Ethics, consent & privacy
State the applicable ethics approval, informed-consent process and safeguards for confidential or sensitive information.
JCRHAP editorial standards
Editorial policies
Clear standards for fair assessment, ethical HIV research and a reliable published record—written to help authors understand what the journal expects.
Editorial decisions should rest on the manuscript’s relevance, scientific quality, ethical conduct and clarity of reporting—not on an author’s identity, institution or ability to pay.
JCRHAP’s policy framework is informed by guidance from COPE, ICMJE and WAME. It is designed for HIV/AIDS research where ethical safeguards, respectful terminology and transparent methods are central to the scholarly record.
These principles guide editorial assessment, reviewer selection, publication decisions and any post-publication action. They do not guarantee a particular outcome or timetable.
How a manuscript is handled
The sequence below makes the editorial decision path clear without making fixed-turnaround promises.
Scope & completeness
Editors assess whether the submission has a substantive HIV/AIDS focus and includes the information needed for an informed review.
Editorial assessment
Manuscripts are considered for relevance, scientific merit, reporting quality, ethics and potential contribution to HIV prevention, treatment, care or public health.
External review
Appropriate submissions are evaluated by reviewers with relevant expertise. Editors consider reviewer input alongside the manuscript and applicable policy requirements.
Decision & communication
Editors communicate the decision and any requested revisions. Acceptance follows editorial assessment of the revised work; payment does not determine the decision.
Peer review with a clear option
JCRHAP uses Single-blind (double-blind on request) peer review.
In the single-blind model, reviewer identities remain confidential while author identities are available to reviewers. Authors who need double-blind review should make that request when submitting and prepare files accordingly.
Reviewers are expected to assess the work fairly, declare relevant competing interests and treat submitted material as confidential.
Standards that protect research participants and readers
HIV research can involve sensitive personal, clinical and community information. Authors should make their ethical safeguards and reporting decisions easy to evaluate.
Authorship & contributions
List authors who meet the journal’s authorship expectations and describe individual contributions where required.
Funding & competing interests
Disclose relevant financial support, relationships and competing interests so readers can interpret the work appropriately.
Originality & transparent reporting
Submit original work, acknowledge prior publication or overlap, and report methods, outcomes and limitations clearly.
Data & materials
Include a data-availability statement and explain any justified limits on sharing, particularly where privacy or consent applies.
Respectful language
Use person-centred, non-stigmatising language about people living with HIV and communities affected by HIV.
When the published record needs attention
JCRHAP addresses material problems in published work through transparent notices appropriate to the circumstance.
Corrections
Corrections may be issued when an error affects the article record but does not invalidate the work as a whole.
Expressions of concern
An editorial notice may be used while a significant concern is being examined.
Retractions
Retractions may be published when the findings or publication process are seriously unreliable or compromised.
Related author guidance
Manuscript preparation, reporting guidance and required declarations.
CC BY, author rights and reuse terms.
Data statements, sharing and archiving guidance.
Meet the journal’s editorial board.
Prepare a responsible, well-documented HIV manuscript.
Review the author guidance, then begin the submission process through ManuscriptZone.