Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

BELGI: Journal of Islamic Business and Decision Sciences adheres to high standards of publication ethics and is committed to following relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The journal expects all parties involved in the publishing process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—to uphold ethical conduct, transparency, and research integrity.

1. Duties of Authors

Authors must ensure that their submissions are original, free from plagiarism, and have not been published previously or submitted simultaneously to another journal.

All sources used must be properly cited, and relevant prior work must be acknowledged.

Authors are responsible for disclosing potential conflicts of interest, funding sources, and relevant contributions to the research.

Research data and findings must be represented accurately. Fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, inappropriate image manipulation, and knowingly misleading statements constitute forms of research or publication misconduct.

Authors must ensure that all listed authors meet appropriate authorship criteria and have approved the submitted manuscript.

Any use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in manuscript preparation must be disclosed in accordance with the journal’s applicable AI policy. AI tools cannot be credited as authors.

2. Duties of Editors

Editors are responsible for evaluating manuscripts fairly and impartially, based on scholarly merit, relevance to the journal’s scope, methodological rigor, originality, and ethical compliance. Editorial decisions must not be influenced by authors’ race, gender, institutional affiliation, nationality, religious beliefs, or other irrelevant personal characteristics.

Editors must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and must not use unpublished material for their own research or personal advantage.

Editors should take reasonable steps to identify and address suspected research or publication misconduct. They must respond appropriately to credible ethical concerns and manage conflicts of interest that may affect editorial decisions.

Editors must ensure that peer review is conducted fairly and confidentially and that manuscripts are handled by appropriately qualified reviewers.

Editors must not use generative AI tools to replace scientific judgment or editorial decision-making. Any AI-assisted administrative processes must be strictly overseen by humans, and editors remain fully responsible for the confidentiality, integrity, and finality of all editorial decisions.

 

3. Duties of Reviewers

Reviewers must provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback to assist editors in making informed decisions and to help authors improve their manuscripts.

Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and may not use unpublished data, arguments, or findings for personal advantage.

Reviewers must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could compromise the impartiality of their evaluation and decline a review when necessary.

Reviewers must not upload confidential manuscripts or unpublished manuscript content to generative AI tools or other external services that could compromise confidentiality. Reviewers remain responsible for the integrity and confidentiality of their review reports.

Reviewers are strictly prohibited from using generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to analyze, evaluate, or draft review comments. 

Reviewers should notify the editor of suspected plagiarism, redundant publication, fabricated data, inappropriate citation practices, or other potential ethical concerns supported by relevant evidence.

4. Duties of the Publisher

The publisher supports the editorial independence of BELGI and expects publication decisions to be based on scholarly merit, editorial assessment, and peer review integrity rather than commercial or other inappropriate influences.

The journal screens submitted manuscripts for similarity using Turnitin or an appropriate similarity-checking tool before publication. Similarity reports are assessed by the editorial team in context; a similarity percentage alone does not determine whether plagiarism has occurred.

Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors must disclose the use of AI in manuscript preparation in accordance with the journal’s AI policy. Any AI-assisted editorial processes must be appropriately overseen by humans. 

The publisher and editorial team are responsible for responding appropriately to credible concerns about research integrity and publication ethics. Reports of suspected misconduct will be assessed on the basis of available evidence. The journal may request clarification or supporting documentation from the relevant parties and, where necessary, consult independent experts or relevant institutions.

When an error or ethical concern affects a published article, BELGI will determine the appropriate editorial action according to the nature and seriousness of the issue and the available evidence. Actions may include publication of a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction.

Correction notices will describe the relevant error and its amendment. An expression of concern may be issued when a significant concern remains unresolved or an investigation is ongoing. A retraction may be issued when reliable evidence establishes that an article’s findings or conclusions are substantially unreliable or that serious misconduct undermines the integrity of the published record.

Editorial notices will be publicly accessible and linked to the affected article wherever technically possible. Retracted articles will ordinarily remain in the journal archive to preserve the scholarly record but will be clearly marked as retracted. The original article’s DOI and metadata will be retained where possible, with a link to the retraction notice.

Editorial actions will be documented and handled fairly, transparently, and proportionately. The journal may consider additional evidence or a reasoned appeal in accordance with its editorial procedures. All decisions will be made with due regard to confidentiality, impartiality, and relevant publication ethics principles.

The detailed procedures for corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions are described in the journal’s Editorial Policies. BELGI is committed to maintaining the accuracy of the scholarly record and addressing research and publication ethics concerns in accordance with applicable COPE guidance.