Handling of unethical publishing behavior
In cases of alleged or proven scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism,
the publisher, in close collaboration with the editors, will take all appropriate measures to
clarify the situation and to amend the article in question. This includes the prompt publication
of an erratum, clarification, or, in the most severe case, the retraction of the affected work.
The publisher, together with the editors, shall take reasonable steps to identify and prevent the
publication of papers where research misconduct has occurred, and under no circumstances encourage
such misconduct or knowingly allow such misconduct to take place.
Access to journal content
The publisher is committed to the permanent availability and preservation of scholarly research
and ensures accessibility by partnering with organizations and maintaining our own digital archive.
For details on BMS's archiving policy, please click here
Appeals and Complaints
The JBMS carefully evaluates complaints, appeals, and allegations in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. This applies for both before and after the publication process.
To file a complaint or raise a potential misconduct issue with a journal, or appeal an editorial decision, follow these steps:
• Contact the journal's editor and explain your complaint or appeal.
• If you have a complaint about the editors of a journal, you can also address it directly to the publisher.
• If the response to your complaint is unsatisfactory, raise the issue with the publisher, who will investigate the complaint and decide whether further investigation is necessary in accordance with COPE guidelines.
Corrections and Retractions
Honest errors are a part of science and publishing and require the publication of a correction when they are detected. These errors may range from simple typographic errors to willful manipulation of findings or results. How these errors are handled depends largely on their severity or magnitude and whether they were intentional.
• Corrections: JBMS is dedicated to preserving the scientific record's integrity. Minor changes that do not affect the scientific accuracy of the paper may be rejected if submitted after publication to avoid discrepancies downstream or the author may submit an erratum or corrigendum that will be published online and linked to the original article. In the event of major corrections, such as significant errors in data, calculations, or conclusions, the Journal will issue a formal correction notice describing the error and its impact on the article's conclusions. The editor and publisher of the journal will decide whether an error is significant enough to warrant correction.
• Retractions: JBMS adheres to the COPE Retraction Guidelines, and a retraction will be issued to alert readers to significant errors. Journal editors consider retractions when there is evidence of unreliable data or findings, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or unethical research. All retraction notices will include an explanation for the retraction as well as a link to the original article. The editor-in-chief initiates the retraction process and the authors will be notified and given the opportunity to respond. Retractions do not require or seek author approval, and the decision to retract will be reconsidered only if new evidence is discovered.
Allegations of research misconduct
Research misconduct is defined as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, conducting, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. JBMS takes all allegations of potential misconduct seriously and follows COPE guidelines to ensure an unbiased and anonymous investigation process. This entails seeking advice from experts in the relevant field to ensure that any investigation is carried out is in accordance with scientific standards and norms. If the author(s) of the suspected article accepts the misconduct complaint, the editorial office will take the following actions, depending on the circumstances. If the article has already been published, an erratum or retraction may be required to rectify the situation. However, there may still be disagreements about the proper wording of the description. If the misconduct is reported during the review process, the review process may continue, with the author(s) making the relevant changes.
Conflict of interest
JBMS adheres to the guidelines set forth by the COPE and has established policies to manage potential conflicts of interest for all authors, reviewers, and editors involved in the publication process. All the editors, authors, and peer reviewers should disclose interests that might appear to affect their ability to present or review work objectively. These might include relevant financial interests (for example, patent ownership, stock ownership, consultancies, or speaker’s fees), or personal, political, or religious interests.
Revenue
JBMS charges per article and the article fee paid by the authors is used to manage the journal. We do not receive any funding or sponsorship from outside organizations or institutions. The journal has no commercial or special interest group affiliations. We are adamant about keeping our publications' editorial decision-making processes separate from our commercial interests.
