Publication Ethics

Principles of Publication Ethics

BIMA's publication process is guided by principles that support responsible scholarly communication and protect the integrity of the research record.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief provides the overall editorial direction of BIMA and is responsible for maintaining the journal's academic standards. The Editor-in-Chief is expected to:

1. Establish and periodically review the journal's scope, editorial policies, and publishing standards.
2. Ensure that manuscripts are evaluated fairly, objectively, and consistently.
3. Oversee the implementation of publication ethics and appropriate responses to suspected misconduct.
4. Protect the confidentiality of manuscripts and editorial information.
5. Support continuous improvement in the quality and relevance of published research.
6. Promote professional cooperation among the publisher, editors, reviewers, and authors.
7. Ensure that copyright, licensing, and other applicable publishing requirements are appropriately considered.

Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for managing submitted manuscripts in accordance with BIMA's scope, editorial policies, and academic standards. Their responsibilities include:

1. Assessing the relevance, quality, and initial suitability of submitted manuscripts.
2. Ensuring that manuscripts are handled according to academic considerations rather than irrelevant personal or institutional factors.
3. Arranging an appropriate peer-review process and considering reviewer reports in editorial decisions.
4. Maintaining the confidentiality of manuscripts and information obtained during the editorial process.
5. Declaring relevant conflicts of interest and withdrawing from editorial handling where necessary.
6. Communicating with authors and reviewers in a professional and respectful manner.
7. Responding appropriately to suspected plagiarism, research misconduct, or concerns relating to published articles.

Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for the content, originality, accuracy, and integrity of manuscripts submitted to BIMA. Authors are expected to:

1. Submit original research that has not been published elsewhere and is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.
2. Report research methods, data, results, and conclusions accurately and transparently.
3. Provide appropriate citations and acknowledge the work of other researchers.
4. Ensure that all listed authors have made a meaningful contribution and have approved the submitted manuscript.
5. Disclose relevant conflicts of interest and sources of research funding where applicable.
6. Respond to reviewers' comments and editorial requests professionally and accurately.
7. Comply with BIMA's policies concerning plagiarism, copyright, licensing, and research integrity.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Website Administrator

The website administrator supports the technical and operational aspects of BIMA's online journal management system. These responsibilities include:

1. Maintaining the journal website and online journal management system.
2. Managing system configuration and technical access according to assigned authority.
3. Supporting the administration of editor, reviewer, and author accounts.
4. Maintaining appropriate security and confidentiality of information stored or processed by the system.
5. Supporting the technical publication of articles that have received the required editorial approval.

Handling Publication Ethics Violations

BIMA does not tolerate practices that compromise research integrity or the reliability of the scholarly record. This includes plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, duplicate or redundant publication, inappropriate authorship, manipulation of the peer-review process, and other forms of publication misconduct.

Concerns or allegations are considered on the basis of the information and evidence available to the journal. Depending on the nature and seriousness of the issue, the journal may request clarification, conduct an editorial investigation, seek additional expert input, or take appropriate corrective action in accordance with its policies.

Related Ethics and Publishing Policies

This publication ethics statement provides the general ethical framework for BIMA and should be read together with the journal's other relevant policies: