical Journal Editor (ICMJE) recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing and publication of the scholarly work in medical journals. 

 

Peer Review Process

The journal will process the received manuscript as follows:

Double blind procedure:
The received manuscript will be blinded to both the author and the reviewer during the reviewing process. The author will be anonymous to the reviewer and the reviewer will be anonymous to the author as well.  

Two stage review:
The manuscript will be sent back to the same reviewers after the initial review. However in case of controversies, the decision of the editorial board will be final.

The submitted manuscripts will undergo national or international or both reviewing after blinding to 3 reviewers.  The editors are responsible for directing the manuscript to reviewers depending on their expertise and knowledge. The manuscript will be accepted or declined depending on the reviewers decisions. However, in case of controversies, the ultimate decision is reserved by the Editor in Chief and the editorial board.

The peer reviewers are provided with the guidelines for the review of the manuscript.

Generally, the reviewing process takes about 6 to 8 weeks which includes 4 weeks for review and 2 weeks for processing. Nevertheless, sometimes, it may take some more time due some unseen circumstances.

After the reviewing is completed, one of the following decisions will be made:

Accept Submission:
The manuscript is accepted without the need of any revisions

Revision Needed:
The manuscript needs minor changes and is accepted as per the comments received from the reviewer.

Re-submission for review:
The manuscript requires  major changes and another review needed. The manuscript may be accepted after the review.

Decline Submission:
The manuscript will not be accepted 

The journal will provide all the review comments to the authors regardless of any of the above decisions made by the reviewers.

OJN respects all the opinions, views, comments and decisions made by the reviewers. However, the decision to accept or reject the manuscript is reserved by the Editor in Chief and the editorial board, on the basis of maintaining the integrity of the science, following the guidelines of ICJME, WAME, COPE, CSE.

 

Privacy Policy

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party. However, the email and phone number of the corresponding author will be made available in the correspondence details of the article.

Complaint Policy

For any concern or complaint regarding publication misconduct, please email at odoanjournal@gmail.com with your name, affiliation, address, with phone number. According to the nature of the complaint, OJN will take appropriate action.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.