Journal of Neurosurgery Academy

Purpose and Scope

The Journal of Neurosurgery Academy (JNA) is committed to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect throughout all aspects of its editorial and publishing activities. The journal recognizes that excellence in scholarly publishing is strengthened by the participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, disciplines, and geographic regions.

This policy applies to all participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, Editorial Board members, , guest editors, and editorial staff. It governs the evaluation and publication of all article types accepted by the journal, surgical procedures, operative videos, case reports, educational content, editorials, and supplementary multimedia materials.

This policy is informed by the principles of the Joint Commitment for Action on Inclusion and Diversity in Publishing (C4DISC), the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and internationally recognized standards for ethical scholarly publishing.

Commitment to Equal and Merit-Based Editorial Evaluation

The Journal of Neurosurgery Academy evaluates all submissions solely on the basis of:

• scientific quality;
• originality;
• methodological rigor;
• ethical compliance;
• clinical significance; and
• relevance to the journal's aims and scope.

Editorial decisions are made independently of an author's or contributor's nationality, citizenship, ethnicity, race, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, language, political beliefs, socioeconomic background, institutional affiliation, geographic location, or career stage.

The journal is committed to ensuring that every manuscript receives a fair, objective, and impartial assessment.

Diversity in Editorial Leadership and Peer Review

The Journal of Neurosurgery Academy recognizes that diversity within editorial leadership and peer review contributes to balanced scientific evaluation and promotes innovation in healthcare research.

Accordingly, the journal seeks to:

• maintain an Editorial Board representing diverse geographic regions, institutions, and areas of neurosurgical expertise;
• recruit qualified reviewers from different countries, healthcare systems, and career stages;
• encourage participation by early-career researchers alongside established experts;
• promote opportunities for researchers from low- and middle-income countries and historically underrepresented communities to contribute to scholarly publishing; and
• periodically review the diversity of its editorial and reviewer community to identify opportunities for improvement.

Appointments to editorial positions are based on academic expertise, professional integrity, editorial experience, and commitment to ethical publishing.

Equity of Access to Publication

The Journal of Neurosurgery Academy supports equitable access to scientific publishing.

The journal applies its editorial policies consistently and transparently to all authors regardless of geographic location or institutional resources.

The journal does not charge submission fees or article processing charges (APCs). Editorial decisions are never influenced by financial considerations.

Inclusive and Respectful Scholarly Communication

Authors are expected to use language that is accurate, respectful, and inclusive.

Manuscripts should avoid discriminatory, stigmatizing, or prejudicial terminology and should describe individuals and populations with dignity and scientific accuracy.

When reporting demographic variables—including sex, gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability or other characteristics—authors should include such information only when scientifically relevant and should follow recognized reporting standards within biomedical research.

Language that reinforces stereotypes or contributes to bias should be avoided unless its inclusion is necessary for scientific accuracy or historical context.

Diversity and Respect in Clinical Reporting

As a journal publishing clinical research, case reports, surgical procedures, and operative videos, the Journal of Neurosurgery Academy emphasizes respectful and responsible reporting of patients and clinical populations.

Authors should:

• protect patient dignity and confidentiality;
• report demographic characteristics accurately when clinically relevant;
• avoid unnecessary identification of patients or vulnerable populations;
• avoid language that may stigmatize individuals or communities; and
• ensure that informed consent has been obtained for publication whenever required by journal policy, particularly for identifiable images or videos.

Inclusion in Multimedia Content

The principles of diversity, equity and inclusion extend to all multimedia content published by the journal, including operative videos, clinical images, illustrations, animations, and supplementary materials.

Authors should ensure that multimedia materials:

• respect patient privacy and confidentiality;
• present patients, healthcare professionals, and research participants respectfully;
• avoid discriminatory or stereotypical portrayals; and
• comply with the journal's ethical requirements regarding patient consent and image publication.

Fair and Unbiased Peer Review

Editors and reviewers are expected to conduct peer review professionally, objectively, confidentially, and without discrimination.

Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts solely on their scientific merit and must not allow personal beliefs, institutional relationships, nationality, gender, ethnicity, or other personal characteristics of authors to influence their recommendations.

Editors strive to recognize and minimize both conscious and unconscious bias throughout the editorial process. Individuals involved in editorial decision-making must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and recuse themselves where appropriate.

Accessibility and International Participation

The Journal of Neurosurgery Academy welcomes submissions from researchers worldwide and encourages contributions from diverse healthcare systems and research environments.

The journal promotes clear scientific communication that is accessible to an international readership and encourages authors to prepare figures, tables, videos, and supplementary materials that are understandable and usable by the widest possible audience whenever practical.

Responsibilities

Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring that editorial decisions are fair, transparent, impartial, and based solely on scholarly merit. Editors should actively promote diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the editorial process.

Reviewers

Reviewers should provide constructive, respectful, objective, and evidence-based evaluations while maintaining confidentiality and declaring any conflicts of interest.

Authors

Authors should conduct and report the work ethically, use inclusive and respectful language, protect participant confidentiality, and comply with the journal's ethical and reporting requirements.

Editorial Board Members

Editorial Board members are expected to uphold the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, integrity, professionalism, and respect while supporting the journal's editorial standards and strategic development.

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed periodically by the Editorial Board to ensure that it remains aligned with evolving international best practices in scholarly publishing, publication ethics, and inclusive editorial practice.

Guiding Frameworks

This policy is informed by the principles and recommendations of:

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
• Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC)
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing