Publication Ethics

1. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality, accuracy, integrity, and ethical conduct of their research throughout the submission and publication process.

1.1. Reporting Standards

Authors must present research objectives, methodologies, analyses, findings, and conclusions accurately, objectively, and transparently. Research data must be collected, analyzed, reported, and retained responsibly to support the reliability and verification of research findings.

1.2. Originality and Plagiarism

Submitted manuscripts must represent original scholarly work. Authors must appropriately acknowledge all sources of information, ideas, data, and intellectual contributions obtained from other works.

Plagiarism, improper paraphrasing, fabricated citations, and the unauthorized use of another person's intellectual property are prohibited. Manuscripts are subject to originality and similarity screening in accordance with the journal's Plagiarism Policy.

1.3. Multiple and Redundant Publication

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts have not been previously published and are not simultaneously under consideration by another journal. Duplicate submissions, redundant publications, and inappropriate reuse of previously published materials are prohibited. Any substantial overlap with earlier work must be appropriately disclosed and justified.

1.4. Authorship and Contributions

Authorship must reflect substantial intellectual contributions to the research and manuscript preparation. All listed authors must meet the journal's Authorship Criteria, approve the final manuscript, and accept responsibility for their contributions.

The corresponding author is responsible for coordinating communication with the Editorial Board and ensuring that all authors have agreed to the submission, authorship order, and contribution statements.

1.5. Research Ethics and Data Integrity

Authors must conduct research in accordance with applicable ethical standards. Studies involving human participants, personal information, or confidential organizational data must comply with relevant consent, confidentiality, and data protection requirements.

Fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or selective misrepresentation of research data and findings is strictly prohibited.

1.6. Conflicts of Interest and Funding Disclosure

Authors must disclose financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, their research or interpretation of findings. Funding sources and the roles of sponsors must be transparently acknowledged where applicable.

1.7. Use of Artificial Intelligence

Authors may use artificial intelligence tools only in accordance with BMB's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy. AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, validity, and integrity of all AI-assisted content and must disclose substantive AI use as required by the journal.

1.8. Correction of Errors

Authors who identify significant errors or inaccuracies in submitted or published manuscripts must promptly notify the Editorial Board and cooperate in implementing appropriate corrections or other editorial actions.

2. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for maintaining the integrity, fairness, independence, and transparency of the editorial and publication process.

2.1. Editorial Decisions

Editors evaluate manuscripts based on academic merit, relevance to the journal's Focus and Scope, originality, methodological quality, scholarly contribution, and compliance with publication ethics. Decisions regarding manuscript acceptance, revision, or rejection must be based on objective editorial assessment and relevant peer-review recommendations.

2.2. Fairness and Non-Discrimination

Editors must evaluate manuscripts without discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, institutional affiliation, or other characteristics unrelated to scholarly merit.

2.3. Peer Review Management

Editors are responsible for selecting qualified reviewers with appropriate expertise and ensuring that manuscripts undergo a fair, independent, and constructive peer-review process. Editors must provide reviewers with clear evaluation guidelines and address potential conflicts of interest.

2.4. Confidentiality

Editors must protect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, reviewer reports, research data, and personal information obtained during the editorial process. Unpublished materials must not be disclosed or used for personal research or professional advantage without appropriate authorization.

2.5. Conflicts of Interest and Editorial Independence

Editors must disclose potential conflicts of interest and withdraw from editorial responsibilities when their impartiality may be compromised. Editorial decisions must remain independent of commercial interests, institutional pressure, personal relationships, and financial considerations.

2.6. Transparency and Publication Information

Editors must ensure that the journal provides accessible and accurate information regarding its aims and scope, submission requirements, peer-review procedures, publication ethics, licensing, and applicable publication charges.

2.7. Handling Ethical Concerns

Editors must respond appropriately to credible allegations of plagiarism, research misconduct, authorship disputes, or other ethical violations. Where necessary, editors may request clarification, seek independent evaluation, or refer matters requiring formal investigation to the relevant institutions.

3. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play an essential role in maintaining the academic quality, credibility, and integrity of manuscripts considered for publication.

3.1. Objectivity and Professionalism

Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, independently, and constructively based on scholarly quality, methodological rigor, originality, and contribution to knowledge. Personal criticism, discriminatory remarks, unsupported accusations, and inappropriate language are prohibited.

3.2. Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, reproduce, disclose, or use unpublished manuscript content without appropriate editorial authorization.

3.3. Identification of Ethical Concerns

Reviewers should inform the Editorial Board of suspected plagiarism, substantial textual overlap, inappropriate citation practices, data inconsistencies, or other concerns affecting research integrity. Such concerns must be supported by reasonable evidence and communicated confidentially to the editor.

3.4. Timeliness

Reviewers are expected to complete their evaluations within the timeframe established by the Editorial Board, ordinarily within two weeks when specified in the review invitation. Reviewers who are unable to meet the assigned deadline should promptly notify the editor and request an extension or decline the assignment.

3.5. Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must disclose potential conflicts of interest arising from financial, personal, professional, institutional, or academic relationships. Reviewers should decline assignments when such conflicts could compromise their independence or objectivity.

3.6. Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence

Reviewers must preserve manuscript confidentiality when using digital or AI-assisted tools. Confidential manuscripts must not be uploaded to unauthorized third-party AI systems. Peer-review judgments and recommendations remain the responsibility of the reviewer.

4. Ethical Responsibilities of Journal Management

Journal management is responsible for providing the institutional, administrative, and technical support necessary for ethical, transparent, and sustainable scholarly publishing.

4.1. Journal Governance and Mission

Journal management must clearly communicate BMB's academic mission, aims and scope, editorial structure, and publication policies. The management structure must support transparent administration and independent editorial decision-making.

4.2. Editorial Independence

Journal management must respect the academic independence of the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board. Commercial considerations, institutional interests, sponsorship, and publication charges must not influence manuscript evaluation or acceptance decisions.

4.3. Intellectual Property and Licensing

Journal management must respect authors' intellectual property rights and ensure that copyright and licensing information is communicated transparently.

The journal applies the Creative Commons license specified in its current Copyright & Licensing Policy, while previously published articles remain subject to their applicable licensing arrangements.

4.4. Financial Transparency

All publication-related charges must be disclosed clearly to authors. BMB applies the following Article Processing Charges (APC) upon manuscript acceptance:

There are no manuscript submission fees. Publication charges must not influence peer-review outcomes or editorial decisions.

4.5. Privacy and Data Protection

Journal management must safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in journal operations. Personal information must be processed responsibly and used only for legitimate journal administration and publication purposes.

4.6. Archiving and Publication Integrity

Journal management must support appropriate electronic archiving, preservation arrangements, and the continued accessibility of published scholarly works.

The journal is responsible for maintaining accurate publication records and supporting transparent correction, expression of concern, and retraction procedures when necessary.

5. Handling Publication Ethics Violations

BMB takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously. Concerns may be submitted by authors, reviewers, readers, editors, or other relevant parties through the journal's official communication channels.

All reported concerns will be assessed according to the following principles:

1. Initial Assessment: The Editorial Board examines the relevance, credibility, and supporting evidence of the reported concern.
2. Clarification: Relevant individuals are given an appropriate opportunity to explain or respond to the allegations.
3. Further Examination: The journal may consult independent experts or refer cases requiring formal investigation to the relevant research institutions.
4. Editorial Decision: Appropriate actions are determined according to the evidence and applicable publication ethics guidelines.
5. Documentation and Follow-up: Editorial decisions and necessary follow-up actions are documented to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Depending on the nature and seriousness of the findings, editorial actions may include manuscript revision, rejection, correction, expression of concern, or retraction.

Allegations alone do not constitute proof of misconduct. All cases must be handled fairly, confidentially, and based on available evidence.

Editorial Board
Bulletin of Management and Business (BMB)
Universitas Widyagama Malang, Indonesia