The Healthcare Quality Professionals Journal (HQPJ), Online ISSN: 3117-7492 | Print ISSN: 3117-7506, is committed to promoting the lawful, transparent, and responsible dissemination of scholarly research while respecting the intellectual property rights of authors and other copyright holders.
Articles published in HQPJ are made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. Authors retain copyright in their scholarly work while granting the journal the right of first publication. This licensing model supports broad dissemination, reuse, and advancement of healthcare-quality knowledge while requiring appropriate attribution to the original authors and source.
Copyright Ownership
Authors publishing in Healthcare Quality Professionals Journal retain copyright in their original scholarly work.
By publishing with HQPJ, authors grant the journal the right of first publication and authorize the journal to publish, distribute, display, preserve, and communicate the accepted article as part of its scholarly publishing activities in accordance with the applicable Open Access license.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Unless otherwise specifically indicated, original journal content is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
What the CC BY 4.0 License Allows
Subject to the conditions of the license, users may exercise broad reuse rights in relation to licensed journal content.
Share
Readers may copy and redistribute licensed material in any medium or format, subject to proper attribution.
Adapt
Readers may remix, transform, translate, or build upon licensed material while complying with the license conditions.
Redistribute
Licensed content may be redistributed through academic, educational, professional, institutional, or other lawful channels.
Commercial and Non-Commercial Reuse
The CC BY 4.0 license permits reuse for both commercial and non-commercial purposes provided its terms are satisfied.
Attribution Requirements
Reuse of content licensed under CC BY 4.0 should provide appropriate acknowledgment of the original scholarly work.
Rights Retained by Authors
Because authors retain copyright, they may continue to use their published work in scholarly and professional activities subject to the applicable license and any relevant third-party rights.
Authors may use their published research in teaching, presentations, lectures, and academic activities.
Authors may deposit and share their published work through suitable repositories and academic platforms consistent with the applicable license.
Authors may appropriately reuse and build upon their own work in future scholarly publications while citing the original publication.
Authors may promote and disseminate their published articles through appropriate academic and professional networks.
Rights Granted to the Journal
By publishing an accepted manuscript in HQPJ, authors grant the journal the right of first publication and permission necessary to perform legitimate scholarly publishing activities.
Open Access & Licensing
Open Access
HQPJ provides Open Access to published scholarly content, supporting broad availability of healthcare-quality research without conventional reader subscription barriers.
Open Licensing
CC BY 4.0 establishes clear reuse permissions while requiring attribution to the original authors and source.
Third-Party Copyrighted Material
Authors are responsible for ensuring that tables, figures, photographs, questionnaires, scales, diagrams, datasets, illustrations, screenshots, or other materials obtained from third parties are lawfully included in their manuscripts.
Where third-party material is not covered by the article’s CC BY 4.0 license, an appropriate credit line or rights notice should identify the different copyright status, and permission should be obtained where required.
Permissions for Third-Party Content
When permission is legally required for material owned by another copyright holder, authors should obtain permission before publication and retain appropriate documentation.
Clinical Images and Patient Information
Copyright permission does not replace requirements relating to patient privacy, informed consent, confidentiality, or ethical approval.
Where photographs, diagnostic images, clinical records, case information, or other potentially identifiable material are included, authors must ensure that applicable privacy and consent requirements have been satisfied.
Repository and Institutional Sharing
Authors and institutions may share and archive HQPJ articles in institutional repositories, subject repositories, academic profiles, educational systems, or other appropriate scholarly platforms in accordance with the CC BY 4.0 license.
Repository copies should clearly acknowledge the original authors and publication in Healthcare Quality Professionals Journal and retain applicable copyright and licensing information.
Educational and Institutional Use
Licensed journal articles may be used for legitimate academic and educational purposes subject to proper attribution and the conditions of the CC BY 4.0 license.
Commercial Reuse
CC BY 4.0 permits commercial as well as non-commercial reuse of licensed material when the applicable attribution and other license conditions are satisfied.
Users should ensure that any separate third-party rights, privacy rights, publicity rights, trademarks, database rights, or other legal interests relevant to the proposed use are also respected.
Adaptations, Translations and Derivative Works
The CC BY 4.0 license permits adaptation, translation, transformation, and creation of derivative works from licensed content, provided appropriate attribution is given and modifications are clearly indicated.
Adapted material should not be presented in a manner that falsely implies that the original authors or Healthcare Quality Professionals Journal endorse the modified content.
No Additional Restrictions
Users should not impose legal terms or technological restrictions that prevent others from exercising rights that the CC BY 4.0 license otherwise permits in relation to licensed material.
Author Responsibilities
Before publication, authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscript complies with applicable copyright and licensing requirements.
Copyright Infringement Concerns
If credible evidence suggests that a submitted or published article contains material used without required authorization or proper attribution, the journal may review the matter in accordance with its editorial and publication-integrity procedures.
Depending on the circumstances, appropriate action may include requesting clarification or permission, requiring correction of the material, rejecting a manuscript, issuing a post-publication notice, or taking other proportionate action necessary to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.
Copyright vs. Plagiarism
Copyright
Copyright concerns the legal rights associated with original creative and scholarly works and the conditions under which those works may be reproduced or reused.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism involves presenting another person’s words, ideas, data, or other intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgment, regardless of whether separate copyright infringement also occurs.
Copyright & Licensing Summary
| Policy Element | HQPJ Policy |
|---|---|
| Copyright Ownership | Authors retain copyright. |
| Journal Right | Authors grant HQPJ the right of first publication. |
| License | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). |
| Sharing | Permitted with appropriate attribution. |
| Adaptation | Permitted with attribution and indication of changes. |
| Commercial Reuse | Permitted under CC BY 4.0 conditions. |
| Third-Party Material | Separate permissions or restrictions may apply. |
Healthcare Quality Professionals Journal (HQPJ) seeks to balance author ownership with broad scholarly access. Authors retain copyright while granting the journal the right of first publication, and original published content is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, supporting lawful sharing, adaptation, reuse, and dissemination with appropriate attribution.
Copyright Notice: Copyright in original articles published by Healthcare Quality Professionals Journal (HQPJ) remains with the respective author or authors. Unless otherwise indicated, published journal content is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Reusers must provide appropriate attribution, identify the applicable license, indicate modifications where relevant, and respect any separate rights or restrictions associated with third-party material, privacy, confidentiality, or other protected interests.