Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statements for the Journal of Basrah Researches (Sciences)

The Journal of Basrah Researches (Sciences) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethics in research publication. In accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, the Journal of Basrah Researches (Sciences) strives to ensure transparency, integrity, and ethical behavior throughout the editorial and publication process. All participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, and editors, are expected to adhere to these ethical standards.

Table of Contents

1. Publication Ethics

The Journal of Basrah Researches (Sciences) is dedicated to ethical publishing practices at every stage of the publication process:

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must submit original work and properly cite all sources. Plagiarism is not tolerated, and the Journal of Basrah Researches (Sciences) uses Turnitin to screen manuscripts for plagiarism. Submissions with a similarity rate higher than 20% will be returned to the authors for revision.
  • The journal applies plagiarism screening procedures in accordance with its Plagiarism Check Policy and COPE guidelines.
  • Data Integrity and Fabrication: Authors are expected to present their research data accurately, without manipulation or fabrication. The reported results should be transparent and reproducible.
  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment must be given to all referenced work, and plagiarism (including self-plagiarism) must be avoided through accurate citations.
  • Authorship: Only individuals who have significantly contributed to the research should be listed as authors. Any changes in authorship must be communicated to the editorial board in writing.
  • Multiple Submissions: The Journal of Basrah Researches (Sciences) does not allow simultaneous submissions to other journals. Submissions must be original and not previously published.
  • Conflicts of Interest: All potential conflicts of interest, including financial support or affiliations, must be disclosed by the authors.

2. Peer Review and Acceptance

The Journal of Basrah Researches (Sciences) follows a double-blind peer review process to ensure fairness and objectivity:

  • Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents.
  • Timeliness: Reviewers are expected to provide their evaluations within 30 days. Extensions can be granted if requested.
  • Ethical Responsibilities: Reviewers are responsible for identifying any ethical issues, such as plagiarism or conflicts of interest, and notifying the editorial board.

3. Journal Policies on Authorship and Contribution

All authors listed in a manuscript must have made significant contributions to the work. The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors approve the final manuscript and its submission:

  • Contribution Transparency: Authors must clearly state their contributions in the manuscript.
  • Corresponding Author: One author must be designated to manage communication with the journal and ensure that all co-authors approve the submission.

4. Handling Complaints and Appeals

Authors can appeal editorial decisions by submitting a detailed response to the Editor-in-Chief. Appeals must address all reviewer comments, and the editorial team will review the appeal. The Editor-in-Chief's decision is final.

5. Conflicts of Interest and Disclosure

The Journal of Basrah Researches (Sciences) follows COPE's guidelines for managing conflicts of interest. All conflicts must be disclosed by authors, reviewers, and editors:

  • Authors: Any financial or personal relationships that could influence the results must be disclosed.
  • Reviewers and Editors: They must disclose any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves if necessary.

6. Data Sharing and Reproducibility

The Journal of Basrah Researches (Sciences) encourages authors to share their research data to ensure transparency and reproducibility. Authors should include a data availability statement and provide links to data repositories where applicable.

7. Ethical Oversight

Research involving human or animal subjects must comply with ethical standards. Authors must provide proof of ethical approval, and the editorial board may reject manuscripts that do not meet these standards:

  • Human and Animal Research: Manuscripts must include ethical approval statements for studies involving human or animal subjects.

All articles published in the Journal of Basrah Researches (Sciences) are open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain copyright of their articles and grant the journal the right of first publication; for full details, see the Copyright and Licensing page.

9. Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections

The Journal of Basrah Researches (Sciences) addresses post-publication issues, including corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern, in accordance with COPE guidelines. Corrections are issued when necessary, and severe ethical violations may result in retractions.

10. Funding Disclosure

Authors must disclose all sources of funding for their research, including financial support, material supply, and other forms of assistance. Proper acknowledgment should be made in the manuscript.

11. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

The use of AI tools by authors, reviewers, and editors is governed by the journal's Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In summary:

  • Authors: AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Use of AI beyond improving language and readability must be disclosed in a "Declaration of Generative AI Use" section before the References. Authors remain fully responsible for their work, including the accuracy of all references.
  • Reviewers: Reviewers must not upload manuscripts to generative AI tools and must not use AI to evaluate manuscripts or write review reports.
  • Editors: Editorial decisions are made by humans. Editors must not upload manuscripts to generative AI tools or use AI to evaluate manuscripts or draft decision letters.

For any further inquiries or ethical concerns, please contact the Editor-in-Chief at bjrs@uobasrah.edu.iq