Normas Éticas de Publicación

The Journal of Human Care and Occupation (RCOH) promotes the adoption of international best practices in publication ethics by following the recommendations and principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All participants in the editorial process—including authors, reviewers, editors, and the editorial staff—are expected to act with honesty, transparency, responsibility, and scientific integrity throughout every stage of manuscript evaluation and publication. All submitted manuscripts are assessed exclusively on the basis of their scientific quality, originality, relevance, and contribution to knowledge. In addition, every manuscript undergoes a similarity analysis using Turnitin before entering the peer-review process.

Publication Requirements

All manuscripts submitted for consideration must comply with the following requirements:

  • Author Consent. All authors must approve the submission and potential publication of the manuscript.
  • Originality. The manuscript must be original, unpublished, and must not be under simultaneous consideration by another journal.
  • Permission to Reproduce Copyrighted Material. When copyrighted material is used, authors must obtain the appropriate permissions and provide proper acknowledgment of the original source.
  • Previous Research. Any information derived from previous studies must be appropriately cited and referenced.
  • Journal Archive. Accepted manuscripts will become part of the editorial archive of the Journal of Human Care and Occupation (RCOH).
  • Reviewer Independence. Members of the Review Committee must not have professional, academic, or personal relationships with the authors that could compromise the impartiality of the review process.

1. Research Integrity

1.1 Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes fabrication, falsification, data manipulation, or plagiarism during the conduct, reporting, submission, or review of research. If the Editorial Committee identifies reasonable evidence of misconduct, an investigation will be initiated, and the relevant institution, funding agency, or competent authority may be contacted when appropriate.

1.2 Reporting Research Misconduct

Reports concerning potential scientific misconduct may be submitted anonymously or by identified individuals and will be investigated whenever sufficient supporting evidence is provided.

1.3 Fabrication, Falsification, and Image Manipulation

Image modifications are acceptable only when they do not alter the scientific meaning of the content. Authors must retain the original image files and disclose any modifications made. Adjustments to brightness or contrast are acceptable only if they are applied uniformly to the entire image without distorting its scientific interpretation.

1.4 Plagiarism

Plagiarism, including the unauthorized use of ideas, text, images, or research findings belonging to others, constitutes serious academic misconduct. All submitted manuscripts are screened using Turnitin before entering the editorial evaluation process.

1.5 Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Authors must not publish substantially the same research findings in more than one journal without proper justification and acknowledgment of the original publication.

2. Editorial Policies and Procedures

2.1 Authorship

  • The order of authors must accurately reflect each author's scientific contribution.
  • All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript prior to submission.
  • Individuals whose contributions do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged with their permission.

2.2 Peer Review

The Journal uses a double-blind peer-review system for all scientific manuscripts. Editorial notes and institutional communications are not subject to peer review.

2.3 Conflicts of Interest

Editors, authors, and reviewers must disclose any financial, academic, institutional, political, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence the editorial process or the objective evaluation of a manuscript.

3. Complaints, Appeals, and Allegations

The Journal of Human Care and Occupation (RCOH) welcomes complaints, appeals, and allegations concerning the editorial process through the following e-mail address: rcoh@unipamplona.edu.co. All communications will be handled confidentially by the Editor-in-Chief in accordance with the procedures established by COPE for managing suspected ethical misconduct.

4. Authors' Responsibilities

  • Present research methods, procedures, and results accurately and transparently.
  • Provide complete and accurate citations for all sources used.
  • Avoid submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals.
  • Accept similarity screening using Turnitin as an integral part of the editorial process.

5. Editors' Responsibilities

  • Make publication decisions based on scientific merit and reviewers' recommendations.
  • Ensure that editorial decisions are fair, impartial, transparent, and free from discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, nationality, or political beliefs.
  • Oversee the integrity and fairness of the peer-review process.
  • Ensure compliance with the Journal's ethical policies and international publication standards.

6. Reviewers' Responsibilities

  • Contribute objectively to editorial decisions through rigorous and constructive peer review.
  • Notify the Editorial Office promptly if they are unable to complete the review within the agreed timeframe.
  • Provide objective, respectful, evidence-based, and technically sound evaluations.
  • Maintain strict confidentiality regarding all information contained in the manuscripts assigned for review.
  • Declare any potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment.