Publication Ethics

The Journal of Digital Business and Applied Intelligence (JDBAI) is committed to maintaining integrity, transparency, accountability, and ethical standards throughout the publication process. This statement is developed with reference to the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher are expected to comply with the responsibilities described below.

1. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, independent, and confidential editorial process. Editors must:

  • Evaluate manuscripts based on their academic quality, originality, relevance to the journal’s focus and scope, methodological soundness, and contribution.
  • Make editorial decisions without discrimination based on the authors’ personal background, institutional affiliation, nationality, gender, religion, or political views.
  • Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and all information related to the review process.
  • Avoid using unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for personal research or advantage.
  • Disclose any conflict of interest and withdraw from handling a manuscript when impartiality may be affected.
  • Investigate credible allegations of research or publication misconduct and take appropriate corrective action when necessary.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for the integrity and accuracy of their work. Authors must:

  • Submit original work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal.
  • Present research methods, data, analysis, and findings honestly and accurately.
  • Cite and acknowledge all sources, ideas, data, and materials used in the manuscript.
  • Ensure that all individuals listed as authors have made a substantial contribution to the work and have approved the submitted version.
  • Disclose research funding, financial interests, personal relationships, or other potential conflicts of interest.
  • Obtain ethical approval and informed consent when required and report them clearly in the manuscript.
  • Promptly inform the editorial team when a significant error or inaccuracy is discovered in a submitted or published article.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers support editorial decision-making and the improvement of manuscripts. Reviewers must:

  • Accept review assignments only when they have the appropriate expertise and sufficient time.
  • Treat manuscripts and review materials as confidential documents.
  • Provide objective, constructive, clear, and evidence-based comments.
  • Avoid personal criticism or inappropriate language directed at authors.
  • Disclose any conflict of interest and decline the review when impartiality may be affected.
  • Inform the editor of suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data manipulation, or substantial overlap with other work.
  • Not use unpublished material or ideas obtained through peer review for personal benefit.

4. Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher supports the editorial independence of JDBAI and is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. The publisher will:

  • Support editors in handling ethical concerns and publication misconduct.
  • Ensure that commercial, institutional, or personal interests do not influence editorial decisions.
  • Support the publication of corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern when required.
  • Preserve access to published content and maintain the journal’s academic record.

5. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship must be limited to individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the conception or design of the study; data collection, analysis, or interpretation; manuscript preparation or critical revision; and approval of the final version. All authors must accept responsibility for the integrity of the work. Individuals who contributed to the study but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately.

Any request to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission must be supported by a clear explanation and written agreement from all affected authors. Authorship changes after acceptance will be considered only in exceptional circumstances.

6. Originality, Plagiarism, and Citation Practice

All manuscripts must be original and properly acknowledge the work of others. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, inappropriate paraphrasing, unattributed use of ideas or data, and misleading citation practices are prohibited. Submitted manuscripts may be screened using similarity-detection software. A manuscript may be rejected, corrected, or retracted when plagiarism or substantial unattributed overlap is identified.

7. Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time. Manuscripts that substantially reproduce previously published work without appropriate justification, citation, and editorial approval will not be accepted. Authors must disclose related manuscripts, conference papers, preprints, reports, or other publications that overlap with the submitted work.

8. Data Integrity and Research Misconduct

Fabrication, falsification, selective manipulation, or deliberate misrepresentation of data, images, methods, or findings is prohibited. Authors should retain research data and supporting documentation for an appropriate period and make them available when reasonably requested, subject to ethical, legal, privacy, or confidentiality restrictions.

9. Research Involving Human Participants or Personal Data

Research involving human participants, personal data, or sensitive information must comply with applicable ethical and legal requirements. Authors must state the name of the approving ethics committee, the approval number where available, and the procedures used to obtain informed consent. Identifying information must not be published unless it is essential to the research and explicit consent for publication has been obtained.

10. Conflicts of Interest and Funding Disclosure

Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose relationships or interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the research or publication process. Authors must identify all sources of financial and non-financial support and describe the role of funders in the study, where applicable.

11. Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

Artificial intelligence or generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, citations, confidentiality, and integrity of the submitted manuscript. Any substantive use of generative AI in writing, data analysis, coding, image generation, or other research activities must be disclosed transparently. Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential manuscripts or review materials to external AI systems when doing so could compromise confidentiality, privacy, or intellectual property.

12. Peer-Review Confidentiality

Manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial correspondence, and identities protected by the journal’s peer-review model must remain confidential. Authors and reviewers should not attempt to identify or contact one another during the review process. Any breach of confidentiality will be investigated by the editorial team.

13. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

JDBAI will take appropriate action when the integrity or reliability of published content is questioned:

  • Correction: issued when an error affects part of an article but does not invalidate its main findings.
  • Retraction: issued when findings are unreliable, publication misconduct has occurred, or the article seriously compromises the scholarly record.
  • Expression of concern: issued when serious concerns have been raised but the available evidence or investigation is not yet conclusive.

Notices will be clearly identified, linked to the original article, and explain the reason for the editorial action while preserving the published record.

14. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

Allegations of misconduct will be assessed fairly, confidentially, and without unnecessary delay. The journal may request explanations or supporting evidence from the authors, reviewers, or editors and may contact relevant institutions or other journals when appropriate. Editorial actions may include rejection, correction, retraction, expression of concern, or restrictions on future submissions, depending on the nature and seriousness of the case.

15. Complaints and Appeals

Authors and other parties may submit a complaint or appeal concerning editorial procedures, publication ethics, or a decision on a manuscript. Appeals must provide a clear explanation and relevant evidence. An appeal does not guarantee reversal of the original decision. Where possible, complaints and appeals will be reviewed by an editor who was not directly involved in the disputed decision.

16. Post-Publication Discussion

JDBAI welcomes responsible scholarly discussion regarding published articles. Readers who identify a significant error, ethical concern, or potential misconduct should contact the editorial office and provide sufficient evidence for evaluation.