Publication Ethics

The Journal of Integrated Biotechnology Research (JIBR) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. JIBR follows the ethical principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

Submission of a manuscript implies that the work is original, has not been published previously, is not under consideration elsewhere, and has been approved by all authors.

Duties of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring the quality and integrity of published articles. Editors shall:

Make publication decisions based solely on scientific merit, originality, significance, and relevance to the journal scope.
Maintain confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts.
Ensure a fair, objective, and timely peer-review process.
Avoid conflicts of interest.
Preserve reviewer anonymity.
Take appropriate action regarding suspected ethical misconduct, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or data fabrication.
Issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary.

Duties of Reviewers

Reviewers assist editors in evaluating manuscripts and improving their quality. Reviewers should:

Conduct reviews objectively and provide constructive comments.
Maintain confidentiality of manuscripts.
Declare any conflicts of interest.
Identify relevant published works not cited by the authors.
Inform editors of possible plagiarism or duplicate publication.
Refrain from using unpublished information for personal advantage.
Decline review assignments when they are not sufficiently qualified or unable to review promptly.

Duties of Authors

Authors are expected to uphold the highest standards of scientific integrity. Authors should:

Submit only original work.
Ensure that manuscripts are not simultaneously submitted to another journal.
Present data honestly and accurately without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation.
Properly acknowledge and cite all sources.
Obtain approval from all co-authors before submission.
Disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest.
Correct significant errors discovered after publication.

Authorship and Contribution

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to:

Study conception and design;
Data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation;
Drafting or revising the manuscript critically;
Approving the final version of the manuscript.

All authors share responsibility for the content of the article.

Originality and Plagiarism

JIBR only accepts original manuscripts. Plagiarism in any form, including:

Direct plagiarism;
Self-plagiarism;
Duplicate publication;
Data falsification and fabrication;

is considered unethical and unacceptable. All submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts with unacceptable similarity levels may be rejected immediately.

Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors should disclose any relationships or financial interests that could influence the objectivity of the work. Authors must include a declaration of competing interests in their manuscripts.

Research Involving Humans and Animals

Studies involving humans or animals must comply with relevant ethical standards. For studies involving humans:

Ethical approval from the appropriate ethics committee must be obtained.
Informed consent from participants must be obtained.

For studies involving animals:

Experiments must comply with institutional and national regulations concerning animal welfare.
Ethical approval information should be provided in the manuscript.

Data Integrity and Availability

Authors are responsible for ensuring that data presented in manuscripts are accurate and reproducible. Authors are encouraged to provide access to research data whenever possible and to retain raw data for verification purposes.

Confidentiality

Editors and reviewers shall not disclose any information concerning submitted manuscripts except to those involved in the editorial process. Unpublished materials must not be used for personal research without written permission from the authors.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors may submit complaints or appeals concerning editorial decisions, authorship disputes, or publication ethics. All complaints will be handled fairly and confidentially according to internationally accepted ethical guidelines.

Corrections and Retractions

If significant errors or ethical issues are identified after publication, JIBR may publish:

Corrections (Erratum);
Expressions of Concern;
Retractions.

Such actions will be conducted to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Acknowledgements

Individuals or institutions that contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately. Funding sources and grant numbers should be disclosed in the manuscript.

Misconduct

Scientific misconduct includes but is not limited to: