1. Peer Review Policy
ENGINEERING Health & Rehabilitation Engineering adopts a single-blind review process. In this model, reviewer identities are concealed from authors, while reviewers are aware of the authors' identities. All reviewers are required to maintain strict confidentiality regarding manuscript content, intellectual property, and any associated data. Reviewers must not publicly discuss the work, appropriate authors' ideas prior to publication, retain copies of manuscripts for personal use, or distribute them after review completion. Reviewers are expected to accept or decline review invitations promptly and to submit comprehensive, constructive, objective, and respectful evaluations within the agreed timeframe.
2. Peer Review Process
Manuscripts are submitted and managed through the ScholarOne Manuscripts™ online submission system. The journal utilizes the platform's full suite of peer review management tools. The standard workflow for reviewers includes: Receiving an Invitation, Accepting/Declining, Accessing the Manuscript, Completing the Review Form Online, and Submitting the Review. Detailed operational guidelines are provided in the ScholarOne Reviewer Guide available within the system.
3. Authorship Policy
Authorship must be restricted to individuals who have made substantive intellectual contributions to the conception, design, execution, data analysis, or interpretation of the reported study. All significant contributors must be listed as co-authors. Individuals who have participated in specific technical or supporting aspects should be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgements" section. The corresponding author bears the responsibility for ensuring that: (1) all qualifying contributors are included as authors, (2) no unqualified individuals are listed, (3) all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript, and (4) all co-authors consent to its submission for publication. All authors share collective responsibility for the entire content of the paper.
4. Publication Fee Policy
To promote the broad dissemination of knowledge and reduce barriers to publication, ENGINEERING Health & Rehabilitation Engineering charges no fees for article submission, processing, or publication (Article Processing Charges, APC) at least in 4 years. The journal operates under a Gold Open Access model, with all published content freely available online under a Creative Commons license, supported by its founding institutions.
5. Plagiarism Detection
ENGINEERING Health & Rehabilitation Engineering is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity. The journal employs iThenticate plagiarism detection software, integrated directly into the ScholarOne submission system. Upon successful submission, all manuscripts are automatically screened for textual overlap with published literature. The journal is also a participant in the CrossCheck initiative, which facilitates the identification of duplicate and potentially plagiarized content. Manuscripts with unacceptable levels of similarity may be rejected or returned to authors for revision.
6. Ethical Approval and Informed Consent
For all research involving human participants, animal subjects, or biological specimens, authors must declare formal ethical review and approval, or formal review and waiver, from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee. This information, including the approval reference number, must be detailed in the "Compliance with Ethics Guidelines" section within the manuscript. For studies involving human participants, the method of obtaining informed consent (written or oral) must be explicitly stated. The Editorial Board reserves the right to request official documentation of ethical approval.
7. Conflicts of Interest and Financial Disclosures
A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (e.g., research validity) may be unduly influenced by a secondary interest (e.g., financial gain, personal relationships, academic rivalry). All authors must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest at the time of submission by completing the mandatory Conflict of Interest Statement. Financial support for the research and any relevant financial relationships must be fully disclosed. The corresponding author must also confirm full access to all study data and final responsibility for the submission decision. Failure to disclose may result in manuscript rejection, publication of a correction, or article retraction.
8. Responsibilities of the Editorial Board
The Editorial Board is responsible for ensuring the scientific quality, integrity, and fairness of the publication process. Key responsibilities include:
Peer Review Management: Selecting competent, impartial reviewers with relevant expertise and no conflicts of interest.
Equitable Treatment: Ensuring all submissions, including those from board members, undergo the same rigorous, unbiased peer review.
Editorial Decisions: Making acceptance/rejection decisions based solely on the manuscript's scientific merit, originality, methodological soundness, clarity, and relevance to the journal's scope.
Policy Transparency: Publishing and regularly updating clear guidelines for authors and reviewers on the journal website.
Originality: Publishing only original work not previously published or under consideration elsewhere.
Confidentiality: Protecting the personal information of authors and reviewers, using it solely for communication related to the publication process, and prohibiting its use for commercial purposes or unauthorized disclosure.
9. Role of Editors
The editors of ENGINEERING Health & Rehabilitation Engineering adhere to the core practices and guidelines outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Editors are responsible for:
Upholding the highest ethical standards in publication.
Making impartial decisions independent of commercial interests.
Ensuring a fair, transparent, and robust peer review process.
Safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record by handling corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions appropriately.
Addressing suspected ethical misconduct in research or review.
Clearly communicating expectations to authors and reviewers.
Managing their own editorial conflicts of interest.
10. Policy on Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern
Corrections (Errata): Published promptly to amend significant errors in the published record that do not invalidate the article's conclusions. The original article is linked to the correction, and vice versa.
Retractions: Issued when the core findings of an article are deemed invalid due to major error, misconduct, or irreproducible data. The retracted article remains accessible but is clearly watermarked as "Retracted."
Expressions of Concern: Published when there are serious doubts about the integrity of a published article, but a conclusive investigation is pending.
All such notices are prominently labelled, indexed, and linked to the original publication.
11. Advertising Policy
ENGINEERING Health & Rehabilitation Engineering may accept non-commercial advertisements that align with its academic mission. This includes announcements for calls for papers, special issue promotions, conference announcements, and introductions to significant published articles. The acceptance of any advertisement is at the discretion of the Editorial Board and does not imply endorsement of the advertised product, service, or views. Commercial advertising is not currently accepted.