Ethical Policy

Ethical Policy

The Journal of the Blue Economy & Sustainable Energy Development is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. The journal follows internationally accepted ethical guidelines to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in the publication process. Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to adhere to these ethical standards.

Responsibilities of Authors:

·         Ensure originality and integrity; manuscripts must be free from plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification.

·         Limit authorship to those making substantial intellectual contributions; all contributors must be acknowledged appropriately.

·         Do not submit manuscripts simultaneously to multiple journals.

·         Disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest.

·         Provide access to supporting data, models, or materials when requested.

Responsibilities of Editors:

·         Evaluate manuscripts fairly based on academic merit, originality, quality, and relevance.

·         Maintain strict confidentiality and avoid disclosing manuscript information.

·         Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist.

·         Make publication decisions based on scientific quality and alignment with JBESED’s scope.

Responsibilities of Reviewers:

·         Provide constructive, objective, and timely reviews.

·         Maintain confidentiality of manuscripts and related information.

·         Decline review assignments if conflicts of interest exist.

·         Identify relevant literature not cited by authors.

Responsibilities of the Publisher:

·         Uphold ethical standards and best practices throughout the publication process.

·         Ensure transparency in editorial and peer review procedures.

·         Respond promptly to ethical concerns, misconduct, or disputes.

 

Plagiarism Policy

The journal maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism. All submitted manuscripts may be checked using plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts found to contain significant plagiarism or unethical content will be rejected immediately.

Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest (COI) occurs when an individual’s personal, financial, or professional interests could influence, or appear to influence, the objectivity, interpretation, or evaluation of research, peer review, or editorial decisions.

Types of Conflicts

·         Financial conflicts: Funding from organisations with a vested interest in the research outcome, employment, consultancy, advisory roles, stock ownership, or patents related to the study.

·         Non-financial conflicts: Personal relationships, competing academic or professional interests, or ideological, political, or institutional affiliations that could affect judgment.

Who Must Disclose

·         Authors: All interests that may influence study design, analysis, interpretation, or reporting.

·         Reviewers: Any interests that may bias the assessment of a manuscript.

·         Editors: Any interests that may affect manuscript handling or decision-making.

Disclosure Requirements

·         All potential conflicts must be fully disclosed at submission or prior to review.

·         Declared conflicts are published alongside the article to ensure transparency.

·         Failure to disclose may result in rejection, retraction, or other corrective measures.

Management of Conflicts

·         Editors or reviewers with a conflict are recused from handling or evaluating the manuscript.

·         The journal maintains transparent documentation of all declared conflicts.

·         The Editor-in-Chief oversees compliance with COI policies in line with international ethical standards.

Ethical Conduct of Research

·         Research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive environmental systems must have prior ethical approval from the appropriate institutional review board or ethics committee.

·         Studies must comply with relevant national and international regulations, standards, and codes of practice, including those applicable to marine and coastal research.

·         Data must be collected, analysed, and reported honestly, without fabrication, falsification, or misrepresentation.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

·         Corrections: Minor errors must be reported by authors within two weeks; editors aim to publish corrections within four weeks.

·         Retractions: Serious errors, ethical violations, or misconduct may result in retraction; authors must cooperate within two to four weeks, and editors aim to issue retractions within six to eight weeks.

·         Expressions of Concern: When issues require further investigation, authors should respond within two weeks; editors will publish an expression of concern within four weeks.

·         All notices are permanently linked to the original article to maintain transparency and trust.

Ethical Oversight

The journal reserves the right to investigate any ethical concerns raised regarding submitted or published manuscripts. Appropriate actions will be taken in accordance with established academic publishing guidelines.