Publication Ethics
JOBC: Journal of Biobased Chemicals is a peer-reviewed electronic international journal. This statement clarifies the ethical behaviour of all parties involved in the act of publishing an article in this journal, including the author, the chief editor, the Editorial Board, the peer reviewers, and the publisher. This statement is based on COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.
Duties of Authors
Reporting standards
The authors honestly should provide an accurate account of the original research performed, as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Authors should avoid fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation. A manuscript should obey the submission guidelines of the journal.
Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must confirm that they have written entirely original work and that if they have used the work and/or words of others, these have been appropriately cited or quoted. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
The author should not, in general, submit the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently. It is also expected that the author will not publish redundant manuscripts or manuscripts describing the same research in more than one journal. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. Multiple publications arising from a single research project should be clearly identified as such, and the primary publication should be referenced.
Acknowledgment of Sources
The authors should acknowledge all sources of data used in the research and cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work. Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given.
Authorship of the Paper
The authorship of research publications should accurately reflect individuals’ contributions to the work and its reporting. Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. Others who have made a significant contribution must be listed as co-authors. In cases where major contributors are listed as authors, those who made less substantial or purely technical contributions to the research or publication are acknowledged in a separate section. Authors also ensure that all authors have seen and agreed to the submitted version of the manuscript, including their inclusion as co-authors.
Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects
The author should clearly identify in the manuscript if the work involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment that have any unusual hazards inherent in their use.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
All authors should clearly disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.
Fundamental errors in published works
If the author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in the submitted manuscript, then the author should promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.
Duties of Editors
Publication Decisions
The editor of a peer-reviewed journal is responsible for deciding whether the articles should be published. The editor should follow the journal's policies regarding legal requirements, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.
Fair Play
An editor should perform fair play in evaluating manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.
Confidentiality
The editor and team must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.
Disclosure
This part states:
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author.
Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.
Editors should recuse themselves (i.e., should ask a co-editor, associate editor, or other member of the editorial board instead to review and consider) from considering manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or (possibly) institutions connected to the papers.
It should be ensured that the peer-review process for sponsored supplements is the same as that used for the leading journal. Items in sponsored supplements should be accepted solely based on academic merit and interest to readers and not be influenced by commercial considerations.
Non-peer-reviewed sections of their journal should be clearly identified.
Conflicts of Interest
Editors should require all contributors to disclose relevant competing interests and publish corrections if competing interests are revealed after publication. If necessary, other appropriate actions should be taken, such as publishing a retraction or expressing concern.
Duties of Reviewers
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review supports the editor in making editorial decisions. Peer review also facilitates communication with authors to enhance the quality of the manuscript.
Promptness
The reviewers agree to review a manuscript within the specified timeframe. The reviewers must be reasonably confident that they can return a review within the proposed or mutually agreed-upon time frame, informing the journal promptly if they require an extension. The reviewers should communicate with the editors if they are unable to review a manuscript.
Confidentiality
All manuscripts are strongly treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.
Standards of Objectivity
Reviews must be performed objectively and clearly with supporting arguments.
Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers must identify relevant published work that the authors have not cited. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also call to the editor's attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in a reviewer’s own research without the express written consent of the author. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.