Ethics and Malpractice
Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement for IITM Journal of Business Studies (JBS)
Our publication ethics and malpractice statement is based on the guidelines for journal editors developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Manuscripts Evaluation and Integrity Manuscripts submitted to the journal are evaluated based on their scientific content. Measures are adopted to uphold the standards of publication ethics and to avoid malpractices. We ensure that the submitted papers are original and unpublished, and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Authors must certify that their research paper is their own original work, not copied or plagiarized, either in part or whole, from other works. Proper citation or quotation must be used when referencing others' work.
Duties and Responsibilities of Editors
Decision Making The Editorial Team of the IITM Journal of Business Studies, comprising the Editorial Board and Editorial Staff, is responsible for deciding which articles submitted to the journal will be published. Editors have complete discretion to accept or reject an article and may confer with other reviewers or editors in making their decisions.
Fair Play and Confidentiality Manuscript evaluation is based solely on scholarly and intellectual content, without regard to the authors' characteristics, such as gender, race, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy. Editors must avoid conflicts of interest with respect to the articles they accept or reject and are required to maintain strict confidentiality about submitted manuscripts.
Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers
Peer Review and Confidentiality Editorial decisions are based on peer reviews. Reviewers must maintain confidentiality regarding the contents of the manuscripts and conduct reviews objectively, expressing their views clearly with supporting reasons. They should identify relevant published work not cited by the authors and report any similarities with other published papers. Reviewers must not use information obtained through peer review for personal advantage and should decline to review manuscripts where there is a conflict of interest.
Duties and Responsibilities of Authors
Accuracy and Originality Authors must present accurate, original research work followed by objective discussion of its significance. The paper should detail available literature and references, with all authors having significantly contributed to the research. Authors must ensure that their submitted work is original and unpublished elsewhere. They should follow applicable copyright laws and conventions, seeking permission for copyright materials as needed. Manuscripts must not be submitted concurrently to more than one journal. Proper acknowledgment of the work of others is mandatory.
Authorship and Financial Disclosure Authorship should be limited to those who have made significant contributions to the paper. The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper before submission. All sources of financial support should be disclosed. If significant errors are found in published work, authors are responsible for promptly notifying the editors and cooperating in the retraction or correction of the paper.
Peer Review Policy
Initial Evaluation The Editors first evaluate all manuscripts, rejecting those that are insufficiently original, have serious scientific flaws, poor grammar or language, or are outside the journal's aims and scope. Those meeting the minimum criteria are passed to experts for review, with rejected authors informed within two weeks.
Double Blind Review The journal employs a double blind review process, where the reviewers remain anonymous to the authors.
Reviewer Selection and Reporting Reviewers are selected based on their expertise. They evaluate the manuscript’s originality, methodological soundness, ethical adherence, clarity of results, and relevance of references. Reviewers provide their evaluations without correcting or copyediting manuscripts.
Review Timeline Typically, manuscripts are reviewed within 2-8 weeks. In case of contradictory reviews or delays, further expert opinions may be sought. Revised manuscripts are expected back within three weeks.
Final Decision The final decision to accept or reject a manuscript rests with the Editors, who consider reviewers’ recommendations. Verbatim comments from reviewers may be included in the decision communication.
Plagiarism and Duplicate Publication
Plagiarism Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, is not tolerated. Manuscripts with over 20% plagiarism will be returned to authors for revision. If not corrected, the manuscript will be rejected.
Duplicate Publication Manuscripts submitted must not have been published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere. Any prior publication must be disclosed and justified.
Article Withdrawal and Retraction
Withdrawal Articles may be withdrawn before formal publication if they contain errors or ethical infringements such as multiple submissions or plagiarism. Withdrawn articles are removed and replaced with a notice of withdrawal.
Retraction and Replacement Articles may be retracted for ethical violations. If serious errors could pose health risks, authors may retract and replace articles following retraction procedures.
Proofs, Reprints, and Ethics Approval
Proofs and Corrections Corresponding authors receive electronic proofs and must return corrections within 48 hours. Delayed responses may result in delayed publication or proceeding without author corrections.
Ethics Approval Authors must obtain ethical approval for research involving animals or humans, complying with relevant ethical guidelines and obtaining informed consent.
Intellectual Property and Conflict of Interest Authors must respect intellectual property rights and disclose all sources of financial and logistic support for their research.
Fundamental Errors
Authors must promptly notify the journal of significant errors in their published work and cooperate in correcting or retracting the paper.
