Publication Ethics

JoFIBI aims to be a publication of high quality. Standards and integrity are considered paramount for all published material. The journal adopts the best practice guidelines on the ethics of scholarly publishing as outlined by the COPE. Authors, Editors, Reviewers, and the Publisher have the responsibility to act in accordance with the following:

1. Authors' Responsibilities

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their work is original. Plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data will not be tolerated.
  • Multiple Submissions: It is unethical to submit the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously.
  • Sources - Acknowledgment: Proper acknowledgment must be given to all sources, references, and contributions used in the work.
  • Authorship: All listed authors must have significantly contributed to the work. Individuals with minimal contributions should be acknowledged in the acknowledgments section.
  • Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest that may influence the research or its interpretation.
  • Availability of Data and Storage: Authors must provide access to raw data during the review process if requested and retain data for future verification.
  • Corrections and Retractions: If errors or inaccuracies are found post-publication, authors are responsible for notifying the journal promptly to correct or retract the work.

2. Editors' Responsibilities

  • Fair and Impartial Decisions: Manuscripts will be judged on academic merit alone. Editors must avoid discrimination based on gender, race, religion, or other personal attributes.
  • Confidentiality: Editors must not disclose details of submitted manuscripts to anyone except the authors, reviewers, or editorial board members.
  • Publication Decisions: The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the final decision on manuscript acceptance or rejection based on quality, originality, and alignment with the journal’s scope.
  • Conflicts of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists and delegate to another editor.
  • Ethical Oversight: Editors must investigate allegations of misconduct such as plagiarism, falsification, or unethical behavior.
  • Corrections and Retractions: Editors must ensure that necessary corrections or retractions are issued promptly to preserve the scholarly record.

3. Reviewers' Responsibilities

  • Timeliness: Reviewers must complete their reviews promptly and notify the editors if they are unable to meet deadlines.
  • Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents and not share or discuss them with others.
  • Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted objectively, with constructive and well-supported feedback. Personal bias or criticism is inappropriate.
  • Identification of Sources: Reviewers should highlight relevant published work not cited by the authors and notify editors of significant similarities with other publications.
  • Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their objectivity in evaluating the manuscript.
  • Reporting Ethical Concerns: If reviewers suspect plagiarism, data fabrication, or ethical misconduct, they must report these concerns to the editors.

4. Publisher's Responsibilities

  • Editorial Independence: The publisher ensures that editorial decisions remain independent and are based solely on academic merit.
  • Handling Misconduct: The publisher works closely with editors to investigate and address ethical concerns, including plagiarism, authorship disputes, or research misconduct.
  • Content Integrity: The publisher upholds the integrity of the academic record by facilitating corrections, retractions, and clarifications where necessary.
  • Access and Transparency: The publisher is committed to transparent publication processes and equitable access to published articles.

5. Ethical Misconduct and Investigations

JoFIBI follows COPE guidelines for addressing allegations of ethical misconduct, including:

  • Plagiarism (text, data, or figures).
  • Duplicate or redundant submissions.
  • Data fabrication or falsification.
  • Unethical research practices, such as failure to obtain informed consent.
  • Authorship disputes, including ghost authorship or omitted contributors.

Procedures:

  • Allegations will be investigated thoroughly in coordination with editors and the author’s affiliated institution.
  • If misconduct is confirmed, corrective actions will include corrections, retractions, or bans on future submissions by the offending authors.

6. Retractions and Corrections

  • Retractions: Articles found to contain significant errors, fraudulent data, or ethical violations will be retracted in line with COPE guidelines.
  • Corrections: Minor errors that do not alter the findings will be published as errata or corrigenda.

Notification: Readers will be clearly informed of the nature of the correction or retraction through transparent announcements.

7. Ethical Research Practices

Authors must ensure their research complies with ethical standards, including:

  • Informed Consent: Obtaining consent from participants where required.
  • Human and Animal Research: Adhering to institutional and international guidelines for research involving humans or animals.
  • Conflict Disclosure: Disclosing any potential conflicts of interest or funding sources that may have influenced the research outcomes.

By adhering to these principles, JoFIBI upholds the integrity, transparency, and quality of its publication process, ensuring trust and credibility among authors, reviewers, and readers worldwide.