Publication Ethics

The Journal of Innovation and Business Strategy (JIBS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures to prevent any ethical misconduct in the publication process. JIBS follows guidelines and recommendations from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure the integrity of the academic record. All parties involved in the publishing process (authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher) are expected to adhere to the following ethical principles:

1. Responsibilities of Authors

• Originality and Plagiarism
  Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original and properly cite or quote the work and ideas of others. Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable and constitutes unethical publishing behavior.

• Data Accuracy and Integrity
  Authors are responsible for presenting accurate and reliable data. Falsification or manipulation of data is unethical. Authors should retain raw data and provide access upon request for editorial review.

• Multiple Submissions
  Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently constitutes unethical behavior.

• Acknowledgment of Sources
  Proper acknowledgment of all sources of funding, support, and contribution to the work must be given. Authors should also disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could affect the interpretation of the findings.

• Authorship Criteria
  Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All co-authors must agree to the publication and approve the final version of the manuscript.

2. Responsibilities of Editors

• Fair and Impartial Decision Making
  The editor is responsible for making fair and objective decisions about the acceptance or rejection of submitted manuscripts. Editors must evaluate manuscripts solely based on their academic merit, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope, without regard to the authors' race, gender, religious beliefs, nationality, or political philosophy.

• Confidentiality
  The editor must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and ensure that no information regarding a submitted manuscript is disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

• Conflicts of Interest
  Editors should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest or relationships that could affect their judgment. In such cases, an alternative editor should be appointed to handle the submission.

• Publication Decisions
  The editor has the authority to accept or reject manuscripts based on the reviewers' evaluations and the journal’s standards. The editor may also request revisions to improve the quality of the manuscript.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

• Contribution to Editorial Decisions
  Peer reviewers play a crucial role in the publication process by assisting the editor in making informed decisions and helping authors improve their manuscripts through constructive feedback.

• Confidentiality
  Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not discuss or disclose any information from the manuscript to others without the editor’s permission.

• Objectivity and Ethical Conduct
  Reviews should be conducted objectively, and reviewers should avoid personal criticism of the authors. Reviewers must provide clear, constructive, and unbiased feedback to help authors improve their work. Any conflict of interest that may affect the review process should be disclosed to the editor.

• Acknowledgment of Sources
  Reviewers should identify any relevant published work that has not been properly cited by the authors. Any similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and other published works should be reported to the editor.

4. Responsibilities of the Publisher

• Ethical Oversight
  The publisher is committed to supporting the editorial team in maintaining academic integrity. The publisher ensures that the journal follows ethical standards and investigates any instances of misconduct or breaches of publication ethics.

• Corrections and Retractions
  If errors or instances of misconduct are identified post-publication, the publisher, in collaboration with the editor, will issue corrections, retractions, or other appropriate measures to maintain the integrity of the academic record.

5. Addressing Ethical Misconduct

JIBS takes all cases of ethical misconduct seriously. Any allegations of unethical behavior, plagiarism, falsification of data, or other breaches of publication ethics will be thoroughly investigated by the editorial board. If proven, appropriate actions will be taken, which may include retraction of the published article, notification to relevant authorities or institutions, or banning the authors from future submissions.