Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

BIOSPECIA adheres to the COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors, as well as the COPE Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers. The journal also follows the recommendations of the ICMJE regarding the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly work, expecting authors, reviewers, and editors to uphold these ethical standards.

Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for using their judgment and expertise to manage various tasks, including enhancing the quality and integrity of the journal, addressing the needs of authors and readers, and promoting scholarly discourse. Key responsibilities include:

  • Continuously improving the journal’s quality and integrity.

  • Ensuring the needs of authors and readers are met.

  • Encouraging academic debate and discourse.

Editorial Board

The Editorial Board consists of recognized experts in relevant fields. The journal website provides the full names, professional affiliations, and current contact details of all board members.

Publication Decisions

Editors are responsible for determining which submissions are suitable for publication. Decisions are based on the validity of the work, its relevance to scholars and readers, the journal’s policies, legal requirements, copyright issues, and potential plagiarism. Editors may consult other editors or reviewers when necessary.

Peer Review Process

All submissions undergo a rigorous peer review process. Initially, editors assess manuscripts for scope and quality. Appropriate manuscripts are then reviewed by two independent experts. Reviewers evaluate manuscripts and categorize them as:

  • Publishable with revisions

  • Publishable as is

  • Not publishable

Reviewers provide clear recommendations, and authors receive their comments. Editors should justify any significant deviations from established procedures and only alter publication decisions for substantial reasons.

Fair Evaluation

Manuscripts are evaluated solely on intellectual merit, without regard to the author’s race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, or political views. Acceptance is based on the manuscript’s significance, originality, clarity, and alignment with the journal’s aims.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts and related information must be kept confidential. Only the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher may access manuscript details.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Editors must not use unpublished information from manuscripts for personal research without written consent from the author. Peer review information must remain confidential and cannot be used for personal gain. Editors should avoid handling manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist and must disclose any conflicts discovered after publication.

Procedures for Addressing Unethical Behavior

All unethical behavior should be reported to the editor and publisher with sufficient evidence for investigation. Allegations are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly, even if discovered long after publication. Actions depend on the severity of misconduct and may include:

  • Educating authors or reviewers about standards

  • Publishing a formal notification of misconduct

  • Issuing a formal letter to the relevant organization

  • Retraction of the article and notification of the department head

  • Temporarily banning the involved parties from submitting manuscripts

Authors’ Obligations and Duties

Publication and Submission Fees
There are no charges for manuscript processing. Authors only pay applicable conference registration fees. All costs are transparently listed on the journal website.

Open Access Policy
All articles are freely accessible worldwide under the Open Access policy in line with the Budapest Open Access Initiative. Readers may access, download, copy, and distribute content for non-commercial purposes. The journal adheres to the policies of OASPA, DOAJ, and the Budapest Open Access Initiative.

Reporting Standards
Authors must provide an accurate summary of their work, present balanced analyses, and report data truthfully. Misleading statements are considered unethical.

Data Access and Retention
Authors may be asked to submit raw data for editorial review and should retain data for a reasonable period after publication, making it available if necessary.

Originality and Plagiarism
All work must be original, with proper citation of sources. Manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using Turnitin. If plagiarism is detected:

  1. The issue is reported to the editor.

  2. Both original and plagiarized content are compared and highlighted.

  3. A disciplinary meeting is held if plagiarism is confirmed.

  4. Authors must provide an explanation; if unsatisfactory, the article may be retracted.

  5. Authors may be banned from submitting for at least six months.

  6. The author’s institution is notified.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publications
Submitting the same research to multiple journals simultaneously or republishing previously published work without citation is unethical. Original work must always be cited.

Acknowledgment of Sources
Authors must properly credit all contributions and sources. Informally obtained or confidential information cannot be used without explicit written permission.

Authorship
Authorship should reflect significant contributions to the study’s conception, design, implementation, or interpretation. All contributors must approve the manuscript. The corresponding author ensures that all co-authors have agreed to submission.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
All potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, must be disclosed. Funding sources and other relevant interests should be declared. Any post-publication conflicts discovered should also be disclosed.

Fundamental Errors in Published Work
Authors are responsible for notifying the editor or publisher of significant errors or inaccuracies. Corrections or retractions must be made in collaboration with the editor.

Reviewers’ Obligations and Responsibilities

Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review supports editorial decisions and helps improve manuscripts. Thorough, constructive reviews are essential to academic communication.

Promptness
Reviewers who cannot evaluate a manuscript promptly or feel unqualified must inform the editor and decline the review.

Confidentiality
Manuscripts must remain confidential and not be shared or discussed without the editor’s permission.

Standards of Objectivity
Reviews should be objective and professional, focusing on the content rather than the author.

Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers should ensure authors properly cite all relevant work and note any significant overlap with other publications.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Unpublished material must not be used for personal research without the author’s permission. Conflicts of interest must be declared, and reviewers should avoid manuscripts where conflicts exist.

Human and Animal Rights

Research involving human or animal subjects must receive approval from an institutional review board or ethics committee. The manuscript must indicate the approving body. Human research must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki.

For Human Subjects
Informed consent must be obtained, and participant privacy must be protected. Manuscripts should state whether consent was obtained or provide an ethics-approved explanation if consent was not acquired.

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