Publication Ethics

At Biosciences Research Reviews, we adhere to high standards of ethical conduct in publishing. These guidelines aim to ensure the integrity of the publication process, encourage transparency, and foster academic credibility. Our publication ethics are guided by international standards and the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.

1. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity throughout the research, writing, and publication process. Key responsibilities include:

• Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that the work they submit is original and has not been plagiarized. Proper attribution should be given to previous work, ideas, and research findings. Plagiarism, in any form, is strictly prohibited.

• Accuracy of Data: Authors must ensure that all data and results presented in the manuscript are accurate, authentic, and properly documented. Falsification or manipulation of data is unacceptable.

• Authorship and Contribution: Only those who have made significant contributions to the study and manuscript should be listed as authors. All authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission. Ghost authorship (the omission of contributors who deserve authorship) and honorary authorship (including individuals who did not contribute significantly) are not permitted.

• Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could be viewed as a potential conflict of interest. This includes funding sources, personal relationships, or professional affiliations that may influence the research or manuscript.

• Ethical Approval: Authors must obtain the necessary ethical approvals for their research, especially for studies involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data. These approvals should be documented and included in the manuscript submission.

• Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of sources is required for all references, including data, theories, and methodologies. This includes referencing sources of funding, research grants, and any supporting institutions.

• Redundant Publication and Self-Plagiarism: Authors should not submit manuscripts that are substantially similar to one that has been previously published. Self-plagiarism (reusing one's own work without proper citation) is also prohibited.

2. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play a crucial role in maintaining the quality and integrity of published research. Reviewers are expected to:

• Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all manuscripts under review as confidential. Manuscripts should not be shared or discussed with others unless authorized by the journal.

• Impartiality: Reviews should be conducted in an objective and unbiased manner. Reviewers should not allow personal or professional conflicts of interest to influence their judgment. They should provide honest, constructive feedback that will assist the authors in improving the quality of the manuscript.

• Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their reviews in a timely manner, adhering to the agreed review timelines. If they are unable to review the manuscript within the required time frame, they should notify the editorial office as soon as possible.

• Acknowledging Potential Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest they may have with respect to the manuscript being reviewed. If a conflict is found, the reviewer should recuse themselves from reviewing the paper.

• Ethical Concerns: Reviewers should report any ethical issues related to the manuscript, including concerns about plagiarism, data fabrication, or any violation of ethical standards.

3. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

The editorial team has the final responsibility for decisions regarding the acceptance, rejection, or revision of manuscripts. Editors must:

• Fair and Transparent Decision-Making: Editors should evaluate manuscripts fairly and without bias, based solely on the quality of the work and its relevance to the journal's scope. Decisions should be based on objective criteria such as scientific merit, originality, and methodological rigor.

• Confidentiality: Editors must treat all manuscripts as confidential. Manuscripts should not be shared with others outside the peer review process.

• Conflict of Interest: Editors should disclose any conflicts of interest regarding manuscripts. If an editor has a conflict of interest with a particular submission, they should recuse themselves from handling the manuscript and assign it to another editor.

• Maintaining the Integrity of the Journal: Editors are responsible for maintaining the integrity and quality of the journal. They must address any potential cases of misconduct, including plagiarism, data falsification, and ethical violations, in a timely and transparent manner.

• Ensuring Compliance with Ethical Guidelines: Editors must ensure that manuscripts submitted to the journal comply with ethical standards, including proper citations, ethical treatment of research subjects, and approval from relevant review boards.

4. Plagiarism and Research Misconduct

Biosciences Research Reviews follows strict policies regarding plagiarism and other forms of research misconduct. The journal uses plagiarism detection tools, such as Turnitin or iThenticate, to screen submitted manuscripts for similarities with existing literature.

• Plagiarism Detection: Manuscripts that are found to contain plagiarized material will be rejected immediately, and the authors will be notified of the violation. If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the article will be retracted, and a retraction notice will be issued.

• Data Falsification: Authors found to have falsified or manipulated research data will have their manuscripts rejected. In cases where data falsification is discovered after publication, the article will be retracted, and an investigation will be conducted.

• Handling Ethical Violations: Any concerns regarding ethical violations, such as misconduct during the peer review process, plagiarism, or fraudulent data, should be reported to the editorial office. The journal will investigate all allegations and take appropriate action, including retracting articles or banning authors from future submissions.

5. Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Updates

Biosciences Research Reviews ensures that any errors or issues in published articles are addressed in a timely and transparent manner.

• Corrections: If an error is discovered in a published article that does not significantly affect the overall findings or conclusions, a correction notice will be issued. Corrections will be made clearly and visibly in the online version of the article.

• Retractions: If a published article is found to contain significant ethical or scientific errors (such as data falsification, plagiarism, or fabrication), the article will be retracted. A retraction notice will be published in the journal, and the article will be removed from the active content.

• Editorial Updates: The editorial office may issue updates or clarifications to articles when necessary. These updates will be made publicly available and will clearly indicate the nature of the revisions.

6. Compliance with Open Access Standards

Biosciences Research Reviews supports the principles of open access publishing and strives to ensure that all content is freely available to the global research community. Authors must comply with the open access guidelines, including ensuring that all copyright requirements are met and that appropriate licenses are applied to the content.

7. Review of Publication Ethics

The Biosciences Research Reviews editorial team periodically reviews and updates its publication ethics in accordance with international best practices, developments in academic publishing, and feedback from authors, reviewers, and readers.

By adhering to these ethical standards, Biosciences Research Reviews aims to uphold the integrity of the scholarly publishing process, contributing to the advancement of biosciences research in a responsible and trustworthy manner.