§8

Research Ethics and Integrity

I. For Authors

Category	Details
Duties of Authors	Authors must adhere to COPE's guidelines for ethical practices in publishing, peer review, authorship, handling retractions, and addressing allegations of misconduct like data falsification, fabrication, and plagiarism.
Authorship Criteria	Based on ICMJE, authors must contribute to the conception, design, data acquisition, analysis, drafting, final approval, and accountability of the work.
Corresponding Author	The primary author responsible for communicating with the journal during the submission and publication process.
Co-author	Individuals who make substantial contributions to the research.
Group Authorship	For consortium/group manuscripts, authorship must follow ICMJE criteria and the group's name should be included if applicable.
Non-Author Contributions	Contributors not meeting authorship criteria (e.g., funding acquisition, supervision, administrative support) should be acknowledged rather than listed as authors.
Deceased Authors	If a corresponding author passes away, another author should assume the role, with all relevant information appended to the manuscript.
Gift, Guest, and Ghost Authorship	Gift and guest authorship (without substantial contributions) are prohibited. Ghost authorship (where contributors are omitted) is also not allowed. BKRF Publications follows COPE guidelines for identifying these issues.
AI-Assisted Technology	AI tools like ChatGPT and large-language model (LLM)-based bots cannot be listed as authors but their usage should be disclosed in the cover letter, acknowledgment section, and "Materials and Methods" section. Authors are responsible for the integrity of AI-generated content.
Authorship Dispute	Disputes are handled per COPE guidelines. Authorship disputes do not typically justify retraction unless the findings are invalid.
Redundant & Duplicate Publication	Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals is prohibited.
Manuscript Originality	Authors must ensure their manuscript is original, with proper attribution and permissions for reused content.
Authors' Contribution	Contributions should be clearly stated in the manuscript using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) (e.g., Conceptualization, Data Curation, Writing, etc.).
Permission for Reproduction	Authors should obtain written permission to reproduce figures, tables, or schemes from previously published works.
Source Attribution	Proper attribution must be given when referencing others' work.
Conflicts of Interest	Any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest must be disclosed at manuscript submission.
Self-Plagiarism	Authors must cite their previously published work when reusing content to avoid self-plagiarism.
Ethical Approval	Authors must provide ethical approval details for studies involving humans, animals, or plants.
Changes in Author List	Changes to authorship must be approved by all listed authors. COPE protocols apply to additions or removals of authors before or after publication.
Data Fabrication and Falsification	Deliberate creation or manipulation of data is strictly prohibited. Detected cases are addressed following COPE recommendations.
Plagiarism	Plagiarism is prohibited. BKRF Publications uses plagiarism detection software to assess manuscripts. Detected cases are handled per COPE guidelines, with consequences including rejection or retraction.
Image Manipulation	Altering images to misrepresent data is forbidden. Detected image manipulation will result in rejection or retraction based on COPE guidelines.
Human Rights	Research involving humans must follow the Declaration of Helsinki, with ethics approval and informed consent as required.
Research Involving Animals	Authors must follow ethical guidelines for animal research, including approval from relevant ethics committees.
Research Involving Plants	Research on plants must follow guidelines such as the IUCN and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Authors must provide ethical statements regarding the plant sources.
Research Involving Cell Lines	Authors must provide details on the origin of cell lines used, including approval and informed consent for human cell lines.
Consent for Publication	Authors must obtain consent for publishing personal data, images, or videos, especially for individuals under 18 or deceased.
Trial Registration	Clinical trials must be registered in public registries, with references cited in the manuscript.
Sex and Gender in Research	Authors must carefully distinguish between sex and gender and address these aspects in their study design, data presentation, and analysis.
Conflicts of Interest	Any financial or non-financial conflict of interest must be disclosed, including employment, patents, or financial gains related to the research.
Citation Policies	Citation manipulation (self-citation or journal self-citation) is prohibited.

II. For the Publisher (BKRF Publications)

Duty	Description
Editorial Independence	Editorial decisions are made solely by the Editor without financial influence from the publisher, ensuring publications are based on scholarly merit.
Plagiarism Prevention	Similarity detection software is used on all manuscripts. Plagiarized content leads to rejection after Editor-in-Chief consultation. Peer reviewers also help to identify potential plagiarism during the review process.
Transparent Peer Review Process	A fair and unbiased peer review process is upheld. Reviewers assess objectively, and reviewers from the same institution as the authors are not selected, ensuring integrity.
Publication Ethics Guidelines	Ethical guidelines are provided to authors, reviewers, and editors to guide preparation, evaluation, and decision-making in compliance with ethical standards.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure	Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose conflicts of interest. Reviewers from the same affiliations as the authors or those reported by authors are not assigned. Editors with conflicts delegate manuscript decisions to others.
Data and Image Integrity	Data manipulation is strictly prohibited. BKRF Publications ensures the highest standards of data and image integrity to avoid misrepresentation of research findings.
Research Misconduct	Allegations of research misconduct are addressed using COPE guidelines, and investigations are conducted thoroughly. Appropriate actions, including corrections or sanctions, are taken in cases of data fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism.
Handling of Ethical Complaints	Ethical complaints are handled transparently. Investigations follow COPE guidelines, and actions may include corrections or retractions. Complainants' identities are kept confidential.
Post-Publication Corrections	Errors discovered post-publication are promptly corrected. Corrections may take the form of errata, corrigenda, or retractions, and will be made according to COPE guidelines.
Funding Disclosure	Authors must disclose all sources of funding, including grants and financial contributions, in the manuscript's acknowledgment section.
Withdrawals	Manuscripts may be withdrawn before or during peer review with a written request to the editorial office, providing reasons for withdrawal.
Retraction	Retractions are issued for published articles containing serious ethical issues or misconduct, following COPE guidelines. Retraction notices are clearly linked to the articles to maintain transparency.
Publication Ethics Advisors	Advisory Board members assist in addressing research ethics and potential publication misconduct.

III. For Editors

Duty	Description
Peer Review Process	Editors ensure fairness, transparency, and impartiality in peer review. They select reviewers with relevant expertise and no conflicts of interest. Editors also ensure that reviewers do not recommend their own work unless pertinent.
Conflict of Interest	Editors must ensure the absence of conflicts of interest between reviewers and authors. If an editor has a conflict with the authors, they should assign the review to another board member.
Impartial Editorial Judgement	The Editor-in-Chief makes unbiased decisions on manuscripts and editorial appointments, without regard to race, gender, religion, or political beliefs. Editorial Board members should come from diverse regions to promote fairness.
Ethical Standards	Editors enforce ethical guidelines, monitor for plagiarism or data fabrication, and manage conflicts of interest. If ethical violations occur, editors should take action, such as issuing retractions or corrections.
Unethical Citations Increase	Editors must avoid artificially boosting journal metrics by adding unnecessary citations. Authors should not be forced to cite the editor's work unless it is relevant to the manuscript.
Confidentiality	Editors are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and safeguarding authors' intellectual property. They should ensure that unpublished findings are not misused and reviewers uphold confidentiality.
AI Tool and Editors' Responsibilities	Editors should not use AI or AI-assisted technologies in decision-making stages of manuscript review, as AI lacks the critical analysis needed for these tasks. The editorial process must remain human-driven to ensure integrity.
Post-Publication Monitoring	Editors are responsible for ongoing monitoring of published articles to detect misconduct. They should take corrective action, such as issuing retractions, and ensure transparent communication with readers and the academic community.

IV. For Reviewers

Duty	Description
Impartiality and Objectivity	Reviewers must conduct their reviews impartially and objectively, ensuring unbiased and transparent evaluation of manuscripts.
Evaluation Based on Scientific Merit	Manuscripts should be assessed based solely on scientific quality, originality, and significance, without considering the authors' identity, affiliation, or beliefs.
Avoiding Conflicts of Interest	Reviewers must promptly inform the editorial office if they suspect any conflict of interest with the manuscript or its authors.
Confidentiality	Reviewers are required to maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and must not share manuscript details with third parties without informing the editorial office. Unpublished materials from reviews should not be used without consent.
Use of AI Tools in Peer Review	Reviewers are prohibited from using AI tools in manuscript evaluations, as AI cannot adequately assess originality, quality, or scientific merit. The review process must rely on human expertise and critical thinking.
Timeliness	Reviewers should accept review requests only if they can complete them within the designated timeline. If delays are anticipated, they must communicate with the editorial office promptly.
Plagiarism and Originality	Reviewers must notify the editorial office immediately if they detect instances of plagiarism. They should await further guidance before continuing the review process.
Ethical Concerns	Reviewers should watch for ethical concerns such as data fabrication, unethical experimentation, or image manipulation, and report these issues to the editorial office. They should follow journal ethical guidelines, such as COPE standards.

COPE Core Practices

JHHWB follows the latest Core Practice Guidelines for Editors and Journal Publishers as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). These cover:

Allegations of misconduct
Authorship and contributorship
Complaints and appeals
Conflicts of interest / Competing interests
Data and reproducibility
Ethical oversight
Intellectual property
Journal management
Peer review processes
Post-publication discussions and corrections