Ethics and Malpractice

The International Business Administration Journal (IBAJ) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics. The journal follows the principles and guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), ICMJE recommendations, and international ISSN best practices for scholarly publishing. The following statement outlines the ethical expectations and malpractice prevention policies for all stakeholders involved in the publication process.

Ethics & Malpractice Statement — International Business Administration Journal

Ethics & Malpractice Statement
International Business Administration Journal

  1. Responsibilities of the Editorial Board
    1. Fair and Transparent Review

      Editors evaluate manuscripts solely based on academic merit, originality, clarity, relevance to the journal scope, and contribution to the field of international business administration.

      Editorial decisions are not influenced by authors’ nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, or political views.

    2. Confidentiality

      Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about submitted manuscripts to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, or publishing staff.

    3. Conflicts of Interest

      Editors must refrain from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest (professional, personal, or financial).

      Such manuscripts are reassigned to another qualified editor.

    4. Suspected Misconduct Handling

      Editors follow COPE flowcharts to address allegations of plagiarism, data falsification, duplicate publication, unethical research, or authorship disputes.

  2. Responsibilities of Reviewers
    1. Contribution to Editorial Decision

      Reviewers support editors in making informed decisions and may assist authors in improving their manuscripts.

    2. Objectivity and Professionalism

      Reviews must be objective, constructive, and free from personal criticism.

    3. Confidentiality

      Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents.

    4. Conflict of Interest

      Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists or if they feel unqualified.

    5. Timeliness

      Reviewers should complete evaluations within the stipulated timeframe. Delays must be communicated promptly to the editor.

  3. Responsibilities of Authors
    1. Originality and Plagiarism

      Authors must ensure that their work is original and properly cited.

      Plagiarism (including self-plagiarism), fabricated data, or manipulated results are strictly prohibited.

      All submissions undergo similarity checks.

    2. Accurate and Honest Reporting

      Research methods and findings should be presented clearly and accurately.

      Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior.

    3. Data Accessibility

      Authors should retain raw data and provide access upon reasonable request for verification.

    4. Authorship

      Only those who made a significant contribution to the research should be listed as authors.

      All co-authors must approve the final manuscript and consent to its submission.

    5. Conflicts of Interest

      Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that may influence the research.

    6. Multiple or Redundant Publication

      Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently is unethical.

      Prior publication must be disclosed.

    7. Ethical Research Compliance

      Studies involving humans or animals must include ethics committee approval and informed consent where applicable.

  4. Publisher Responsibilities
    1. Integrity of the Scholarly Record

      The journal ensures rigorous peer review and maintains transparency in all publishing practices.

    2. Handling Retractions and Corrections

      The journal follows standardized procedures for issuing corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or editorial notices.

    3. Archiving

      The journal ensures long-term archiving and digital preservation of published content (LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, institutional repository, or similar system).

  5. Malpractice Prevention and Action
    1. Plagiarism and Similarity Checks

      All manuscripts undergo plagiarism detection using recognized software.

      Submissions with unacceptable similarity levels are rejected.

    2. Research Misconduct

      If misconduct is confirmed (data fabrication, plagiarism, falsification, duplicate submission, unethical research), the journal may:

      • Reject the manuscript
      • Retract published articles
      • Notify the authors’ institutions or funding agencies
      • Ban authors from future submissions (temporary or permanent)
    3. Appeals and Complaints

      Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a reasoned written request.

      Complaints about malpractice or ethical concerns are investigated independently.

  6. Copyright and Licensing

    Authors retain copyright unless stated otherwise.

    Journal articles may be published under a Creative Commons license (e.g., CC BY) if applicable.

    Authors must guarantee they have rights for any material reproduced.

  7. Compliance with ISSN Standards

    The policies above ensure:

    • Transparency in editorial management
    • Accountability in scholarly record keeping
    • Ethical research and publication processes
    • Alignment with global ISSN requirements for journal legitimacy and quality

Prepared for the International Business Administration Journal. For edits, templates, or export to PDF/Word/Website, contact the editorial office.