Sponsorship, Advertising, and Partnerships Policy

Purpose

The Research Journal of Critical Care Nephrology (RJCCN) may receive financial or non-financial support from organizations, institutions, foundations, professional societies, research organizations, and commercial entities to support the journal's publishing, educational, scientific, and operational activities.

RJCCN recognizes that financial support may contribute to the sustainability and development of scholarly publishing. However, sponsorship and other sources of financial support must never compromise the journal's editorial independence, scientific integrity, peer-review process, or publication standards.

This policy establishes the principles and procedures governing sponsorships, partnerships, advertising, and other forms of external financial or in-kind support received by RJCCN.

Editorial Independence

Editorial independence is a fundamental principle of RJCCN.

All editorial decisions, including decisions regarding manuscript selection, peer review, acceptance, revision, rejection, publication, article type, editorial priority, and scientific content, are made independently of sponsors, advertisers, commercial organizations, authors' financial interests, and other external funding sources.

No sponsor, advertiser, donor, partner, or funding organization may influence:

  • the selection or appointment of editors or reviewers;
  • the peer-review process;
  • the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts;
  • the scientific interpretation or presentation of published material;
  • the timing of publication;
  • editorial opinions, commentaries, or recommendations;
  • the journal's ethical or scientific policies; or
  • decisions concerning corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or other post-publication actions.

The Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board retain full and final authority over editorial decisions.

This principle is consistent with the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), which emphasizes that sponsorship and partnerships should be managed in a manner that preserves editorial independence.

Transparency of Sponsorship

RJCCN will publicly disclose relevant sponsorships and partnerships on its website.

Where appropriate, the following information may be disclosed:

  • name of the sponsoring organization;
  • nature of the sponsorship or partnership;
  • type of support provided;
  • period of support;
  • whether the support is financial or in-kind; and
  • any relevant relationship between the sponsor and a specific journal activity.

Sponsors will not be presented in a manner that implies that RJCCN endorses their products, services, treatments, devices, or commercial interests.

Types of Acceptable Support

RJCCN may consider the following forms of support:

     Financial Support

Financial contributions may support legitimate journal activities, including:

  • journal publishing and website maintenance;
  • editorial and production infrastructure;
  • scientific meetings and educational activities;
  • publication-related services;
  • digital archiving and preservation;
  • dissemination of scientific content; and
  • other activities consistent with the journal's mission.

     In-Kind Support

In-kind contributions may include:

  • technological services;
  • educational materials;
  • software or publishing tools;
  • scientific or educational resources;
  • logistical support; or
  • other services that support the journal's legitimate activities.

All such support should be appropriately disclosed where relevant.

Eligibility of Sponsors

RJCCN may consider support from academic institutions, professional organizations, foundations, non-governmental organizations, research organizations, healthcare organizations, pharmaceutical companies, medical-device companies, biotechnology companies, diagnostic companies, and other organizations whose activities are compatible with the journal's scientific mission.

However, RJCCN reserves the right to refuse or discontinue sponsorship from any organization whose activities, products, practices, reputation, or proposed conditions are inconsistent with the journal's ethical standards, scientific mission, or editorial independence.

RJCCN will not knowingly accept sponsorship that would create an unacceptable conflict of interest or undermine public confidence in the journal.

Prohibited Conditions of Sponsorship

RJCCN will not accept sponsorship agreements that:

  • require or attempt to influence publication decisions;
  • require preferential treatment of manuscripts;
  • require publication of favorable scientific content;
  • restrict the publication of unfavorable or critical scientific findings;
  • require alteration or suppression of editorial content;
  • provide sponsors with control over peer reviewers;
  • provide sponsors with confidential peer-review information;
  • require preferential placement of sponsored material adjacent to related editorial content;
  • create an implied scientific endorsement of a sponsor's product or service; or
  • otherwise compromise the editorial independence of the journal.

Sponsors may not require RJCCN to modify, suppress, delay, or withdraw scientifically justified editorial content as a condition of financial support.

Sponsorship and Manuscript Decisions

Financial or other relationships between RJCCN and a sponsor must not affect the evaluation of manuscripts.

A manuscript submitted by an author who is affiliated with, employed by, or financially supported by a sponsor will be evaluated according to the same editorial and peer-review standards applied to all other submissions.

Authors are required to disclose relevant financial relationships and sources of funding in accordance with the journal's Conflict of Interest and Funding policies.

ICMJE recommends that publications disclose sources of support and explain the role of the sponsor in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, writing, and publication decisions.

Advertising Policy

RJCCN may accept advertisements that are consistent with applicable laws, regulations, professional standards, and the journal's ethical principles.

Advertisements must be clearly distinguishable from editorial and peer-reviewed content.

Advertising arrangements must not influence editorial decisions.

RJCCN will maintain a clear separation between advertising and scholarly content. The presence of an advertisement or sponsorship does not constitute an endorsement by RJCCN, the Editor-in-Chief, the Editorial Board, or the publisher.

The journal reserves the right to reject, remove, or discontinue any advertisement that is considered misleading, inappropriate, scientifically unsupported, unethical, illegal, or inconsistent with the journal's standards.

In accordance with ICMJE recommendations, editors retain authority over the acceptance and placement of online advertisements and advertisements must not be permitted to influence editorial decisions.

Pharmaceutical and Medical-Device Companies

Because RJCCN focuses on critical care nephrology, kidney diseases, acute kidney injury, renal replacement therapy, critical care, transplantation, sepsis, shock, and related clinical fields, the journal may receive sponsorship from pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostic, medical-device, and healthcare companies.

However, commercial sponsorship does not constitute endorsement of any product, drug, device, diagnostic test, or treatment by RJCCN.

Sponsors shall have no authority over:

  • scientific content;
  • manuscript acceptance;
  • peer review;
  • editorial recommendations;
  • clinical recommendations;
  • publication timing; or
  • post-publication editorial decisions.

Where advertising or sponsorship involves a specific medical product or device, all applicable regulatory and ethical requirements must be respected.

RJCCN will not knowingly accept advertisements for products that are prohibited by applicable law or that pose an established and serious risk to public health.

Separation of Sponsored and Editorial Content

Sponsored content and advertisements must be clearly identified and visually distinguishable from peer-reviewed and editorial material.

RJCCN will not present sponsored material in a way that could reasonably lead readers to believe that it has undergone the journal's standard peer-review process unless it actually has.

Sponsored material will not be presented as independent editorial content.

Where a sponsor's logo appears on the journal website, it should be accompanied, where appropriate, by a clear indication such as:

"Sponsor", "Supporting Organization", or "Financial Supporter".

Sponsor Logos and Website Links

RJCCN may display sponsor logos on designated areas of the journal website, including a dedicated Sponsors & Partners section.

The display of a logo does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by RJCCN.

External links to sponsors' websites are provided for identification or informational purposes. RJCCN does not assume responsibility for the content, products, services, privacy practices, or availability of external websites.

Where appropriate, sponsor links should be clearly identified as commercial or sponsorship-related links.

No Influence Through Financial Support

Sponsorship does not provide sponsors with special privileges regarding manuscript processing, peer review, publication, editorial correspondence, or access to confidential information.

Sponsors will not receive preferential consideration for manuscripts, authors, reviewers, editorial positions, or publication opportunities as a consequence of their financial support.

Financial support is separate from editorial decision-making.

Conflicts of Interest

RJCCN recognizes that sponsorship relationships may create actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest.

The journal therefore requires transparency regarding relevant financial relationships.

Editors, editorial board members, reviewers, authors, and other participants in the publication process are expected to disclose relevant conflicts of interest in accordance with the journal's applicable policies.

Editors and editorial staff should recuse themselves from decisions where a relevant conflict could compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, their editorial judgment.

Sponsor Involvement in Research

Where a sponsor has funded research submitted to RJCCN, authors must clearly disclose the sponsor's role in the research.

The disclosure should indicate, where applicable, the sponsor's involvement in:

  • study design;
  • data collection;
  • data analysis;
  • interpretation of results;
  • preparation of the manuscript;
  • review or approval of the manuscript;
  • decision to submit the manuscript for publication; and
  • restrictions on access to data or publication.

Authors should retain appropriate access to study data and maintain independence in the analysis, interpretation, and reporting of their research.

Sponsored Events, Supplements, and Special Issues

If RJCCN participates in a sponsored scientific meeting, supplement, special issue, educational activity, or thematic series, the sponsorship arrangement must be disclosed clearly.

Sponsored supplements and special content must remain subject to appropriate editorial and ethical standards.

The identity of the sponsor and the nature of the sponsorship should be clearly stated.

Sponsorship must not determine the scientific conclusions or editorial decisions concerning such content.

Review and Approval of Sponsors

The journal may conduct an internal assessment before accepting a sponsorship or partnership.

The assessment may consider:

  • the identity and reputation of the organization;
  • the nature of its activities;
  • compatibility with the journal's aims and scope;
  • potential conflicts of interest;
  • potential risks to editorial independence;
  • applicable laws and regulations;
  • scientific and ethical considerations; and
  • the proposed terms and conditions of sponsorship.

RJCCN may decline any sponsorship without providing detailed justification where acceptance could reasonably threaten the integrity or reputation of the journal.

Duration and Termination of Sponsorship

Sponsorship agreements should specify the duration and general purpose of the support.

RJCCN may terminate or suspend a sponsorship arrangement if:

  • the sponsor attempts to influence editorial decisions;
  • the sponsor violates the terms of the agreement;
  • the relationship creates a significant conflict of interest;
  • the sponsor engages in conduct inconsistent with the journal's ethical standards; or
  • continuation of the relationship could reasonably damage the journal's scientific integrity or reputation.

Termination of sponsorship will not affect editorial decisions concerning manuscripts or published articles.

Financial Transparency

RJCCN will maintain appropriate records of sponsorships and other sources of financial support.

The journal may disclose general information regarding its sources of revenue and sponsorship arrangements to promote transparency and accountability.

Consistent with the principles of scholarly publishing transparency, sources of revenue—including sponsorships, subsidies, advertising, and author-related fees where applicable—should not influence editorial decision-making.

Responsibilities of the Editorial Team

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are responsible for protecting editorial independence.

Editorial decisions must be based on:

  • scientific quality;
  • originality;
  • relevance to the journal's scope;
  • methodological rigor;
  • ethical compliance;
  • validity of the findings; and
  • the results of appropriate peer review.

Financial relationships with sponsors must not be considered when making editorial decisions.

Responsibilities of Sponsors

Sponsors are expected to respect the journal's editorial independence and ethical standards.

By entering into a sponsorship or partnership arrangement with RJCCN, a sponsor acknowledges that:

  1. sponsorship does not guarantee publication;
  2. sponsorship does not guarantee favorable editorial treatment;
  3. sponsorship does not provide control over peer review;
  4. sponsorship does not constitute scientific endorsement;
  5. editorial decisions remain independent; and
  6. the journal may publicly identify the sponsor where appropriate.

Public Disclosure Statement

RJCCN will identify its sponsors and relevant supporting organizations in an appropriate and transparent manner.

A standard disclosure may state:

Sponsorship Disclosure: RJCCN may receive financial or in-kind support from external organizations to support journal publishing and educational activities. Such support does not influence editorial decisions, peer review, manuscript selection, publication decisions, or the scientific content of the journal. Sponsors have no authority over editorial policies or individual publication decisions.

Editorial Independence Statement

Editorial Independence: The Research Journal of Critical Care Nephrology (RJCCN) maintains full editorial independence from sponsors, advertisers, commercial organizations, and other external funding sources. All editorial decisions are made independently by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board based on scientific merit, ethical standards, relevance, and peer-review outcomes. Sponsorship or advertising does not influence the acceptance, rejection, revision, publication, or presentation of scholarly content.

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed periodically by the Editorial Board and may be updated when necessary to reflect developments in scholarly publishing standards, applicable regulations, and recommendations from organizations such as the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Policy approved by:
Editor-in-Chief, Research Journal of Critical Care Nephrology (RJCCN)

Effective date: August 2026

Last updated: August 2026