GUIDELINES FOR EDITORS

The Editors of the Journal of Biobased Chemicals (JOBC) are responsible for maintaining the quality, integrity, and credibility of the journal. Editors are expected to adhere to the highest standards of publication ethics and follow the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Publication Decisions

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are responsible for deciding which submitted manuscripts should be published based on their scientific merit, originality, significance, clarity, and relevance to the journal's scope. Publication decisions shall be made after careful consideration of reviewers' recommendations and in accordance with the journal's editorial policies, ethical standards, and applicable legal requirements regarding copyright, plagiarism, defamation, and intellectual property rights.

Editors may reject manuscripts that fail to meet the journal's quality standards or ethical requirements.

2. Fair Play

Editors shall evaluate manuscripts solely on their academic and scientific merit without discrimination based on the authors':

• Race

• Gender

• Sexual orientation

• Religious beliefs

• Ethnic origin

• Nationality

• Citizenship

• Political philosophy

• Institutional affiliation

Editorial decisions must remain independent of commercial interests or external influence.

3. Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts. Information regarding a manuscript must not be disclosed to anyone other than:

• The corresponding author

• Reviewers

• Potential reviewers

• Editorial advisers

• The publisher

• Other individuals involved in the editorial process, when appropriate

Unpublished manuscripts and related communications must not be shared or discussed outside the editorial process.

4. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Editors shall ensure that privileged information obtained through the editorial and peer-review process remains confidential. Editors must:

• Not use unpublished information or data from submitted manuscripts in their own research without the authors' explicit written permission.

• Avoid using confidential information for personal, academic, financial, or professional advantage.

• Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from personal relationships, collaborations, institutional affiliations, financial interests, or competitive situations.

• Assign conflicting manuscripts to another qualified editor.

• Ensure that all editorial decisions are made objectively and independently.

5. Peer Review Integrity

Editors are responsible for maintaining a fair, objective, and timely peer-review process. Editors should:

• Select reviewers with appropriate expertise.

• Avoid reviewers with conflicts of interest.

• Protect reviewer anonymity in accordance with the journal's peer-review policy.

• Ensure that reviewer comments are constructive, respectful, and relevant.

• Make editorial decisions based on scientific quality rather than commercial or personal considerations.

For sponsored issues or supplements, the same rigorous peer-review standards must be applied as those used for regular issues. Any content that has not undergone peer review should be clearly identified.

6. Ethical Oversight

Editors should take reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of manuscripts involving:

• Plagiarism

• Duplicate or redundant publication

• Data fabrication or falsification

• Image manipulation

• Citation manipulation

• Undisclosed use of Artificial Intelligence is inconsistent with the journal's policy

• Ethical violations involving research involving humans or animals

Editors may use plagiarism detection software and other screening tools before initiating peer review.

When ethical concerns arise, editors should follow the COPE Flowcharts and request explanations from the authors before making a final decision.

7. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

Editors should respond promptly and fairly to allegations of research or publication misconduct. If misconduct is suspected before publication, the manuscript may be rejected. If misconduct is identified after publication, the journal may issue:

• A correction

• An expression of concern

• A retraction

• Another appropriate editorial notice depending on the severity of the issue.

8. Conflicts of Interest

Editors should require authors, reviewers, and editorial board members to disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the editorial process. When competing interests are identified after publication, the journal will take appropriate action, including publishing a correction, editorial note, or retraction when necessary.

9. Appeals and Complaints

Editors should consider appeals against editorial decisions fairly and objectively.

Appeals should provide clear evidence addressing the reasons for rejection. The editor may seek additional independent reviews before reaching a final decision.

Complaints regarding editorial conduct, peer review, or publication ethics will be handled in accordance with the journal's complaints procedure and COPE recommendations.

10. Editorial Independence

Editors shall preserve the editorial independence of the Journal of Biobased Chemicals. Editorial decisions must never be influenced by:

• Commercial interests

• Advertising

• Sponsorship

• Institutional pressure

• Political influence

• Personal relationships

The journal's editorial decisions are based solely on scientific quality, originality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's scope.

Ethical Standards

The Journal of Biobased Chemicals (JOBC) follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices. It is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, transparency, research integrity, and editorial independence.