Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Innovations in Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences (JIPBS) Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement is based, in large part, on the guidelines and standards developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

JIPBS is dedicated to following best practices on ethical matters, errors, and retractions. The prevention of publication malpractice is one of the important responsibilities of the editorial board. Any kind of unethical behavior is not acceptable. Authors submitting articles to JIPBS affirm that manuscript contents are original. The relevant duties and expectations of authors, reviewers, and editors of the journal are set out below.

Role / Duties / Responsibility of Editors

• Publication Decision: Based on the review report of the editorial review board, the editor can accept, reject, or request modifications to the manuscript.
• Review of Manuscripts: Each editor must ensure that each manuscript is initially evaluated by the editor for originality. Following desk review, the manuscript is forwarded for double-blind peer review to the editorial review board, who will make a recommendation to accept, reject, or modify the manuscript.
• Fair Review: The editor must ensure that each manuscript received is reviewed for its intellectual content without regard to the sex, gender, race, religion, or citizenship of the authors.
• Confidentiality: The editor must ensure that information regarding manuscripts submitted by authors is kept confidential.
• Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: The editor will not use unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research without the written consent of the author.

Role / Duties / Responsibility of Reviewers

• Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all manuscripts received for review as confidential documents, not to be seen by or discussed with others.
• Objectivity: Review of submitted manuscripts must be conducted objectively, with views expressed clearly and supported by argument.
• Qualifications: Reviewers who believe they are not qualified to review a manuscript should inform the editors promptly and decline the review.
• Disclosure: Information or ideas obtained through review must be kept confidential and must not be used by reviewers for personal benefit or in their own current research.
• Conflict of Interest: Reviewers should decline to review manuscripts where they have a conflict of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the manuscript.
• Substantial Similarity: Reviewers should inform editors of any significant resemblance or overlap between a received manuscript and any other published work they are aware of.
• Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers assist editors in making publication decisions, and assist authors in improving their manuscripts, by providing explicit and constructive feedback.

Role / Duties / Responsibility of Authors

• Originality: Manuscripts submitted to JIPBS must be original and not currently under consideration elsewhere, nor previously published as copyrighted material. Ideas or words of other researchers must be properly acknowledged through citation.
• Plagiarism: Plagiarism — including claiming authorship of others' work, copying or paraphrasing substantial portions of others' research without attribution, or using others' results as one's own — is unacceptable and considered unethical publishing behavior. Such manuscripts will be rejected. In the event of an infringement, objection, or complaint regarding a published manuscript, the author bears sole responsibility and liability for resolving the dispute.
• Authorship: Authorship should be limited to those who have made significant contributions, listed in order of contribution. The corresponding author must ensure all co-authors have seen and approved the final manuscript and agree to JIPBS's publication policies. The corresponding author should be indicated with an asterisk (*).
• Multiple or Concurrent Publication: Authors must not submit manuscripts describing substantially the same research to more than one journal concurrently. This constitutes unethical behavior and may result in rejection, or removal after publication.
• Acknowledgement of the Work of Others: Authors must properly cite work that has significantly contributed to their manuscript. Failure to do so is unethical and will result in rejection.
• Accuracy: Reported objectives, data, analyses, and results must be accurate. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate results are unacceptable and will result in rejection.
• Data Access and Retention: Authors may be asked to provide raw data (e.g., spreadsheets, figures, software reports, calculations) for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data where possible, and to retain it for a reasonable period after publication.
• Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects: Authors must clearly identify any unusual hazards inherent in chemicals, procedures, or equipment used. Human subjects must be informed of the study's purpose, and appropriate animal ethics committee approval must be provided where required.
• Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript.
• Substantial Errors in Published Manuscripts: Authors who discover significant errors in their own published work must promptly inform the JIPBS editors and cooperate in correcting the record.
• Acknowledgement of Indirect Contributors and Financial Supporters: Individuals who contributed indirectly (e.g., colleagues who reviewed drafts, heads of research institutes) should be named in an acknowledgements section. All sources of financial support must be disclosed. Requests to add names after publication will not be accommodated.