Publication Ethics

The Bangladesh Journal of Advanced Clinical Research (BJACR) is deeply committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics. The journal adheres to the principles set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and other internationally recognized bodies. Integrity, transparency, accountability, and respect for ethical research practices are at the heart of BJACR’s mission. The following guidelines outline the responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process.

 

For Authors

  1. Originality and Plagiarism
    • Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original.
    • All sources must be properly cited, and borrowed ideas, figures, or words must be acknowledged.
    • Plagiarism, duplicate submission, and self-plagiarism are strictly prohibited.
    • Manuscripts are screened with plagiarism detection software, and submissions with significant overlap will be rejected.
  2. Accurate Reporting
    • Research must be reported truthfully, with clear descriptions of methods, data, and findings.
    • Fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting of data is considered unethical.
    • Negative and inconclusive results are equally important and should not be withheld.
  3. Authorship Criteria
    • Authorship must be limited to individuals who made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.
    • All those who made substantial contributions should be listed as co-authors.
    • Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.
    • All authors must approve the final manuscript before submission.
  4. Data Transparency
    • Authors must be prepared to provide raw data upon request by editors or reviewers to verify findings.
    • Data should be stored securely and made available in public repositories where possible.
    • Confidentiality of patient information must always be preserved.
  5. Conflict of Interest
    • All authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence their work.
    • Sources of funding, institutional affiliations, and acknowledgments must be clearly stated.
  6. Ethical Compliance
    • Studies involving human participants must have approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent ethics committee.
    • Informed consent must be obtained and reported.
    • Research involving animals must follow internationally accepted ethical standards (e.g., ARRIVE guidelines).
    • Any unethical research practices will result in immediate rejection or retraction.

 

For Reviewers

  1. Confidentiality
    • Manuscripts under review are confidential documents and must not be shared, discussed, or used for personal advantage.
  2. Constructive Feedback
    • Reviews should be objective, respectful, and aimed at improving the quality of the manuscript.
    • Criticism should be constructive, supported with clear arguments, and avoid personal remarks.
  3. Timeliness
    • Reviewers must accept assignments only if they can complete them on time.
    • Delayed reviews affect the publication process and fairness to authors.
  4. Conflict of Interest
    • Reviewers must decline reviews where a conflict of interest exists (e.g., competitive, collaborative, financial, or personal relationships).
  5. Ethical Oversight
    • Reviewers should alert editors about suspected plagiarism, duplicate submissions, data fabrication, or ethical violations.
    • If reviewers feel unqualified to review a manuscript, they must promptly inform the editor.

 

For Editors

  1. Editorial Independence
    • Editors must make decisions based on the manuscript’s scientific merit and relevance to BJACR’s scope, free from external influence (political, institutional, or financial).
  2. Fair Review Process
    • All submissions undergo double-blind peer review to ensure impartiality.
    • Editors must ensure reviewers are appropriately qualified and diverse in expertise.
  3. Ethical Oversight
    • Editors are responsible for investigating ethical concerns, including plagiarism, research misconduct, duplicate publication, or authorship disputes.
    • They must issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern where necessary.
  4. Transparency in Decision-Making
    • Editors must clearly communicate acceptance or rejection decisions, supported by reviewer feedback.
    • Authors should be provided with guidance for manuscript improvement where applicable.
  5. Conflict of Interest
    • Editors must declare conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where such conflicts exist.
    • A different editor will be assigned in such cases.

 

For Publishers

  1. Integrity and Best Practices
    • The publisher ensures that the journal’s policies and processes adhere to ethical publishing standards.
    • Misconduct cases will be handled following COPE guidelines.
  2. Support for Ethical Research
    • The publisher provides training, tools, and resources for authors, reviewers, and editors to reduce risks of misconduct.
    • This includes plagiarism screening, data-sharing policies, and archiving solutions.
  3. Archiving and Accessibility
    • All published content will be permanently archived in trusted repositories and digital libraries to ensure long-term preservation.
    • BJACR maintains an open-access policy, ensuring all articles remain freely accessible worldwide.
  4. Corrections and Retractions
    • The publisher, in collaboration with editors, will issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern where necessary to maintain academic integrity.