Publication Ethics and Policies

 

This statement of scientific ethics applies to all parties involved in the publication process of the International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Management, including authors, editors, and reviewers.

1. Ethical Standards for Authors

  • Originality and Research Integrity: Authors must certify that their manuscripts are original. Plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, and redundant publication are prohibited.
  • Use of Sources: Authors must ensure that their work is original and that any work or words of others are properly quoted and cited.
  • Multiple Submissions and Publications: Authors must not submit or publish the same manuscript or substantially similar research in more than one journal or publication at the same time. Such practices are unethical and unacceptable.
  • Correction of Errors: If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate in correcting or retracting the article, where appropriate.

2. Ethical Standards for the Editorial Board

  • Confidentiality: Editors and section editors must not disclose information about submitted manuscripts to anyone other than the authors, authorized reviewers, editorial board members, and publisher, as appropriate.
  • Publication Decisions: Editors are responsible for deciding which articles will be published. They may consult the editorial board and reviewers and use appropriate tools to identify plagiarism or copyright infringement.
  • Conflict of Interest: Editors must not use unpublished material from a submitted manuscript in their own research without the author's written consent.
  • Manuscript Evaluation: Editors must ensure that manuscripts are assessed for originality and assigned to qualified reviewers with appropriate expertise.

3. Ethical Standards for Reviewers

  • Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be shared with unauthorized persons.
  • Objectivity: Reviews must be objective, constructive, and focused on the scholarly content. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate.
  • Timeliness and Qualifications: Reviewers who feel unqualified to review a manuscript or cannot complete the review promptly must inform the editor and decline or withdraw from the review process.
  • Relevant Concerns: Reviewers must inform the editor of concerns that may affect the manuscript's suitability for publication, including possible ethical violations.
  • Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest to the journal.

Manuscript Types

The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Management considers the following categories of scholarly submissions. Manuscripts must be relevant to the journal's stated aims and scope.

1. Original Research Paper

Original Research Papers report primary empirical findings that contribute new knowledge, theoretical understanding, or practical insights to the journal's field of interest.

Acceptable methodologies: Quantitative studies, qualitative investigations, research and development (R&D), mixed-methods studies, and other appropriate research designs.

Core requirements:

  • Identify a clear research gap, use an appropriate and rigorous methodology, and provide a transparent interpretation of the data.
  • Demonstrate a clear contribution to the relevant body of knowledge and practical or theoretical implications.

2. Review Article

Review Articles provide a comprehensive and critical synthesis of existing literature to evaluate current trends, theoretical developments, and unresolved research questions.

Acceptable approaches: Systematic Literature Reviews (SLR), meta-analyses, and other rigorous review approaches appropriate to the topic.

Core requirements:

  • Explain the search strategy, inclusion and exclusion criteria, quality appraisal, and synthesis methods, where applicable.
  • Go beyond descriptive summaries by critically analyzing the literature, identifying research gaps, and proposing directions for future research.

Conflict of Interest

The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Management requires authors, reviewers, and editors to declare any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the peer-review, editorial decision-making, or publication process.

Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when financial, personal, academic, or professional relationships interfere with, or could reasonably be perceived to interfere with, the objective presentation, review, or publication of research findings.

Responsibilities of Stakeholders

  1. Authors
    • Disclose relevant conflicts of interest in the manuscript or cover letter at submission.
    • Declare sources of financial support, research grants, corporate sponsorship, or commercial affiliations related to the study.
    • If no conflict exists, include the statement: “The authors declare no potential conflict of interest regarding the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.”
  2. Reviewers
    • Decline to review a manuscript if they have a financial, personal, or collaborative relationship with an author or relevant institution that could compromise impartiality.
    • Not use unpublished information or ideas from a manuscript for personal advantage or their own research.
  3. Editors
    • Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts authored by colleagues, current collaborators, students, or family members when a conflict may exist.
    • Make editorial decisions based on scholarly merit, relevance to the journal's aims and scope, and reviewers' evaluations, free from inappropriate commercial or institutional influence.

Handling Disclosed Conflicts

A disclosed conflict of interest does not automatically lead to manuscript rejection. Transparency enables reviewers and editors to assess the work appropriately. If an undisclosed conflict is identified after publication, the journal will assess the matter and take appropriate action in line with applicable publication-ethics guidance, which may include a correction, clarification, or retraction.

Authorship Criteria

International Authorship Standards

The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Management follows recognized academic publishing standards. Authorship credit must be based on substantial contributions to the research and manuscript preparation.

To qualify as an author, each listed individual must meet all four of the following criteria:

  1. Substantial Contributions: Significant involvement in the conception, design, execution, data collection, or interpretation of the study.
  2. Drafting and Intellectual Revision: Participation in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.
  3. Final Approval: Approval of the final version of the manuscript for publication.
  4. Accountability: Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work and to ensure that questions about accuracy or integrity are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Roles and Responsibilities

  1. Corresponding Author: The corresponding author manages communication with the journal during submission, peer review, and publication. They must ensure that all co-authors approve the final manuscript and agree to the authorship order.
  2. Co-Authors: All co-authors must meet the authorship criteria stated above.

Non-Author Contributions and Ghost/Gift Authorship

  1. Acknowledgements: Individuals who contributed but do not meet all authorship criteria—for example, by providing technical assistance, language editing, or administrative support—should be acknowledged rather than listed as authors.
  2. Prohibited Practices: Ghost authorship (omitting individuals who made substantial contributions) and gift or honorary authorship (listing individuals who did not make substantial scholarly contributions) are prohibited. Alleged violations will be assessed under the journal's publication-ethics procedures.

Post-Publication Discussion

The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Management encourages continuing academic discourse, constructive scientific critique, and scholarly debate about articles published in the journal. Post-publication discussion can support transparency, clarify findings, and stimulate further research.

1. Mechanisms for Post-Publication Discussion

  • Letter to the Editor: Readers and researchers may submit a formal letter to comment on, critique, or build upon a published article.
  • Author Response: When a letter raises credible and scientifically grounded points, the editorial board may invite the original authors to submit a response.
  • Publication: If accepted, the letter and the corresponding author response may be published together or in a manner determined by the editorial board to support balanced scholarly discussion.

2. Submission Guidelines for Feedback

  • Academic Focus: Comments must address scientific arguments, methodology, interpretation of evidence, or theoretical validity. Personal or unconstructive criticism will not be considered.
  • Citation Requirements: Submissions must identify the original article by title, author(s), publication year, volume, issue, and DOI, where available.
  • Format and Length: Submissions should generally be 500–1,500 words, follow the journal's formatting requirements, and be supported by relevant scholarly literature.
  • Editorial Evaluation: All submissions undergo initial editorial screening. Where substantial empirical or technical disputes arise, the commentary may be sent for independent peer review.