Policy Document

Policy Document

 

Open Access Policy

The Pakistan Journal of Kidney Diseases (PJKD) is committed to the principle of open access publishing. All articles published are freely available to the global community immediately upon publication, ensuring that the knowledge generated in nephrology and transplantation research is accessible to practitioners, researchers, and policymakers without subscription barriers.

This approach reflects the journal’s mission to advance kidney health in Pakistan and internationally by encouraging free and equitable dissemination of scientific knowledge. By removing access restrictions, PJKD ensures that the results of research are available to inform evidence-based practice, improve patient outcomes, and strengthen collaborations across borders.

 

Aims & Scope

Aim

The Pakistan Journal of Kidney Diseases (PJKD) aims to provide a high-quality, peer-reviewed platform for the dissemination of scientific knowledge related to nephrology, kidney diseases, dialysis, and renal transplantation. The journal seeks to support clinical practice, promote evidence-based medicine, and encourage research that improves patient outcomes within Pakistan and the global nephrology community.

Scope

PJKD publishes original and scholarly contributions covering all areas of nephrology and renal health, including but not limited to:

  1. Clinical Nephrology
  • Acute kidney injury (AKI)
  • Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
  • Glomerular diseases
  • Hypertension related to renal disorders
  • Electrolyte and acid–base disorders
  1. Dialysis & Renal Replacement Therapy
  • Hemodialysis
  • Peritoneal dialysis
  • Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT)
  • Dialysis complications, quality, and safety standards
  1. Kidney Transplantation
  • Pre-transplant evaluation
  • Surgical and medical transplant management
  • Immunosuppression therapies
  • Post-transplant outcomes and complications
  1. Pediatric Nephrology
  • Congenital renal disorders
  • Pediatric CKD and dialysis
  • Pediatric renal transplantation
  1. Basic & Experimental Research
  • Renal physiology and pathophysiology
  • Biomarkers and laboratory research
  • Experimental models of kidney diseases
  1. Public Health & Preventive Nephrology
  • Epidemiology of kidney diseases
  • Screening and early detection
  • Preventive strategies and awareness programs
  1. Allied Health & Multidisciplinary Aspects
  • Nutrition in kidney diseases
  • Renal nursing
  • Pharmaceutical management in nephrology
  • Health policy, healthcare systems, and renal economics

Types of Manuscripts Published

  • Original Research Articles
  • Review Articles
  • Case Reports & Case Series
  • Editorials 
  • Letters to the Editor

 

Copyright Policy

Upon submission, authors agree that copyright of all published work is transferred to PJKD. The journal holds the copyright in order to manage publication rights and distribution while still allowing authors to share their work widely for non-commercial purposes.

All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). This license allows users to download, share, and redistribute articles for personal, educational, and academic purposes provided proper attribution is given, but prohibits commercial use without prior permission. This balance protects the authors’ work while encouraging broad educational dissemination.

Archiving Policy

PJKD ensures long-term preservation of its scholarly content through archiving in digital repositories and the PKP Preservation Network (PN). This guarantees that articles remain accessible even in the event of technical disruption, ensuring the permanent availability of published research.

Authors are also encouraged to self-archive their published articles in institutional or subject repositories in line with the journal’s open access mandate. Such parallel archiving strengthens the reach of research, ensuring visibility to diverse audiences, particularly in resource-limited regions.

 

Ethical Guidelines

PJKD follows the standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the ICMJE Recommendations (2016 revision), and the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki. Authors must ensure their research is conducted responsibly, ethically, and with appropriate approvals.

Editors and reviewers are also bound by strict ethical standards, including confidentiality during peer review and disclosure of conflicts of interest. Any breach of ethical conduct such as plagiarism, falsification, duplicate publication, or violation of human/animal rights will result in corrective actions such as rejection or retraction.

 

Plagiarism Policy

PJKD has a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism. All submissions undergo screening using plagiarism detection software prior to peer review. Manuscripts showing a similarity index greater than HEC's defined policy will be returned to the authors for revision or rejected outright depending on severity.

The journal considers plagiarism to include direct copying, paraphrasing without attribution, self-plagiarism, or inappropriate use of others’ data or ideas. Authors are encouraged to ensure originality in their submissions, and any suspected plagiarism after publication will be investigated according to COPE guidelines, potentially leading to retraction.